Pure Golden Growth: Hot Eric Honey flourishes in the Treasure Valley

Photos Courtesy of Alyson Outen

Story by Courtnie Dawson

Pure Golden Growth: Hot Eric Honey flourishes in the Treasure Valley

Three years ago, autocorrect changed the course of Molly Munster’s life. 

“I’m drinking rum with Hot Eric”

“Who’s Eric!?”

It was no mystery hunk that swept Molly off her feet, but a recipe that became a passion, and ultimately, a business that gained local, regional, and even national attention.

The original Hot Eric, a blend of coconut oil, organic spices, turmeric and Steele Apiaries honey, started as just another of many recipes.  In her pursuit of nutritional foods to boost the value of the meals she provided her family and her private cooking clients, Molly had created a nutrient-dense spread that she was testing in a homemade cocktail. When her friend checked in on her one day, the fateful conversation took place. She and her friend chuckled at the odd autocorrect mishap, but suddenly Molly had a name for this concoction that had piqued her interest, and as we all know, once you name something, things get serious.

Hot Eric became a persistent side project alongside Molly’s work as a private chef in the Treasure Valley. When she wasn’t cooking or spending time with her two teen daughters, Molly was “moonlighting with her boys”, Hot Eric, and later Hot Koa and Hot Raj (variations of the original recipe), a sweet and spicy mixture that can be stirred into cocktails, spread over toast, mixed into oatmeal, you name it.

Spare time was spent crafting the mixture in a local commercial kitchen, then packaging, labelling, and distributing to a smattering of locations in the valley.

“Anyone who walks through my kitchen gets involved,” Molly chuckles, reminiscing about evenings with her daughters and their friends helping with labelling jars and packaging orders.

At the beginning of the Hot Eric era, only a few locations and a handful of friends knew about the concoction. Now, Molly’s wholesale customers number in the 30s, with Hot Eric and his friends popping up in more and more locations. While she doesn’t yet sell online or have a storefront, people are spreading the word about her products, and a loyal following has erupted not only in the city, but in pockets across the nation.

“Its so lovely and beautiful,” Molly says. “People get it here in town, and take it to where they live and share it with their neighbors.”

Molly’s partners, including Neckar, Dawson Taylor, Janjou Patisserie, and Guru Donuts, give Hot Eric the platform for locals and visitors alike to get to know her boys and share them far and wide. Not everyone understands what the brightly colored jar is, but Molly says people are starting to warm up to it.

“There’s a lot of education necessary around Hot Eric. If people don’t know what it is, then there’s a bit of a gap there,” Molly says. “But its finding its way to the right people. Hot Eric has found a legion of followers, people who want to eat and drink healthful, delicious, beautiful things.”

The growth in popularity of Hot Eric and co. has meant personal growth for Molly herself - from working for others to becoming a full-time business owner. Now dedicates all her time to advancing the Hot Eric name, through new products, a stronger online presence, and adding new employees. The first - her seventeen year old daughter, who wants to join the family business after school.

Even with the doom-and-gloom the pandemic dropped on small businesses like Hot Eric, Molly’s passion has flourished and continued to garner attention, locally and regionally. The prospect of a post-pandemic environment of growth in the valley is an exciting prospect for this small business.

“My community has really supported me over the last couple years. Being a tiny entrepreneur in the valley feels really good,” Molly says. “Growth bums a lot of people out, but growth and change are good for us. For small business owners, it’s wonderful.”

The original trio of products is now expanding to a sampler set, where curious customers can taste all three flavors. Molly is also collaborating with Chocolates by Josh, a chocolatier working out of the same commercial kitchen as Hot Eric, on a set of chocolate bars inspired by the original flavors. Add a new spring surprise flavor to the mix, and there’s a lot for Molly (and the rest of us) to be excited about.

“I’m still so excited by it all,” Molly says. “I’m still soaking in all the goodness and happiness of it. My wholesale partners, my customers, everyone believes in what I’m doing. It means a lot to me.”