Ethiopian Honey Wine

I tried Ethiopian food for the first time back in 2001 when a colleague invited me to join her at a premier restaurant in Washington, D.C. It was love at first bite. Years later, I tried honey wine/ Tej for the first time. Again, it was so delicious that I fell in love instantly.

I loved it so much that I decided to learn to make it to enjoy at home. I watched many YouTube videos over the course of several months to fine tune my knowledge of making home brews. It seemed simple enough, but I knew from past experiences that YouTube videos were not always the most thorough; nevertheless, I took the knowledge from a combination of videos and attempted the task.

My first brew was a success based on flavor. It was definitely a delicious brew of honey-almost-wine. When I realized that I did not add enough yeast, it was too late, so I settled for my honey-almost-wine, and decided to do better next time. I shared my brew with several friends who loved it. I am sure that my next batch will be more than cider.

I learned a lot from this experience, and I was tickled that I made spiked cider. Next time, I will try to get my ratios correct. I used gesho from Brundo Ethiopian Spices, but I did not add enough for the amount I was attempting to make. I also added water and honey.

I loved the simplicity of this recipe. I am hoping to make it with only gesho, water, and honey like the ancients did a long time ago. I noticed that many home brewers added additional yeast. I may have to do the same if my next brew is not strong enough.