Ethiotime1
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Mead is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented honey. In Norse mythology, it’s the drink of the gods. In modern fantasy, it’s the drink of choice for men from Middle Earth to Westeros. It’s more likely for an American to have a golden, hazy idea of what mead is than to actually have tried it.
But in Ethiopia, a version of mead called te’j is a familiar household drink, consumed out of long-necked vessels called bereles. David Woods is bringing te’j to Tucson.
“A couple years ago, in 2021, I missed home. My friends and I were talking about it, let’s make talla, a beverage like beer (made with teff or sorghum). You can’t find it anywhere — it’s expensive. People don’t make it,” David said. He bought a small kit to brew te’j at home and started bringing it to share with coworkers and friends. He shared it while watching football and hanging out by the pool. “People liked it,” he said.
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“I wanted to share the culture,” David said.
That impetus brought David to breweries across town, looking for a partner and a sublease. A friend referred him to a colleague who had given entrepreneurial speeches at the University of Arizona: Eric Sipe, the owner of Dillinger Brewing Company.
“Eric has been to Ethiopia, he said, ‘I love mead.’ He said, ‘This is awesome,’” David said. The two went into business together.
David Woods of the Brillé Mead Company pours a mix of water and honey from Marana into a fermentation tank inside Dillinger Brewing Co. in Tucson. This batch – a prickly pear mead – will be ready in about three weeks.
Rick Wiley, Arizona Daily Star
After two years of figuring out the logistics of sharing a space, confronting obstacles like not being able to share equipment, Brillé Mead Company opened in the Dillinger taproom, at 3895 N. Oracle Road. The name is a spin on berele, as the mead is David’s local rendition of te’j.
“There are some things you can’t replicate,” David said. The two key ingredients in mead are honey and water: neither Ethiopian water nor honey is economical to import yet. “Ethiopian honey is one of the best honeys in the world,” David said.
Instead, David is using ingredients familiar to Tucson: local honey and flavors like hibiscus and prickly pear. Brillé’s debut featured two flavors of mead: a strawberry-hibiscus blend called rosé and a more traditional brew called Addis Ababá.
David Woods mixes honey from Marana with water before pouring it into a fermentation tank together with prickly pear nectar.
Rick Wiley, Arizona Daily Star
“Addis ababa means new flower,” David said. “It’s (also) the capital of Ethiopia.” Some customers, David said, don’t know where that is, and he’s happy to help educate them. He also keeps 10 bereles at the taproom. One day, they might be a perk for an inner circle of supporters, but for now they’re to educate customers, to show them how mead is drunk in Ethiopia.
David is looking to incorporate other iconically Ethiopian flavors into future batches of mead. “I’ve been trying to use Ethiopian coffee,” David said. “Coffee, the little twist, trying to get Ethiopian spices in there. (I’m thinking) of chili, something like that, to make it unique to the region so it can be authentic.”
With an ABV ranging between 6-11%, David’s mead is meant to be potent enough to have its distinct flavor without being too strong to be a practical substitute for beer.
David Woods spends much of his time cleaning and sanitizing the fermentation tanks and parts before brewing mead inside Dillinger Brewing Co. in Tucson.
Rick Wiley, Arizona Daily Star
David has hopes to distribute te’j to local Ethiopian restaurants, to build partnerships with breweries and wineries in Tucson and across the state. He’s scheming with Dillinger to potentially brew braggot, which is a hybrid of beer and mead. But for now, in these early days, David is working at Brillé during his three-day weekends off from his full-time job as an engineer.
“I’m content, but that’s not enough,” David said. “You get to a point where you wake up, go to work, go to sleep. It gets old. There’s a lot of pride that comes into contributing. People taking a chance on you, so, there’s gotta be some sort of return that makes people proud. That’s more of the long game … I’m trying to share the culture.”
Brillé Mead Company
Location: Dillinger Brewing Company, 3895 N. Oracle Road
Hours: 3-8 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 12-8 p.m. Saturday, 12-5 p.m. Sunday
For more information, follow them on Instagram.
New restaurants and bars that have opened in the Tucson area in 2023
Mr. Patron
While there are lots of Mexican sushi food trucks in Tucson, Mr. Patron is the first sit-down restaurant slinging the deep-fried rolls. It even has a patio.
Where: 5754 E. 22nd St.
Phone: (520) 372 2346
Website: Mr. Patron
11 new restaurants have recently opened in Tucson. Find a second location of Indian Twist, a new pupuseria in a food truck park and a Japanese-style sandwich spot at American Eat Co.
Hideout Steakhouse & BBQ
The Hideout Steakhouse and BBQ is expected to open in February at Tucson Spectrum on Irvington Road near I-19.
The Hideout Steakhouse and BBQ
This small chain, started in Myton, Utah, has one restaurant in Casa Grande and opened its third location in Tucson on April 3. They offer steak cooked on a hot stone right at your table along with other steakhouse classics.
Where: 5475 S. Calle Santa Cruz
Phone: (520) 702-2227
Website: Hideout Steakhouse
For Star subscribers: The Hideout Steakhouse and BBQ will open next year on Tucson’s south side, creating about 50 new jobs.
Gyro Shack
Courtesy of Gyro Shack
Idaho-based Gyro Shack, serves up Greek staples in a “fast-causal” setting.
Where: 5775 E. Broadway Blvd
Phone: (208) 853-5840
Website: Gyro Shack
The new Greek-inspired joint will host its soft opening on April 14 across from Park Place Mall.
The Backyard Food Truck Park
420 Taco Truck is one of the five core food trucks at The Backyard food truck park and will be available 20 days out of the month.
Ellice Lueders
The Backyard has a rotating roster of 20 trucks, though a core few will be posted up 20 days of each month and 7-8 are featured at a time. The park is open daily, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Where: 890 W. Grant Road
Phone: (520) 668-0074
Website: The Backyard
The Backyard, located on Grant Road, is Tucson’s newest food truck hub. With a roster of 7-8 food trucks at a time, you’ll find Mexican sushi to Persian-inspired coffee.
Zyka Twist
The garlic naan at Zyka Twist is $4.25.
Ellice Lueders, This Is Tucson
Where: 621 N 4th Ave
Phone: (602) 544-6766
Website: Zyka Twist
Tucson’s Indian Twist just opened a second location, this time on 4th Ave. Zyka Twist serves a curated selection of items you love from Indian Twist’s midtown location.
Flower Child
Interior of Flower Child, located on the corner of North Campbell Avenue and Glenn, where the former Old Chicago Pizza once stood.
Mason Kumet, For the Arizona Daily Star
Flower Child features a menu of salads and bowls, many of them vegetarian and vegan.
Where: 2960 N Campbell Ave. #110
Phone: (520) 276-4550
Website: Flower Child
Yellow Brick Coffee
You can purchase Yellow Brick Coffee at their brick-and-mortar store, 3220 S. Dodge Blvd. It was founded in 2012.
Yellow Brick Coffee
Yellow Brick Coffee is at a new location offering hand- and batch-brewed coffees, espresso-based beverages and pastries made in-house.
Where: 800 N. Country Club Road
Phone: (520) 226-4068
Website: Yellow Brick Coffee
For Star subscribers: A Tucson-based coffee roaster is opening its flagship location at the iconic Benedictine Monastery in midtown.
Uptown Burger
Justin Fitzsimons prepares a French dip burger at Uptown Burger, 6370 N. Campbell Ave.
Rick Wiley, Arizona Daily Star
Uptown Burger is a counter-service, fast-food restaurant that serves a half-dozen eclectic burgers, salads, fries and gelato.
Where: 6370 N. Campbell Ave. suite 160
Phone: (520) 638-6182
Website: Uptown Burger
For Star subscribers: The scion of Tucson’s famous Italian restaurant family has dove into his passion for burgers.
Kava Den
Kava Den is a new extension of the Kava Bar, which offers Kava drinks and products.
Where: 67 E. Pennington St.
Phone: 520-323-1832
Website: Kava Den
Main Event
Pictured is the Triple Lava Burger at Main Event, which comes with three patties topped with American cheese … and then smothered in creamy cheese and caramelized onions.
Courtesy Main Event Entertainment
Main Event is a family-friendly bowling, arcade and entertainment venue that opened its first Tucson location in March.
Where: 4700 S Landing Way
Phone: (520) 503-3301
Website: Main Event
Portillo’s
A row of dogs gets loaded up on the line at Portillo’s, 3761 E. Broadway Blvd., in Tucson.
Kelly Presnell Arizona Daily Star
This popular chain that specializes in Chicago-style hot dogs opened in February where Claim Jumper once stood at the El Con Center.
Where: 3761 E Broadway Blvd
Phone: 520-246-2300
Website: Portillo’s
Dave’s Hot Chicken
The chicken on the menu comes in seven degrees of hot, from “No Spice” to “Reaper.”
Courtesy Dave’s Hot Chicken
Where: 5615 E. Broadway Blvd.
Phone: (520) 613-2420
Website: Dave’s Hot Chicken
Blue Front
Tucson restaurateur Patricia Schwabe drew from childhood memories of eating classic American fare during visits from Mexico for her new restaurant, Blue Front Fine American Food, 110 E. Congress St.
Kelly Presnell photos, Arizona Daily Star
Blue Front, home to American comfort foods, opened in January.
Where: 110 E. Congress St.
Phone: (520) 849-7964
Website: Blue Front
Comida Park
Ellice Lueders
A new food truck park opened in February at the Tanque Verde Swap Meet.
Where: 4100 S. Palo Verde Road
Phone: (866) 440-2810
Website: Comida Park
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