What is the Ethiopian honey wine called?

The Ethiopian honey wine is called tej. It is a traditional fermented drink made mainly from honey, water, and gesho, a shrub whose leaves and stems help provide bitterness and support fermentation.

Tej is strongly associated with Ethiopia and is also brewed and consumed in Eritrea. It is commonly prepared at home or served in specialized tej houses, often from a distinctive flask-like vessel called a berele. The drink may be cloudy, yellowish, sweet, lightly sparkling, and typically contains about 7–11% alcohol, though strength varies.

Tej is often confused with mead because both are honey wines. Mead is the broad international category, while tej is the Ethiopian and Eritrean tradition with its characteristic use of gesho. It is served at weddings, festivals, and religious celebrations including Enkutatash, Timkat, Easter, and Meskel, and is widely regarded as Ethiopia’s national drink.