ethiopianspritztejvegandrinkhoney-winecitrus

Tej Spritz

Name: Tej Spritz
Prep time: 8 min
Cook time: 2 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Ethiopian
Ingredients: 240 ml tej honey wine; 180 ml sparkling water, well chilled; 30 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed; 1 small lemon, thinly sliced into rounds; 240 g ice cubes; 1 tsp lemon zest

Tej Spritz is bright, floral, and lightly sparkling, with the mellow sweetness of Ethiopian honey wine lifted by chilled soda and fresh lemon. It is easy to make, refreshing to drink, and especially appealing as a quick aperitif on a warm day.

10 min

2 servings

136 kcal

Ethiopian

Ingredients

Spritz base

240 mltej honey wine
180 mlsparkling water, well chilled
30 mllemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 smalllemon, thinly sliced into rounds
240 gice cubes

Optional finish

1 tsplemon zest

Instructions

1
Chill 2 wine glasses or tumblers in the freezer for 2 minutes if you want an extra-cold spritz. Meanwhile, squeeze the lemon juice and slice the lemon thinly so it releases aroma quickly without making the drink bitter.
2
Divide the ice cubes between the 2 glasses. Add half of the lemon juice to each glass, then drop in a few lemon slices. This builds the drink from the bottom and helps the citrus disperse evenly.
3
Pour 120 ml tej honey wine into each glass. Top each with 90 ml sparkling water, pouring gently down the side to preserve carbonation. Stir once or twice only; over-stirring will flatten the spritz.
4
If using, rub a little lemon zest over the rim or sprinkle a pinch on top for extra fragrance. Serve immediately while the drink is lively and cold.

Nutrition per serving

136 kcal

Calories

Protein

14g

Carbs

Fat

Fiber

Notes

•Tej varies in sweetness and strength, so adjust the lemon juice by 5-10 ml to balance the drink to your taste.
•Use very cold sparkling water and very cold tej for the crispest result and best bubbles.
•For a lighter spritz, increase the sparkling water to 240 ml total; for a richer, wine-forward version, reduce it to 120 ml total.
•Serve with roasted nuts, spiced popcorn, or light mezze-style snacks.

Background

Tej is Ethiopia’s traditional honey wine, long associated with celebrations, hospitality, and tej bets, the taverns that specialize in serving it. While a spritz is a modern adaptation rather than a classic historic preparation, it suits tej’s floral sweetness beautifully and offers a refreshing, contemporary way to enjoy this iconic drink.

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