Tineo Hits the Market

A portion of Tineo’s first commercial batch, ready to head out

Windsor, California

Last month, I wrote that I was finally getting ready to pour honey into the tanks. Since then, that actually happened. Tineo’s first commercial batch is now complete, and after more than a year of planning, equipment installation, recipe development, and plenty of learning along the way, we now have cans of Tineo coming off the production line.

The first release is our flagship 5% session mead. Producing it at commercial scale for the first time was a completely different experience than making it at home, and there were plenty of small adjustments and lessons along the way. Figuring out how to properly carbonate the batch was especially challenging at first, but thankfully I was able to get the counter-pressure filling process figured out, and it’s now dialed in.

I’m really proud of how this first commercial batch turned out. Being able to maintain a consistent temperature throughout the batch and take advantage of the capabilities of a production fermenter has really elevated the quality of the mead compared with what was already a great homebrewing recipe.

I’m also pleased to announce that the Tineo online store is officially up and running. Four-packs are now available to order directly through the website, with local pickup available at the meadery in Windsor. I also worked with a couple of local apparel companies to create some really nice shirts and hats featuring the Tineo Mead Co. logo.

One of the most exciting developments this month has been the early response from local businesses. I’ve started sharing samples and introducing Tineo around Sonoma County, and we’ve already received interest and orders from multiple locations that will be carrying Tineo, including some that are interested in putting it on draft.

Over the next few weeks, the focus shifts increasingly toward introducing people to the product, getting it into more locations, and continuing to build Tineo one account and one customer at a time.

There is still an enormous amount to learn and plenty of work ahead, but this month has been an important turning point. Tineo is officially being made, packaged, sold, and starting to find its way out into Sonoma County.

A lot more is coming soon.

Chris