Tineo is Now Real

Moving tanks, setting up the space, and cleaning everything twice

Windsor, California

Where most of my time used to be spent dreaming about starting this, now I’m spending my days painting walls, installing waterproof panels, figuring out temperature controls on production tanks, chasing down equipment, and cleaning.

Lots and lots of cleaning.

As far as updates go, we’re still ahead of schedule. Licensing is progressing normally. I’ve also started working with a very talented graphic designer based in Buenos Aires to improve the current Tineo logo and visuals, and to start getting ready for future labeled bottles.

We’ve also been testing small batches of session mead, and I believe we’ve produced a recipe that is ready to be scaled-up.

One of the recent test batches was dry, lightly tart, and genuinely refreshing. Before making any adjustments, I compared it side by side with a great local cider that I really like. Honestly, the gap was not nearly as big as I expected.

That was a big moment.

It did not mean the recipe was finished. It did not mean everything is figured out. But it did mean the foundation is there. With the right honey, better balance, and a few more rounds of testing, I think Tineo can become something people actually want to drink, not just something that sounds interesting on paper.

I’m still testing flavors. Lemon has been one of the early candidates, but I’m not locked into it yet. The goal is not to make something that tastes like soda or a novelty drink. I want Tineo to be light, crisp, honey-based, gluten-free, and easy to enjoy, while still having enough character to remind you that it came from honey.

Aside from that, the work is pretty straightforward: get licensed, finish setting up the production space, get the remaining pieces of equipment, keep testing recipes, and make the first commercial version good enough that people want a second glass.

More soon,

Tineo Mead Company