The corks are poppin’ at Corktown’s newest spot, wine bar and bookstore Sip-N-Read, which opened its doors to the public Wednesday.
The 2,400-square-foot space is owned and operated by Tamela Todd, author of three nonfiction books and a winemaker. She proudly displayed her her Library of Rosé from the Sip-N-Read wine collection, which is available to enjoy in 5- or 8-ounce pours at the bar. All the wines here are Michigan-made.
“I did that because Michigan does not get a lot of press about Michigan wines,” she said. “I’ve put my love for books, my love for wine and my state all in one place.”
Sip-N-Read is something Todd has been working on for years, since 2019. She’s worked on the concept and observed what was being done in other major cities around the world to see how she can make it work for Detroit.
“This is what I envisioned. It’s a blessing,” she told The Detroit News on Wednesday, the store’s opening day. “The first book bar I went to was in Denver and then I went to Paris and they have them everywhere. Visited Rome, they have them. Then New York. I know we have other ones here now, but it was just so funny to me that most people didn’t blend the two, because it’s a buzz. We are all looking for something to do, and everybody don’t want to go to the club.”
Sip-N-Read is a place to shop for books, visit with friends, sit and read, have a drink or a mix of all of these. Rather than store shelves, the displays are more like a living room, with cozy, plush chairs. The selection is a small, curated mix of current memoirs, nonfiction, novels and some classics, and Todd expects to get more titles in soon.
The adults-only reading room — this is a bar, remember — offers a quiet place to enjoy the book you’ve just brought, or bring your own (e-readers are welcome, too) and enjoy a glass of wine or a mocktail. The menu also has charcuterie boards with and without meat that can be tailored to the wine you’ve chosen.
From a retail perspective, customers can come in and buy books and bottles of Library of Rosé and head out the door, or they can stay and enjoy a glass. Other wine brands carried at the bar include Traverse City’s Left Foot Charley and Marland from Southwest Michigan, with more to come.
Sip-N-Read is expected to host book signings, author readings and book-themed events. Soon, Todd will have a way for local authors to get their books on the shelves, too.
“This space is beautiful,” said customer Chi Walker, a Detroit chef who popped into Sip-N-Read Wednesday afternoon. She was enjoying a glass of the Library of Rosé at the bar. “This is absolutely lovely. It’s great, especially on a day like today. It’s everything I need: it’s juicy, it’s a little bit sweet, but not too sweet.”
“Corktown needs a space like this because, one, because outside (noodle restaurant) Ima, I don’t think there’s a big enough Black presence in this area … so I’m very excited to see this Black-woman-owned space that is more reflective of the community at large,” she said.
Sip-N-Read is open 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Wed.-Sat. at 1620 Michigan in Detroit. Visit sipandread.net.
mbaetens@detroitnews.com