WEEKLY WORLDBUILDING DISCUSSION: Alcohol, Cocktails, Booze

[St Oz]

I thought we could try to generate simple topics of discussion like we have at daily polls but in the world building context. Maybe sometimes we'll have polls on future discussions, but I'll try to make a new topic every Saturday, or if anyone else wants to take over a week or so.

THIS WEEKS TOPIC

BOOZE 

Several nations featured alcohol this week in the QUICK-RP thread, let's talk about that.

What's your country's/people's drinking culture like? If they even have one. What're the sort of brewing traditions your country is (in)famous for? Did your country ever have a prohibition era? Etc.

[Delfos]

I thought we could try to generate simple topics of discussion like we have at daily polls but in the world building context. Maybe sometimes we'll have polls on future discussions, but I'll try to make a new topic every Saturday, or if anyone else wants to take over a week or so.

I really like this idea, I'll want to feature Delphic alcoholic beverages and foreign as well, and then talk about here, with you.

[bigbaldben]

The Order is the home of scotch and whiskey, though some of the latter-day assimilated nations specialize in vodka.  None of it is of very high quality except some of the higher priced scotch.  Other types of alcohol are acceptable, but generally niche markets.

Beer is seen as a "poor man's drink," even by the poor, and generally not popular.  In the mid-1900s, there was a spike in popularity with a beer called "Goblin Brew," until it was discovered that it contained very little alcohol content.

Alcohol consumption in general is tied to our culture's "ruggedness" and "machismo," for lack of a better word, applicable to both men and women.  Not surprisingly, we're a nation of functioning low-level alcoholics.  There has been a push in recent years regarding the health effects of both alcohol, cigarettes and marijuana, but the push is more akin to the 1970s USA concern, which is to say consumption has not slowed much.

Getting drunk and drinking excessively over a short period of time, however, is considered bad form, and a lack of control, which is a no-no in a culture that has everything to do with controlling as much as possible, both nationally and personally.

So prohibition has never been an issue.  The alcohol culture is much like gun culture in the US - everyone knows it's a problem now, but no one seems to be able to do anything about it.  As an aside, our gun culture is also like gun culture in the US. 

-------

BTW, awesome idea, Oz!

[Myroria]

Myrorian funerals are perhaps most famous for their drunkenness. Anyone who can afford it arranges for an open bar in their funeral plans, and when their body is displayed either at their own home or at the mortuary the drink flows freely.

Distant relatives - second cousins, great nieces and nephews, old friends from high school - come to funerals half to pay their respects and half to get a free drink. Taxi services cater entirely to funerals, ferrying guests to and from the wake so that they will not have to drive home.

The closest relatives of the deceased - widows or widowers, sons or daughters - are expected to hold their drink well and not show signs of drunkenness. To everyone else, leaving a wake sober might as well be an insult to the dead. Whiskey, vodka, beer, cider, wine, rum, and anything else that the family of the departed can get their hands on is kept in stock and dispensed to guests until gone.

The most common drink at funerals, weddings, birthdays, and for every day use is a peculiar Myrorian drink called strawberry brandy. In the past, it would be distilled using real strawberries either at home or at the nearest distillery. Today, it is made in an industrial scale from grain alcohol and strawberry syrup, and brandy made with real strawberries carries a pricetag out of reach of many poor Myrorians.

When served straight, it smells like strawberries dipped in simple syrup. On the tongue, it starts sweet and ideally is swallowed quickly before becoming too cloying and saccharine. On average, it is around 60 to 70 proof. It has the bite of a strong port, and tastes like it could get you drunk.

It is most commonly mixed as a Cafeteria - that is, with milk and ice. It tastes like strawberry milk, but with warmth. The name comes from the cartons of strawberry milk stocked in nearly every school in Myroria, but it also goes by more vulgar nicknames such as Fat Ass in a Glass and County Ivorheart Leg Spreader. Mixed as a Cafeteria, the alcohol is almost completely hidden.

Everyone has a story about strawberry brandy. News articles about public drunkenness or fighting are filled with quotes about people drinking "fifths of strawberry" and finding it difficult to breathe. One Oramyn's Plantation bartender talked about the time he "accidentally pissed on my father out of a moving vehicle". He denied being behind the wheel at the time.

As liquors both exotic and cheap are imported into Myroria, strawberry brandy has begun to lost its popularity. Near the strawberry fields of Ivorheart, or in the mountains near the border with Ozia, strawberry brandy is still the drink of choice for many Myrorians, but in the growing towns of Novrith or Pelagis, it is being edged out of the nightclubs and hip bars in favor of Eluvataran wines or Khemish absinthe. Here, it has a reputation as an old woman's drink.

In the future, maybe even in the mountains strawberry brandy will lose its market share. But it will always be a part of the Myrorian conscience, and will likely never find itself off the bar at a funeral.

[St Oz]

I often write about Ozians drinking gin in most of my posts. It's one third a reference to 1984, one third gin is my favorite liquor, and a final third that creative infusion I melded it with in Ozian culture, much like other things I write for the Ozians like the desert people Frezhi with Fremen, Primav with Premier, and of course Gaeanism with Gaia/Gaea theory.

Ozians believe that they invented gin, not that they really know, but the story associated to it is also like a Ozian fairy tale. A local Dire developed an allergy to zuavka, and she hired an entire group of medicine-women, priestesses, mathematicians, and all walks of people to make something that would make her just as happy as zuavka. They all made strange complicated concoctions, brought in the most exotic plants, animals, and male prostitutes, and came up with the strangest "medical" cures to brighten up her mood. The Dire wasted so much money on this effort that she went bankrupt, had to sell everything she owned to a rival, and retreated to the one thing she had left, a farm in the hills. She worked hard still, trying to find that one thing, until she impoverished herself even more. She sold off more of her land to other farmers so she could keep buying oddities in town until she had just one tiny field and nothing to plant. A neighbor felt pity for her and gave her some grain to plant, still stubborn though she used the seeds for distilling rather than eating. She made the alcohol but had nothing to flavor it with, so she picked some juniper berries around her house and added it in. She drank it and was enlightened. The simplest things can make us happy and money can't buy happiness. So she called it "Gin", an old Frezhi word meaning Simple/Stupid

The story was fabricated in the mid-19th century during the cultural revolution by the Ozian communists, but now these days the populace treats it like a fairy tale or even fact, even though there is no evidence that there is even a Frezhi word gin, but it's included in all Ozian printed books. Gin was probably pushed onto the Ozian society for financial purposes. Originally, workers received alcohol as part of payment and it was just easier to mass produce gin than beer and wine. The Ozian government still mass produces gin and it's made with the same technique and in the same green unmarked bottle as it was in the 19th century for nostalgic/cultural purposes. It's infamous for its terrible taste and it's cheap price. Of course there's better quality gin in Ozia, but it comes at a price.

Everyone drinks "People's Gin" in Ozia like Americans drink domestic beers. It's an easy, cheap drunk and that's all they want. Ozians have several names for it, translated as Green, Water from Mount Juniper or Water, Juniper Juice, Good-Good, and if a fly is found in it Ozian Mojito. Tourists affectionately call it Ozian rubbing alcohol or Ozian crude or some other name. Ozians prep People's Gin in different ways to their taste like people would with coffee, people have different ways they drink it. There's just straight (Ousi), with an olive and/or vermouth or other form of martini (Islander), with carbonated water with or without a mint leaf/olive (Ozipol), with crushed berries or fruit (Masculine/Cock), and finally a combination of Ozipol and Masculine which is just called Khemish. If you see the theme here, more women prefer the non-sweet versions and more men prefer the sweet versions.

The Ozians had a long tradition of brewing beer in the mainland and wine on the islands, but the Ozian communists condemned it as "direst excess" and banned breweries/wineries/vineyards during its cultural revolution. It wasn't until Madame Ousi died that they lifted the ban, but that period of prohibition created a whole criminal network/culture in La Sava and Rastianav that they're still proud of today. Mainland Ozians are typically more conservative than the islanders, and they're proud of the criminals that preserved the brewing techniques of the past. Several film serials are based on the cultural revolution era and these criminals. The heroes being smooth talking brewers and the villains being Culture-Police/STIA.

With Modern Ozia becoming richer, so are the tastes, and local breweries are becoming more popular and cashing in on the old brewing traditions of the past. Breweries are tightly regulated by the Ozian Government, to preserve a competitive market while others argue to keep competition to People's gin down. The Ozian Government cashes in on how popular it is with foreigners and will charge a high tax on any alcohol exported. The beer though, thanks to exchange rates, is still affordable to acquire, and tourists visit mainland Ozia to explore all the different breweries in the region much like tourists do in central Europe.

The only upscale/normal bars are found in richer areas of La Sava or Rastianav, but a typical Ozian tavern, bar, beer garden, or coffee shop (where alcohol is also served) is not the sort of place to bring a date. They're very communal, they're at every street corner, and one would never have a place alone or be left alone. All the chairs and tables are pushed close together, and several might just be an expanded living room of someone's house. It's normal for people to sit at the same table as you much like sitting at the bar, and everyone goes to these places to have a conversation (or argument). Ozian pubs are also a medium for political speeches and local talent, live music, performance art, plays, poetry, stand-up comedy, magic/illusions, etc. Of course, people also go to the pub to watch sports, mostly hockey and soccer. The North Cefnor Hockey League is religion in Ozia.

Tourists will be at odds with the regulars, because they expect a table for themselves like a regular restaurant but tipsy Ozians want to go find out who these weird people are. A common and tired joke for tourists is, Spend three weeks in an Ozian pub and you'll be as proficient as someone who majored in it, but you'll need six if you're <insert tourist's nationality or just Myrorian here>. However, a tourist who knows what to expect, even if they do not know Ozian, will be met with friendliness. Most Ozians are bilingual or proficient enough in other languages that they'll buy them drinks and tell them stupid jokes/stories to them the entire time.

Ozians share a common tradition with Myrorian funerals, and the only real difference being the religious ceremonies performed at them. They both have the same idea though, mourning with celebration and get drunk.

[Bustos]

    Oh, I like this idea. 

EDIT

The Allied States premier drink is a rum called Captain.  During the heights of piracy, the Allied States was a safe harbor for pirates to dock for supplies and sell/spend their ill-gotten goods.  A pirate-turned-privateer Captain Charlotte Badger, retired in the southern part of the country and created a personal distillery to make a rum to her preferences.  Her distillery was only large enough to produce rum for herself.  She would only part with a bottle for a steep price.

Having retired wealthy, she often spent time with the rich, socialites of the Allied States, including the Bustos Family.  Rumor has it, this was when the Captain shared a bottle with a member of the Family who loved her brand of rum.  It quickly became the drink of choice of the Bustos Family that has lasted to this day.  Its popularity grew within the Family, in part because of taste but also as well as it's rarity.  Only Captain Charlotte Badger made this distinct rum and in very limited quantities.  It was a symbol of wealth to own a case of the Captain.

As with many various items, the Family's preference for Captain influenced the popularity of rum across the nation.  Many rum distilleries opened as a result.  But very few attained the popularity of the Captain brand.  Subsequent generations of the Badger family, expanded their operations to cater to the whole of Taijitu.  Now, a bottle of Captain can be bought by the common man.  However, every year they produce a limited quantity of their finest quality rum, called Captain Reserve.  Its ownership continues to be a symbol of wealth.

[Lindisfarne]

Great initiative!      Here is the report from Lindisfarne:

Though there is a plethora of drinks to be had in Lindisfarne, produced both domestically and imported, some are more popular than others.

Soft Drinks

Water is, of course, a basic drink. Apart from bottled water, the water distributed in the public water supply is eminently potable and drinking water can be used straight from the tap all over the country. As bottled water goes, there are some source waters to be had, naturally carbonated to a larger or lesser extent. There are also still waters from natural sources as well as “Glacier Water” from the northern mountains. Most of the bottled waters goes on export though.

Milk and milk by-products like chilled cocoa is quite big. Milk is served to all school children as part of the free lunch programs as is water. Milk being by far the preferred drink in schools. Milk usage is diminishing as people grows up though.

Fruit juices are very big, carbonated or still, mostly because there is quite a large fruit-producing sector in agriculture that makes fruit derivatives cheap. Fruit juices are also popular as drink mixers and as part of fruit-coolers.

Carbonated sodas are also popular, both as stand alone drinks and as drink mixers. Tonic Water, both classical and a sweeter variant. Cola-type sodas, orange sodas and lime sodas are also popular with loads of other variants.

Soft Liquor, or alcoholic drinks as they are called in Lindisfarne, is by far the largest part of the alcoholic beverages market.

The largest low-alcohol beverage in Lindisfarne is cider. Cider comes in many shapes, but the by far most popular is apple cider which holds about 55-60% of the market. The rest is a plethora of ciders made from berries and fruits of different kinds. Especially popular is raspberry cider, cloudberry cider, brumble (a kind of blackberry) cider, blackcurrant cider and Satsuma cider. There are many more. Alcohol content for apple cider is ranging between 4-6%, but there is also a “light” variant with 2% alcohol. Other ciders are usually 3-4%. Almost all the ciders consumed are of local origin.

Beer is the second largest alcoholic beverage. It comes in two main variants; real ale and pilsener. Real ale is dark and still and normally holds an alcoholic content of  3.5-4.5%. There are some exceptions, notably the “winter warmers” that can hold a content of up to 7-8%. Pilsener is very light, carbonated and usually with a herbal bitterness, though some are sweet and thin. The consuming ratio between the two main beer types is constantly fluctuating but is over time roughly 50-50. Most beers are produced locally, but there is an increasing import of foreign beers, at present ca. 19%.

Wine is the third largest alcoholic beverage. Wine is traditionally a drink that goes with a meal, but lately drinking wine at a party or in a bar has become increasingly popular. White wine is most popular, about 60% of the market, followed by red, about 30% of the market. This is mostly due to the popularity of seafood, especially in the west and north. Other wines are rosé and sparkling wines, these latter mostly not consumed with food.
Wine production in Lindisfarne was, at the time of the revolution, not so large and mostly low quality wine consumed by the country population. A few outstanding quality vineyards were established in the south, run by Imperial aristocrats. After the revolution, the vineyards owned by the foreign aristocrats were nationalized, but later, around the 1890ies, they were sold to Lindisfarne wineries that wanted to expand high quality wine production. A denomination system was introduced in the 1930ies that helped improve quality standards. Slowly quality increased, until the 1960ies, when high quality wine production took off. Today almost all the low quality wines have disappeared with the exception of some red wines that are being produced mainly as cooking wines. White wines are mainly produced in the north and red wines in the south. Of the high quality wines, almost 40% goes on export. The rest of the wine production sells about 12% on export. Wine is the fastest growing beverage market and may soon grow bigger than the beer market. Of domestically consumed wines, 55% are imports, but the steady growing domestic production, as it improves in quality, have also taken an increasing part of the market. If trends continue, the domestic production will overtake imports around 2020-2025. Noteworthy is also the rapidly expansion of the top end sparkling wines called Kalleruvin. This is made a´la method champagneois and these wines have recently asserted themselves on the international market as of high quality.

Fruit-coolers is the fourth largest alcoholic beverage. Fruit-coolers are a mix of fruit and/or berries with wine, mostly white, but also some red. They typically contain 3-4% alcohol and are most popular as party drinks, but they are also used in increasingly diverse environments. Fruit-coolers are also a growing market, growing almost as fast as wine.

Mead is the fifth largest alcoholic beverage. It used to be the most popular drink in Lindisfarne, but it has been steadily declining. Being sweet, strong, usually 6-8% alcohol, and full of calories, young people seem to be disinclined to consume it. Having said that, mead has a strong traditionalist fan-group that will not abandon it, so it is believed consumption will level out. Some people still believe it is the only proper drink for a full-blooded male (sic!).

There are some other, less popular, alcoholic beverages: Tarawakk, a sweet-sour drink made from a fermented root and some vegetables; Sarek, which is a bitter-sweet drink made from herbs used as a digestive aid; Subummpa, made from fermented beans (don’t ask); Bean-beer (don’t go there!).

Hard Liquor, or Spirituosa as they are called in Lindisfarne, also includes fermented wine. Everything that is not naturally fermented is included in this category.

Fortified wines are not a big market in Lindisfarne. Some fortified wines are made in the south, manly from local wines. Sherry types as well as port/madeira types are produced, but only in small quantities. Most fortified wines are imports.

Berry wines are produced from berries, mostly cloudberries, in the north, but it is also a very small production, consumed mainly locally.

Rizzel, or Sake, is another fermented wine, produced from fermented rice. This production is in the south and is usually consumed with seafood. Rizzel has in the south and in the cities become a low-alcohol alternative to snaps and is slowly but steadily increasing its market share. It is by far the preferred side drink on most of the southern islands. There is an import of 32% of the market, but the local producers export 36%, so it is an even balance even though the export is mainly form the upper quality range.

There are many spirits, many of them imported. Foremost is Eindrikk (gin), closely followed by Aguavite (made from potatoes) and Rum. Fourth are grain spirits like Aguagold (whiskey) and Klaar (vodka).

Eindrikk is produced all over the nation, but seem to center in the northeast. Though eindrikk can be used as snaps (pure, like a shot), it is predominantly used as the base for a mixed drink or a cocktail. Drinks like G&T, dry martini &c. are very popular. Lately the drink Masculine, inspired from Oz, has become increasingly popular, though it is made with ordinary eindrikk, since Green is only imported in very small quantities. Domestic producers holds 78% of the market, the rest is imported, mainly from Oz. 26% of the production is exported.

Aguavite is produced in the west, the north and the center. It is closely linked with the beer and mead drinking customs and is mostly consumed with food, predominantly seafood, as snaps in small narrow glasses on a tall foot. It is a somewhat declining market though, especially in the cities, where it is generally considered a provincial drink. Every brand has its own particular taste from spices, herbs or other enhancers. Some are, however, sold as non-spiced. Domestic producers hold 92% of the market. 33% of production is exported.

Rum is produced in the costal urban areas from imported sugarcane. Its popularity comes from its time as staple drink in the Imperial Navy, in which many Lindisfarnians were pressed. When the Lindisfarne Navy was created in the 1870ies, Lindisfarne ships logically carried Rum as well. Strong dark rum is the preferred variant, but some white rum is consumed as well. Domestic producer holds 53% of the market. 5% of production is exported. Almost all white rum is imported. The largest imported quantities come from the Allied States of Bustos.

Aguagold is produced in the west and in the northeastern mountains. There are mainly two variants; Single Malts, which are consumed as sipping liquor, and blended, which are mostly consumed as part of a cocktail or occasionally drunk as pure on ice. There are two other, rare varieties; a sour mash type, much like US Tennessee whiskey, and Single Rye. Both these variants are produced by two and three distilleries respectively. Domestic producers hold 43% of the market. 57% of the production is exported.

Klaar is produced in the center and the south. Some of it is consumed as snaps, but most is used in drinks and cocktails. Originally not a very big part of the market, dominated by the imports, this drink has recently risen in popularity and now a strong expansion of domestic brands are taking place. Domestic producers holds 53% of the market, the rest is imported. 31% of the production is exported.

There is a plethora of liqueurs consumed, produced domestically as well as imported. Most famous of the domestic brands is perhaps “The Famous Snow Owl” which is a liqueur made from cloudberries. Other domestic brands are mostly made from berries, fruits or mountain herbs. Plum brandies from the south are quite popular as is Lemon liqueurs from the mountains in the southeast. Of the imported brands, strawberry brandies from Myoria are the most popular. Domestic producers holds 42% of the market, the rest is imported. 27% of the production is exported.

Brandies are consumed, but in small quantities, and 93% of the market is imported.

[AwesomeSaucer]

Non-Alcoholic Drinks
Phoenixians, of course, love water.  But they especially love it, perhaps more so than other nations in Taijitu.  It isn't uncommon to find a small or large glass of water next to any other drink, and many restaurants, clubs, bars, shops, etc. have quite large and diverse selections of drinking water.  Restaurants also commonly serve glasses of water alongside other ordered drinks, appetizers, and meals.  It is considered strange, though, in the TDP to find flavored water that isn't carbonated, as most Phoenixians like their still water very plain and simple.  There are also many, many water companies in the TDP that serve their own recipe of water (combination of minerals).  And of course, the Haloa Temple in Sunwaters, the nation's capital, is known for its pristine wells that serves the most pure water in the entirety of Taijitu.  Most common waters come from rivers and streams, and some luxury water brands come from mountaintops and glaciers.

Drinks such as milk and fruit juice are also popular, but the majority of milk is made for infant and toddler consumption, and fruit juices and other flavored non-carbonated waters are very uncommon, and perhaps even looked down upon in some areas in the southeast.

Tea and coffee are very widely enjoyed throughout the TDP; tea more so than coffee.  Phoenixians usually like their tea and coffee light, and thus most of the milk not made for toddlers is made for putting into caffeine.  But as before, most Phoenixians drink tea or coffee alongside a nice glass of water.

Alcohol!
The TDP is certainly not known for common alcohol.  Sure, beer and wine are popular, but water and caffeinated drinks are still quite a lot more common.  The only area in which you'd really see someone drinking beer, wine, whiskey, cider, vodka, and other alcoholic drinks foreigners can list off the top of their heads is in a bar, at home, or maybe at some more casual restaurants.  No one looks down at you for drinking beer or wine in those places, but it's very rare to see common alcoholic drinks elsewhere.  And, of course, all served with water.  The legal drinking age for softer common drinks is 18, and for harder drinks, the legal age is 19.

However, almost all Taijituans have at some point heard of the strange and wonderful world there is of "custom alcohol," as most Phoenixians call it.  The TDP is full of alcoholic drinks that almost no others have even heard of, such as laxosa (a mild drink), sisusi (a sweet drink brand that has many different flavors; same alcohol level as vodka), qwauto (a drink with some mild effects similar to being high), and for the especially daring, exece (an extremely alcoholic drink that will get you drunk in one glass or less; usually only served at cultural occasions), along with countless other brands and recipes you can pretty much only find in the TDP.  Still served with water.  The legal age for custom alcohol depends on the brand, and ranges from 18-21.

However, Phoenixians also have a culture of illegal custom alcohol.  There are drinks that are even stronger than exece, and alcohol that has ingredients mixed in that have effects very similar to LSD, mushrooms, cocaine, and even mushrooms.  The TDP has almost no solid illegal drugs; just illegal alcohol.  The effects of weed, however, are mildly replicated in qwauto, which was never illegalized.  These drinks are less commonly served with water.

It is considered very impolite to drink in public spaces (streets, parks, etc.) in the TDP.  Drunk driving is almost a nonissue, but driving under the effects of qwauto is somewhat common.  The TDP has never seen a prohibition, but it is illegal to drink in public in some of the more conservative areas in the southeast.

[Khem]

Khems enjoy their liquor and import from across Taijitu, however looking beyond their tastes in foreign booze we'll focus on the unique palette of Khemish adult refreshments. To start we will discuss the variety which exists in the Khemish palette. Traditional Khemish drinks involve wines (made of fruits, berries, rice, and mushrooms), beers (Eluvataran Pale Ales especially loved), ciders, liqueurs (both grain and fruit based alcohol), teas (made of herbs, fruits and intoxicants) and coffee (treated with intoxicants and chocolate). The most popular modern drink is the daiquiri, with many bodegas having dispensers and chains of fast food style daiquiri houses ubiquitous. Common added intoxicants are coca, cannabis, MDMA, micro-dosed LSD, opium extracts and wormwood. Khems like their drinks in two fashions, cold or hot, there is an immense insult taken if one is offered a room temperature beverage (it is more polite to apologize for lacking refreshments than to offer). This doesn't apply to taking shots or sipping on liquor neat, though both are considered very odd in Khemish society and tend to be met with amusement at foreign ways. The Path of Truth and the Way passes out large amounts of sacred drinks during holy festivals, the most common being Bh'aang during many celebrations; Though more specific and sacred is Kh'aav which is given to individuals during milestone events such as reaching adulthood, this drink contains a mighty dose of DMT with an MAOI inducing an intense hallucinogenic and spiritual experience. Another common commodity is coca laced fruit drinks which are as common as red bull or coca cola in America, they are the common energy drink and utilized heavily by laborers.

Finally we come to how Al'Nisu philosophy impacts intoxicant use. Al'Nisu is a philosophy older than nearly any other in Al'Khem, meaning "It is enough" Khems utilize this not only philosophically but commonly in conversation. When one has had a great day he says Al'Nisu. When one has had a tremendous series of setbacks and the future looks bleak he says Al'Nisu. When one has eaten or gone hungry he says Al'Nisu. It is the same when it comes to drinking and other intoxicants, when one reaches a good "buzz" he exclaims Al'Nisu and eats something or goes to another activity. It is considered the worst of social failings to not know when enough is enough, whether in regards to liquor, love, money, effort or any other aspect of life.