Beers[]
Kwatee Brown Ale
A strong, dry, organic ale from Quaquan, its firm flavor is accented with chocolate, caramel, and coffee undertones. Its makers are proud to proclaim that it's made without corn, rice, or preservatives.
Lowell Pilsner
A Martian brew started in the 2940's, this aged lager has a snappy bitterness to it and a heavy malt finish. Jokes abound about how people find a bottle of Lowell in their garage from thirty years ago and it's still good.
Darwin's Lager
Originating in Darwin's Village, Luna, in 2893 as a tiny company growing hops under grow lights, Darwin's Brewing Company rose to greatness in the 2900's because of this beer. Thick and stout, this honey-brown lager's no-nonsense taste and advertising campaigns made it the favorite of the blue-collar worker for over 100 years.
Gunwale Ale
Made in Greenville, New Luna since 3002, the fledgling brewing company Carter Brewing has produced nothing worth the bottle it was put in, save for Gunwale Ale. Harsh, crisp, and somewhat salty, this bittersweet and refreshing beer is gaining a small but enthusiastic following.
Miner's Brew
A dark ale carefully produced by a small Resilience company made up of retired prospector's and workers from the Archangel District mines. It has a unique flavor attributed to the addition of mushroom stems to the brewing process. This drink can be found in most bars of Ungstir and is a favorite of the rock workers. The diehard will often claim there simply is no other ale. This drink doesn't see much export, because even on Ungstir its considered an acquired taste.
Centauran Crystal Ale
Perfectly clear, it is often mistakenly said that the Centaurans make this alcoholic concoction. In actuality, it is a Stellar Consortium-era Mars invention, and is named for the patented filtering/brewing tubs used to make the ale clear, which looks like a gigantic raised bell with hundreds of plastic pipes emerging from its underside. Best served very cold, it is a crisp, palate-cleansing brew.
Aurelian Gak
A Martian botanist by the name of Aurelius Maximas once discovered the fermentation qualities of a rare fruit found in the planet of Centauri. He proceeded to exploit his discovery and created what is today known as the Aurelian Gak (simply 'gak' for short). The process to create gak is similar to that of common beer, with the exception that this liquor is twice as powerful. It has a bittersweet taste and, given the difficulty of obtaining its main ingredients, is quite expensive. It is sold in bottles and their prices have been known to range anywhere between one or three thousand credits, depending on the year of harvest.
Wines[]
Demarian Wine
The Demarian grape can be as unforgiving as the Sand Mother, but its wines are amongst the Orion Arm's finest. Very popular amongst oenophiles in the 26th and 27th centuries, it became a hoarded commodity after the Kretonian invasion and subsequent Demarian genocide. Now in the 31st century, two companies have begun selling Demarian wines once more. They are smooth and silky, usually blush wines, often with exotic and hard-to-place flavors.
Castori Honey Wine
With a small but loyal following, Castori Honey Wine (also called Castori Mead in some human circles) is made from fermented Castori honey and various spices, making for a rich, full-bodied drink.
Sivadian Wine
The wine industry on Sivad is extremely robust, and is a multi-billion Yojj-sterling industry. Sivad is currently the largest exporter of wine in the Orion Arm, serving up reds, whites, and everything in between. Popular labels include J. Hollingberry, Gaspar-Edeson, Rion, Chardon, and St. Vincent.
Vollistan Wine
The wine industry on Vollista is still fairly recent, but what it lacks in experience is more than made up for in enthusiasm and quality. Although it can hardly compete with the volume Sivad exports, those who're fans of Vollistan wines would contend that the best of the lot can easily contend with anything that comes out of a Sivadian vinyard.
Although the labels available are multi-fold, Vollista mostly produces red and blush wines; there are a handful of white wines - but because of the difficulties inherent in producing white wine with dark-skinned grapes, there's really only about a dozen good white wines in any given vintage, making them rather rare and quite expensive. All the white wines are exported; Vollistans themselves prefer the reds.
Martian Wine
Martian wine is a well established industry on the red planet and has been so for hundreds of years. It especially picked up after the end of the Kretonian occupation, where the newly terraformed planet imported wine making techniques mainly from Europa Province on Earth, specifically the prefectures of France, Italy, Iberia and Greece. Much Martian vintage is red, though there is also some white and rose in production. Its quality varies generally from homemade to high grade commercial.
Mixed Drinks[]
Happy Dryad
The alcoholic drink known as a "Happy Dryad" is part of the "Drunk Lady" family of mixed drinks from Antimone. Originally mixed by a Timonae Lothario named Malkavius. The Dryad is the most popular and the most well known of the "Drunk Ladies." A mixture of coffee, chocolate, and alcohol, its effects on the drinker varies by speed of consumption and amount of consumption. The speed of consumption is the first and most important variable. One glass of a Happy Dryad, chugged, can reach the levels of a "Naughty Nymph." IE: Members of the opposite sex may not be safe from the drinker's sexual advances no matter the age, marital status, or attractiveness involved. Likewise, three to four Happy Dryads will have a similiar effect, no matter how they are drunk. Yet, slow and careful consumption, up to two glasses, leads only to warm fuzzy feelings and a dropping of inhibitions. How fuzzy, warm, and how low those inhibitions are dropped depends on the individual.
Naughty Nymph
The Naughty Nymph, one of the "Drunk Lady" family of drinks from Antimone, is near legendary. Its true recipe is known only to about ten bartenders in the known universe, and most bartenders will vehemently deny its existence. Supposedly, one drink of this beverage would inflame a stick and arouse the dead.
Saucy Sprite
The "Saucy Sprite," one of the "Drunk Lady" family of mixed drinks from Antimone, has a mint flavor and has been largely overlooked in popularity. Probably because of the stupid name. Its effects are the mildest of the three, giving a pleasurable feeling to the drinker but causing no undo problems. However, at higher consumption levels, the drink will act as any alcohol, increasing inhibitions and silly behavior.
Valsho Sunrise
A Timonese invention rarely enjoyed by non-Timonese, the Valsho Sunrise is a blended drink with a light, fruity taste, but a strongly acidic finish that makes it largely unappealing to the non-Timonese palate, especially Odarites (who love sweets). Its chief ingredient is alcohol fermented from a long-bladed grass native to the valleys around New Valsho, Antimone. The acidic soil of this region is the reason for the acid. The alchohol is mixed with a variety of fruit juices and tinctures - upon request, this can even include a distillate of the Tukla fruit, which is also the source of a juice used as a self-defense spray - then blended with ice and served cold. It is always a neon color, but the color can vary depending on the bartender. Non-Timonese who mix the drink generally mix lime green Sunrises.
Ungstiri Sunrise
A common mixed drink found outside the Perseverance system and not as often on the Rock is known as an Ungstiri Sunrise. It is vodka mixed with other various tinctures and tonics, which starts off black in color and then slowly turns to red and then orange as the other liquids rise to the surface. Eventually the dark liquor will settle towards the bottom and the lighter colored ones rest at the top. Because of the many different liquors it is a potent drink, but even so is considered a bit frivolous, a definite tourist drink.
Sivadian Double Helix
A shot that requires extreme accuracy to make correctly. One mistake, and the entire drink fizzles. There is no such thing as a mediocre Double Helix. Six different liquors and blueberry juice are poured together and stirred while the shotglass sits on a hot plate. The desired result is a deep blue swirling pattern that emerges on the exterior of the drink while the interior remains a rich gold, the entire thing looking vaguely like DNA for a few dozen seconds. It is during this time that the warm drink must be consumed. If made correctly and drank in time, it tastes intensely of blueberries and cream. If the drink is made incorrectly or drank after it congeals, it is a thick, bubbly deep brown substance that tastes like feet.
Mystic's Breeches
A mix of Jahanna juice, double-malt whiskey, and burn sauce, this spicy shot packs a powerful wallop. It is named for a silly 2970's song of the same name that mocked the Mystics' spartan ways, suggesting that they were forced to burn their own trousers for warmth one winter, and that's why you rarely see a Mystic in pants.
Purple Bumbler
Demarian grape juice, pineapple vodka, and a few other sweet additions make up this mixed drink. It has a tendency to cover up the alcohol surprisingly well, making it a very popular punch bowl drink.
Golden Nalia
The ingredients of this potent cocktail are virtually unknown, save for the main ingredient: blood. A drink of humility for a Nall, it is known to bring most known races to their knees in pain and weakness. It is served in a bowl.
Miscellaneous[]
Molsh
Discovered by sheer accident by a small-time Tomin Kora drug dealer, the Molsh is a strong liquor that tastes like fire and smells like it too, making it almost impossible for sensitive entities to remain within very close proximity of it for too long without growing dizzy. The drink is derivated from various types of common drugs, making it illegal in most planets and making it extremely dangerous to drink. It is mostly used by the bold to try and boast their courage, a fact which has often resulted in a wide variety of deaths. It is said that a mobster by the name of Clark Hohlz used to give his enemies a choice: a painful death or the chance to redeem themselves by consuming three straight shots of Molsh. Hence the phrase "Against the Molsh", commonly used among underwordly types to describe an almost impossible situation waiting ahead.
Blue Angel Pepper
A preferred liquor by those with a sensitive paladar, the Blue Angel Pepper is made with various fruits commonly found in Earth-like environments. It has a sweet taste and a very low concentration of alcohol.
Demar's Tears
Made from rare plant extracts found only in the mountainous regions of Demaria, this liquor is quite expensive, to say the least. It was long regarded as a 'noble drink' because of this fact, but these days, is realistically available to anyone that's got the money to pay for it. It should be noted, however, that it is very difficult to find outside of the Demar system, and most likely even more costly. Demar's Tears is bright blue in color, and is usually served in very small portions, with the serving process itself being somewhat ritualized. It has a very bitter taste upon first drinking it, but a very sweet aftertaste. It's often said that the longer the bitter-tasting liquid is held on the tongue, the sweeter the aftertaste is. The real claim to fame of this liquor, however, is the mild hallucinogenic qualities it possesses.
Odari Red
Named after the Odarite bartender Kalakar ('Red' in K'kr'frr), Odari Red is a thick, almost shake-like, blindingly sweet alcoholic beverage made from various fermented fruits. It was traditionally blended, left to ferment, then left outside in the sub-zero Odari temperatures until the water and fruit pulp separated and then froze. The bottom portion was thawed and became Odari Red. While the fruit blend can change from bar to bar (and thus the color and flavor change slightly), it is considered a faux pas to make the drink red, in homage to its colorblind creator. It is occasionally served diluted to make it more palatable to non-Odarites.
Vestcya
Vestcya is sold in small dark flasks. It is ususally sipped by non-Ungstiri, however those Rock natives who partake are usually looking for its potency and they prefer double shots. For beyond the simple alcoholic properties, this mix of herbs and moss is rumored to have true sense distorting effects and has been known to cause minor hallucinations. There is no ban or limitation on this drink, because most Ungstiri are considered to be responsible for their own actions. However most establishments are hesitant to sell this drink to less disciplined offworlders.
Zangali Canal Water
Usually served in buckets, Zangali Canal Water is quite simply sewer water left to stand for a week or more until the 'particulate' ferments. Few other than Zangali can keep this bacteria-laden drink down for more than a minute or two. It is often served with a twist of rat.