Krynn sports more delicious elixirs than just Dwarven Spirits. Let’s take a closer look at the different brews, and spirits of Krynn. Buy The History of Dragonlance: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/197643/The-History-of-Dragonlance-2e?affiliate_id=50797
Transcript
Cold Open
With a glass of Old Vine Zinfandel from Silvanesti in hand and Solamnia’s best classical music playing in the chamber below, I think I may be ready to begin this topic.
Intro
Welcome to another DragonLance Saga episode. My name is Adam and today we are going to talk about the brews of Krynn. I would like to take a moment and thank the members of this channel, and invite you to consider becoming a member by visiting the link in the description below. You can even pick up Dragonlance gaming materials using my affiliate link. I am referencing The History of Dragonlance – Being the Notes, Journals, and Memorabilia of Krynn for this information. If I misspeak or skip over any information you would like highlighted, please leave a comment below.
Discussion
I have a complicated relationship with alcohol. On one hand, the six Cabernet and three Gewurztraminer grape vines in my back yard make delicious wine. My sugar pumpkins mixed with Cascade and Sterling hops from my vines make great Pumpkin Ale. I have been a homebrewer and winemaker for over a decade. I grew up as most youth, binging on alcohol until I joined the U.S. Army to earn college money. It wasn’t until I graduated college that I began to truly appreciate the delicate nature of alcohol, and enjoy it rather than consume it. This is all set in the reality that my father died from his alcoholism. So again, I say I have a complicated relationship with alcohol.
For most people, sitting down at dinner and having a glass of wine is a healthy, relaxing experience. I have to actively work at not having a second or third glass. I find myself teetering on the line from enjoying it to abusing it. I am told it would be easy to simply not drink anymore, and that I would feel better for it. Most weekday’s I never have a drink. On the weekends I carefully regulate the amount I drink, but I do drink. Why? Because alcohol is delicious. It’s delicate. There’s an amazing breadth of flavor notes that can appear based solely on how it was fermented, in what type of container and environment. It is truly an artform that you can also imbibe! Of course there’s also junk alcohol out there. Cheap swill for those who just want to get loaded. I don’t engage with that.
I would like to think that I have developed a palate over the years, and my appreciation is for the entire process, from the natural chemical reactions to manufactured additives introduced for perfection. Cleanliness, attention to detail and patience are key to making alcohol, and if we have learned anything from our mothers, it’s that cleanliness is next to godliness right? Well, in the god filled world of Krynn, I was delighted to discover that there is an infinitely more diverse array of brews than Dwarven Spirits or Generic Elven Wine. In what other fantasy world do the myriad of authors appreciate immersion as much as Dragonlance? From poetry, to rich history, song and recipes. Let’s examine the various brews of Krynn and find out if any ring familiar in our world.
Everyone knows The Inn of the Last Home for Otic’s famous spiced potatoes, but did you know about it’s Vallen Ale? It is best produced from malt that survives a dry season and has been hit by the first seasonal chill. This light brown ale features a woody aroma from aging in a vallenwood keg. It has only a slight head. Head is the foam carbonation creates upon pouring in a mug. Malt is what is required to create sugars in most brews. Yeast will consume the sugars leaving alcohol behind. You hear it right… alcohol is yeast farts, lol. Yeast also creates carbonation from sugars as well. Brewers will age alcohol in keggs, or wooden barrels, to add color and flavor to the elixir. Vallen Ale is best paired with gamey and salted meats.
We need look back as far as the Cataclysm for the origins of Skull-splitter Ale. This is a heady, rich and bold brew that stays with you. It is most consumed during sports or drinking games. Most drinking game goals are to force others to drink more than they can handle or to get someone else to buy their drinks. There is nothing subtle or delicate about this brew, just plug your nose, and throw it back. Praying to the gods the next morning will not ease your headache!
Draconian Ale is a bit of a misnomer as it originates in recipes from before the cataclysm as well, though it is named for its popularity from the Draconian warriors who occupied Tarsis. This is not to say anything negative about the ale, as those who drink know the difference between swill and quality libation, be they Draconian or Ergothian. This is a robust ale that is dark in color with a creamy, thick head which dissipates momentarily. It is best served with seafood, though after the cataclysm that became a problem for landlocked Tarsis.
A popular ale to innkeepers is Harvest Ale. This is because it is charged at the same price as Vallen Ale, but it’s fermentation process (the yeast eating sugar and pooping alcohol) is kept at a minimum. This creates a lower alcohol percentage per volume and a more refreshing drink that can be, and traditionally is consumed in abundance. It is also a brew favored for tasting competitions.
If you want to take a consumable adventure, Kenderlager may be an option for you. Lagers are fermented in the cold but Kender are not sticklers for recipes, claiming that Uncle Trapspringer’s Best recipe suggests that no two batches should be the same. So rather than using hops you may find a frog used as a bittering agent because they also have “the best hops.” You are just as likely to see old boots or vermin used as bittering, flavoring or finishing the lager. It’s probably best not to ask what was used to dry hop a peculiar pungent smelling batch.
Dwarven spirits are a distilled liquor but they are often added to fortify less interesting batches of brew for body and flavor. The dwarven spirits take a long time to age, but it can be sped by Moldbrewing. This practice is one that sacrifices taste for potency. A similar expeditious method is used from sour milk, old cheese and rotting kegs! For the most potent brew possible, mushrooms, spoiled milk and rotten wood are essential. This is one brew I will give a wide berth!
After seven fermentation cycles, five charcoal filtrations, forty-seven organic additives, ice-processing and fire-brewing, the resultant liquid known as Gnomebrew was declared completely perfect by the brewmasters. Consequently it is also the only ale to spontaneously catch fire and briefly raise the dead! It is the result of twenty-three years of research, seventeen years of severe industrial accidents and is also completely undrinkable!
While brewing potions is not entirely dissimilar to brewing beer, most mages do not engage in the practice. Though potion-adulterated ale does exist in extreme rarity. Physical additives, even magical additives may slightly alter the flavor, it is not exactly the purpose of having someone consume them. They are often a mask for an alternately desired effect rather than sheer inebriation. They say a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. So it is true that a mug full of ale helps the curse go down!
As exciting as it sounds to try some of these varieties of brews and spirits, I did not have time to talk about any of the mead’s, wines, or blends featured in Krynn like Irlynmyer’s Sparkling Methyglyn, Dragonfire Punch, or Black Mead. If you hear of a particularly inviting spirit, I would invite you to email me at info@dlsaga.com. I am always interested in the complex nature of Krynn’s palate. And who knows, I may be able to write another episode featuring them.
Outro
But that is all I have to talk about the brews of Krynn. Would you like to try any of the mentioned brews? Have you ever tried your hand at brewing or winemaking? And finally, if you were stranded on a desert island and offered one libation only, what would it be? Leave a comment below.
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This channel is all about celebrating the wonderful world of the Dragonlance Saga, and I thank you for joining me in the celebration. Thank you for watching, this has been Adam with DragonLance Saga and until next time, remember:
We have to get out of this kitchen!
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