Alcoholic beverages

Alcoholic beverage

(Alchemical item)

Type

Alcohol

Source: Ultimate Equipment, pg(s). 94ff.

From Luglurch Ale to Irrisen Icewine, Golarion is home to many different alcoholic beverages. Besides the usual fare, more exotic spirits such as the serpentfolk's Bloodwine and the Bramble-Sick Brandy (brewed by bugbears) may be obtained by adventurous tipplers.

In faith

Cayden Cailean is the patron god of both ale and wine and his church often has holy sites linked to places serving alcohol.

The psychopomp usher Dammar the Denied is the patron of alcohol and those who make it, ostensibly for its medical uses, though legends also tell that the Denied invented hangovers.

In healing

A tincture is an alchemical remedy brewed in an alcoholic solution to increase its potency. Tinctures are typically more expensive and include drawbacks that potions and other alchemical remedies do not.

In science

Scientific methods are used on Golarion to improve the quality of alcoholic drinks. Brewing technology and oenology are both taught by followers of Cayden Cailean.

In festivals and holidays

Although the drinking of beer, wine, and spirits is a common practice during many festivals and holidays throughout the year, the Druman holiday of Merrymead is closely associated with drinking and intoxication, as is the Rum Punch Festival, celebrated along Garund's western coast.

Ale, beer, cider, mead, and other similar strength brews

Lem gets the beers.

Valeros spills not a drop.

Ales are a popular drink, tending toward light brews with crisp, spicy flavors and subtle, bitter finishes. Brewers from the Inner Sea region use coriander and orange peel to avoid the malts and yeasty flavors common to other regions.

Andoren Beer

Beer from Andoran is highly prized by locals and lauded above other Inner Sea region beers.

Applejack

Applejack is a particularly strong cider where the alcohol is concentrated using a process of freezing the cider in the winter and then removing the ice from it.

Barley stout

Available in Andoran.

Blackpeak Ale

An ale brewed at the Blackpeak Brewery in Dalaston.

Bloodhammer Reserve

A dark ale served by Skogg Bloodhammer in his alehouse, the Cracked Anvil Brewery. It is rumored to make changes to the bodies of those who drink it that fade over time.

Brow Brew

Brow Brew is an oddity of beers, being produced primarily from grapes harvested from the vineyard of the Numerian town of Iadenveigh. The tough grapes are practically inedible, but are fermented with a particular yeast, grain and wood mushrooms to make a distinctive and rough beer considered an 'acquired taste' by visitors to the town.

Bufo

This disgusting concoction is made by adding toxin from a poisonous toad or frog to beer. The poison is inserted in different ways, such as soaking the amphibian in the ale, soaking its eggs in the ale or milking the poison from the amphibian and then mixing it in. Bufo is not consumed in civilized societies, but goblins, boggards and other primitive humanoids lap it up, sometimes eating the amphibian as a bonus at the end of their drink.

Cauim

Cauim is made by chewing manioc root or maize creating a different type of beer.

Cheerful Delver Stout

Cheerful Delver Stout is a dark ale with an earthy character that has become quite well known and popular in Varnhold, and its immediate environs, since the town's small brewery was established.

Dwarven magic ale

Dwarves have an ancient heritage of brewing strong ales since before the Quest for Sky. The potent liquors brewed in those early times with ingredients from the Darklands are approximated today by blending exotic ingredients with traditional grains and hops. In some cases, these special dwarven brews begin to take on characteristics akin to magic potions, though still crafted using alchemical methods; these are the dwarven magic ales, including:

Boulderhead Bock

Boulderhead Bock is a malty ale known for a thick and creamy froth. The additional effect of this brew is to numb pain.

Icecap Ale

By repeatedly partially freezing this brew and removing the ice, the alcoholic content of Icecap Ale is forced up to ten times that of normal ale. This ale additionally boosts the strength and fortitude of the drinker but at a price of fatigue and memory loss greater than for a normal hangover.

Longbeard Lambic

Longbeard Lambic is an ancient recipe that can pull a drinker out of fatigue and fear.

Wyrm's Breath Bitter

Wyrm's Breath Bitter is green-coloured, extremely fizzy and very bitter. Unfortunately, the ale causes nausea but as a secondary effect grants the imbiber a noxious belch acting similarly to a dragon's breath weapon. Those smelling the belch are sickened and deafened.

Dwarven Stout

Dwarven stouts come in many varieties but are essentially dark beers fermented in dwarven societies but often found in other civilized lands nearby. Recipes are fiercely guarded within clans and there is much competition amongst dwarves for producing the best beer.

Fort Indros Ale

A brew from the city of Magnimar, named after its primary fortification, Fort Indros.

Hardroot Cider

Hardroot cider is known for being particularly dry.

Ipeq Beer

Found in the Osirian city of Ipeq, the local beer is a very filling beer that is sweet and thick in consistency.

Kumis

Kumis is made by fermenting horse milk; it is drunk cold.

Liquid Ghosts

Created by Zokar Elkarid of the Laughing Demon tavern in Ravengro, Ustalav, Liquid Ghosts is a pale ale, sweet to taste and strangely glowing with a greenish hue.

Luglurch Ale

A salty, frothy, and pale beer, most races consider it too salty. At 4sp a mug, or 1 gp a gallon, it is not the cheapest beer in the tavern.

Mead

Mead comes in many different varieties but, in essence, it is fermented honey. Different varieties are flavoured with spices, fruit or hops. Regional meads can be found elsewhere in this article.

Nodrim

The arboreal regents of the Verduran Forest brew a concoction known as nodrim from fermented apples, wood chips, and clear water. It is intoxicating to them, but it is unknown whether it also similarly affects non-arboreal regents.

Pulque

Pulque is fermented using the heart or sap of agave plants forming a milky white, thick brew.

Qadiran cider

Qadiran cider may be found as far as Absalom.

Rusty Ale

Rusty Ale is a popular drink at the Copper Coin tavern in Torch, Numeria.

Sake, or rice wine

A tanuki's favorite is sake.

Sake is a strong alcoholic beverage brewed in a similar process to brewing beer; despite its manufacturing process, it is sometimes confusingly called rice wine outside Tian Xia. It is made in Tian Xia, particularly in Minkai. Sake may be aged, like wine, which increases its value. It is very rare to find sake in the Inner Sea region, though some is imported from Minkai.

Sarain

Despite its fame as a centre for fine wine, some of the best ale and cider distributed in the Inner Sea region is brewed in Sarain in the River Kingdom of Pitax.

Steelforged Stout

Steelforged Stout is a popular drink at the Copper Coin tavern in Torch, Numeria.

Tepache

Tepache is a low-alcohol brew, found in tropical climes, that is made from beer, pineapple, sugar and cinnamon; sometimes other tropical fruits are used in place of the pineapple. The mixture is fermented together and the resulting brew is served cold with chilli powder.

Thileu Lager

Thileu bark is used to brew Thileu Lager sold by Jerikal Ashworth of Jerikal's Ales in Katapesh.

Three Devil Ale

Three Devil Ale is the house beer of the Silver Stoat tavern in the village of Heldren in Taldor. It is brewed on the premises by the landlady Kale Garimos and flavoured with hops imported from Cheliax.

Two Knight Brewery ale and mead

These are a collection of meads and ales brewed at the Two Knight Brewery in the Varisian town of Sandpoint.

Ulseberry Ale

This ale is known to be served in the Rusty Dragon inn in Sandpoint, Varisia and the Old Fang inn in Magnimar.

Wineberry Mead

Wineberry Mead is a popular drink at the Copper Coin tavern in Torch, Numeria.

Wine, fortified wine, and viniculture

Nothing pairs with a Taldan brawler quite like a fine red wine.

Wine is fermented fruit juice dominated by the grape. Wine can be cheap but some varieties are distinctly luxury purchases costing many gold pieces per bottle.

Wine is the drink of choice around the Inner Sea, where grapes are a common plant. Even cheaper establishments are sometimes expected to serve a complimentary cup of wine—often a strong or coarse vintage diluted by water—although rough wines like that are not served at more esteemed places, especially considering the region's saturation with exceptional wines from Taldor and Cheliax. Honey wine is a common wine enjoyed by almost everyone, but the most decadent of all is bubble wine, especially the original "Carpenden".

Alkenstar ice wine

Alkenstar ice wine is a favoured among Geb's nobility but may also be found in the Rusty Glove in Alkenstar's Ferrous Quarter. The source grapes are strictly those frozen in the strange surge storms that only happen in the Mana Wastes.

Blackberry wine

Known to be drunk in Druma, this is a wine made from blackberries rather than grapes.

Bloodwine

Made from the blood of sentient creatures (Usually drow, hryngars, or drathnelars, but particularly rare vintages include morlock) and spiced with subterranean additives such as brain mold spores, this is a favorite of serpentfolk. It affects the snake-men as normal wine does humans, and is poisonous to most creatures. These drinks cost 100 gp.

Bubble wine

Bubble wines are fermented with yeast and sugar. The original bubble wine was produced near Carpenden Hill in Andoran and is simply called "Carpenden." The vineyards were destroyed in the revolution, and Carpenden wine is very rare, even priceless to some. Still, Taldan wineries have their own varieties that taste close to the original, even if never quite as good.

Chelaxian wine

Both red and white wine are produced in Cheliax including wine of the highest quality. Varian Jeggare owns vineyards in western Cheliax that produce both red and white wine. Notably fine Chelaxian wines include Wiscrani Barbera wine and wines from the famed Visgardeis vineyard.

Dessert wine

Dessert wine is sweet wine taken during a sweet course of a meal.

Drumish wine

Wine is produced in Druma and one of the more famous estates is owned by Kalistocrat Amynta Irel and located 15 miles west of Kerse. A particularly fine, and appropriately priced, example from the estate is called Encarthan Gold, named after the nearby Lake Encarthan. Even more expensive than Encarthan Gold, bottles of Encarthan Fishgold Rose are named after the unique red-coloured gold found only in the depths of Lake Encarthan.

Elven wine

Elven wine is very fine in quality and sweet in taste; it may even exceed a fine Galtan vintage wine in quality (see below). The alcoholic potency of the wine is often unrealized by those drinking it until much later. Elves of Kyonin also create subtle wines made from berries. Midsummer wine is made by the elves of Kyonin to celebrate the summer festival. It is a delicate white wine yet has a pleasing length.

Galdurian wine

This wine may be aged to improve its quality and can be worth many gold pieces per bottle.

Galtan wine

Galtan wine can be very fine and smooth on the palate, though the revolutionary nature of the country currently makes wine making very difficult. Quality is sufficient enough that vintage wines may be made to lay down; these vintage wines may be sweet. However, many discerning palates will drink only pre-revolution vintages.

Honey wine

Wine made form honey is especially popular in Rumbutter on Bag Island in the Shackles during its drier seasons.

Irrisen Icewine

Irrisen Icewine from Hoarwood city may be purchased illegally from the White Weasel, the only tavern in the village of Waldsby in Irrisen.

Korvosan wine

Wine is produced in the Varisian city state of Korvosa, including port (q.v.)

Palm wine

Extraction of the sap of palm trees may be performed by tapping the trees' trunks and this sap may then be fermented into palm wine. Sometimes, this palm wine may be distilled into a stronger drink called lagmi.

Port

Port is a fortified wine found in many varieties and hues, such as the tawny port of Korvosa.

Rice wine

Please see Sake above.

Sangwine

Sangwine is a dark red wine that smells of cedar and tastes of tannin and cocoa that retails at around 200 gold pieces for a bottle or close to 240 platinum pieces for a case. The wine is a favorite among the elite of Caliphas. The blood of someone who has recently drunk sangwine is embittered and it sickens creatures who feed on such blood, such as vampires.

Sarain

Some of the best wine distributed in the Inner Sea region is harvested in the vineyards of Sarain in the River Kingdom of Pitax. Before the arrival of Castruccio Irovetti as leader of Pitax, the Liacenza family had overall control over most of the famous wine-making business of the area.

Sauerton Red

A wine renowned as cheap and unpleasant from the village of Sauerton in Andoran.

Sealord wine

Sealord wine is a generic term for wines, red and white, grown in coastal vineyards. The distinctive taste is favoured by nobles.

Stone giant wine

Stone giants have one exception to a policy of simple agriculture: viniculture. Stone giant wines are made for their own use and for their palate: they are sour and full of tannin, providing a dry and more bitter taste.

Syrinelle

Syrinelle is a grape variety and is used to produce a fine elven vintage in the settlement of Riverspire in Kyonin.

Ustalavic wine

Countess Carmilla Caliphvaso‎ has recently bought the neglected Iomedaean Abbey of Sante-Lymirin and its estate and turned it over vineyards and to producing wine. The wine is fine and marked as being of Countess Carmilla Caliphvaso‎'s estate.

Whiterose Abbey wine

The monks of Whiterose Abbey used to be expert vintners (and brewers) blessed by Cayden Cailean such that their products gained in flavour and alcoholic strength. The abbey is found close to Mount Branthlend in the River Kingdoms. Wines known to have been produced include fine Whiterose chardonnay worth a fortune if sold today.

Wine of concordance

Legends spread around Caliphas state that drinking wine of concordance with someone forms both a magical and emotional bond between the pair. This is a sweet white wine with notes of apple, lemon, and peach. It has the strongest citrus flavor of the wines created around Caliphas.

Zimaran wine

Wine is produced in the Taldan city of Zimar.

Spirits

Lirianne helps out at a tavern.

Absinthe

Absinthe is a favoured drink of creative folk such as artists. It is green in colour and made from wormwood. Elven absinthe is also popular.

Anishani

Anishani is a popular pre-meal drink in the Isle of Kortos. It is sometimes mixed with other ingredients, resulting in an anishani tonic.

Arrack

Arrack is a distilled alcoholic spirit made from the fermented sap of coconut flowers, sugar cane, grain (e.g., red rice) or fruit. It is popular in Elidir, where a strong flavoured version is offered.

Bagog's liquor

Bagog's liquor is a highly intoxicating still made by the owner of the Bagog's Roundhouse tavern in the town of Dragonsthrall on the Dahak's Horn island in the Shackles.

Baijiu

Baijiu is a clear drink usually distilled from sorghum. Its taste is corrosive and has to be acquired.

Alcoholic beverages contribute to many kinds of social (and anti-social) interactions.

Bog Grog

This strong liquor is served at the Lean-To tavern in the Varisian town of Wartle. It has a gritty consistency and the dregs may be partaken from the communal bottle, although this is not recommended.

Brandy

Brandy is made by distilling wine and is known in the following types.

Bramble-Sick Brandy

A unique spirit brewed by bugbears from Tomb Herald to enhance their sense of smell while hunting, but has a sickening after effect.

Pesh brandy

Pesh brandy is a spirit presumably based on the drug pesh; it has a sweetness as well as a warmth on the palate.

Taldan Fire-Brandy

Collected by connoisseurs, this strong alcohol is made in Taldor.

Ustalavic brandy

Ustalavic brandy may be very fine indeed.

Corn liquor

Corn liquor is distilled liquor using maize as its grain.

Daggermark Drip

This warming spirit is sold in The Hardened Road pub in Magnimar.

Gear grog

Gear grog is the house brew sold by Bruner Derwel in the Rusty Glove in Alkenstar; it is a thick oily spirit.

Gin

Gin is a broad family of distilled spirits that all share juniper berries as a common ingredient. They are associated with the mysterious creatures known as ginevers, also called "gin devils".

Bloodberry gin

A bottle of bloodberry gin can sell for as much as 100 gold pieces.

Urglin gin

Urglin gin is an extremely potent gin said to overwhelm most humans after just one cup. It has many uses, such as for cleaning wounds, starting fires, or as an explosive agent.

Grain alcohol

Grain alcohol is made by distilling fermented grains of various types. Generic grain alcohol tends to be inferior to a whisky and can be used to spike drinks of a lower alcoholic content, such as ale.

Grog

Please see Rum (or grog) below.

Lagmi

Please see Palm Wine above.

Mulue

Mulue is a fruit flourishing in the Mwangi Expanse growing on vines exclusively found almost a week into the jungle. The higher echelons of Chelaxian society ferment mulue to create a potent drink.

Mupute

Mupute is a strong pineapple liqueur distilled in Garund.

Penj

This Vudrani drink is made from fruit and is sweet and strongly alcoholic.

Poitin

Poitin is a potent potato liquor favored by leprechauns. The drink has magical properties, allowing mortals to see fey and other denizens of the First World free of illusions and plainly visible for an hour after drinking. This inevitably attracts the ire of hostile fey, much to the leprechauns' delight. It is also exceptionally strong, and those who drink of it rarely remember their experiences.

Rum (or grog)

Rum is doled out on board many ships, sometimes diluted with water to make 'grog'. On many ships, the rum or grog ration is enforced and penalties are suffered for defaulting. Sometimes lemon or lime juice is added to the grog to prevent scurvy and to make the sometimes disgusting concoction more palatable. When rum is unavailable, grogs may be made by mixing whatever alcohol is available; even though it may be unpalatable, if it is all that is available, it will be drunk on board ship.

Fire in the hole

This spirit, sold aflame, is two parts kill-devil rum and one part gunpowder. It is sold at the Formidably Maid on Port Peril's dockside.

Kill-devil rum

This is the house rum at the Formidably Maid that is frighteningly strong. A keg is worth about 75 gp.

Salt-licked grog

This grog is mixed with a raw siren's egg and sold at the Formidably Maid.

Spiced rum (or spiced grog)

Rum may be flavoured with various spices to make spiced rum or spiced grog. One such recipe for spiced grog is a mixture of rum, spices, and some lime and sugar.

Two Knight Brewery rum

This strong rum is made at the Two Knight Brewery in the Varisian town of Sandpoint.

Vodka

Potato vodka

This vodka is made from potatoes. One of the more famous varieties is served at the Tin King Alley Tavern in the Irriseni settlement of Zlatomesto.

Whisky (or whiskey)

Whisky, sometimes spelt whiskey, is made in many varieties in many parts of Golarion. In essence, a whisky is distilled grain liquor. The grain might be barley, maize, rye or wheat. Ageing in wooden casks improves the flavour.

Black Hill Whiskey

Black Hill Whiskey is a popular drink at the Copper Coin tavern in Torch, Numeria.

Chelaxian (Chelish) pepper whisky

Sold by the bottle at Jeggare's Jug, the first drinking establishment built in Korvosa.

Dragon Punch whiskey

For 10 gp a cup, halflings tend to go on drinking binges of this dark liquor to conquer their fears. Supposedly, the creator accosted a dragon without weapons, and that is where the title went.

Dragonscar whisky

A liquor that is brewed in Dalaston, its name comes from a stretch of blackened terrain that is rumored to have been caused by a dragon who terrorized the area long ago.

Fish oil whiskey

Fish oil whiskey is a disgustingly smelling whiskey, sometimes taken for medicinal purposes.

Flaming whiskey

The Barrel & Bullet Saloon is a raucous place to get a potentially dangerous drink.

The flaming whiskey at the Barrel & Bullet Saloon in Alkenstar City has been known to ignite its imbiber's clothing if they are careless. It has been served in a rocks glass garnished with a small cactus.

Gnome whiskey

Whiskey made by gnomes is distinctive enough to distinguished. See also Throatburn below for a specific type of gnome whiskey.

Janderhoff whiskey

Janderhoff whiskey is distilled in Janderhoff, presumably by the native dwarves.

Old Erebus

Old Erebus is a cheap whiskey sold in brown bottles that is made in southern Cheliax.

Oldlaw whiskey

This variety of whiskey is a single-malt variety that has been made for nearly two hundred years targeted at the soldier community.

Throatburn

A very potent whisky, throatburn is made by the gnomes of Kalsgard.

Vjarik

Strong spirit distilled in the Lands of the Linnorm Kings. It is made in enough quantity for the barrels to be used for fuelling ring defences around villages called fire moats, burning with a blue flame. It is also used from flasks to clean wounds.

Winteryew moonshine

Winteryew moonshine is the local liquor of the village of Waldsby in Irrisen made by distilling winteryew bark. It may be purchased, albeit in watered-down fashion, from the White Weasel, the only tavern in the village.

Mixed drinks

Seltyiel seems to have got himself into trouble in this tavern.

Anishani tonic

An anishani tonic can replace anishani as a pre-meal drink. It is made out of anishani mixed with other ingredients, often a mix of citruses, mineral water, and sugar. Although any anise- or licorice-flavored liqueur can take the place of anishani, proper anishani provides the best results.

Bilgwater Surprise

A cheap favorite of the unlucky of Ilizmagorti, it is made from the leftover dregs of whatever other drinks the bartender has made recently. It costs only 1 cp.

Carpenden Twist

True Carpenden is extremely rare and nearly priceless, but it makes for a great daytime drink with the subtle addition of fruit and sugar. The expensive and rare Carpenden can be replaced with other more common and cheaper varieties of bubble wine.

Damsel in Distress

White wine and pomegranate juice. This drink costs 6 sp each.

Dark and Stormy

Costing 2 sp, this cocktail is made from ginger beer, dark rum, and a slice of lime.

Fruit Cornucopia

Assorted fruits mixed with rum. Common in port towns that receive large varieties of fruit, where bruised fruits can often be obtained at lowered prices.

Half a Doubloon

Made by mixing dark rum, orange liqueur, and apple juice. In Ilizmagorti this drink costs 5 sp.

Island Dream

A drink sold to visitors to Ilizmagorti, this drink is made with absinthe and fruit. The absinthe and strong alcohol make the visitor a easy target for locals. Because of this, it costs 1 gp.

Kiss of the Mantis

A spicy drink, made from vodka, tomatoes, pepper, and some other vegetables. Legend states that the additional secret ingredient is blood of a fiendish giant praying mantis. A glass costs 1 gp.

Lisken's Medicinal Tonic

Lisken's Medicinal Tonic is normally used as a relief for insomnia or as a gentle sedative but, for 10 gp per cup, halflings will purchase this alcoholic drink to slow and quieten themselves down in a more pronounced fashion; it has no such strong effect on other races.

Rumboozle

This strong cocktail is served warm and contains rum, wine, ale, eggs, sugar and spices.

Rusty Cutlass

Herb liqueur mixed with whiskey and honey from Ilizmagorti. A rusty cutlass costs 8 cp.

Spiked Mint Tea

Mint tea mixed with sweet whiskey and simple syrups. Non-alcoholic mint teas are popular in many parts of northern Garund and are the customary drink to offer guests. Alcoholic versions have also become popular.

Teht's Love Potion

Made of cranberry and grapefruit juices, pomegranate extract, juniper gin, and a secret ingredient, this drink is said to improve its imbiber's chances for love when paired with a kiss of the lips on the mostly buried Whispering Stone statue in Wati. It is named for the tavern's owner, Teht Blackblossom.

Three Salts and a Dog

A drink served in a glass with a salted rim, a three salts and a dog consists of Whiskey, brandy, tequila, rum and costs 4 sp.

Three Sheets

Served similarly to three salts and a dog, a three sheets is made by mixing at least three different types of rum and costs 6 cp.

Whore's Breakfast

Costing a silver piece, a whore's breakfast is a mug of ale with a shot of rum dropped in it. This is topped off with a tomato wedge garnish.

References

For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.