Off-topic but fun: What beverage enhances your RTW experience

[Orvis Tertia]

OK, maybe this is a dumb idea for a thread, but at the moment I am feeling all glowy and enjoying the chat here in the RTW community, so:

What beverage makes your RTW gaming experience all the more pleasurable? At the moment I am enjoying a lovely bottle of Cline zinfandel (a big California red that I am trying for the first time). I'm feeling especially close to Dionysus this evening, and this wine is nicely rustic with sort of mysterious sort of deep-in-the-dark-forests sort of flavors, which goes nicely with my Germania campaign.

I'm thinking about going down to the natural foods store around the corner next week and selecting a bottle of mead to try with a Briton campaign. (I've had two experiences with mead: one that was home-brewed by an acquaintance, and it was delicious, and one that was store-bought, and it was horribly sweet like cough syrup, but the store nearby has about five different brands that I have not tried.)

Anyway, sorry about the frivolous thread, but I thought it might be interesting to find out what others pour into a glass to get in the right frame of mind for conquering the known world (B.C). And I'm always looking for a new reason to raise a glass!

:medievalcheers:

[Shottie]

I think maybe your wine is getting to you. =) I injoy a good glass of OJ (orange juice) or a Sprite. Thats about it, I like to counquer the known world with a good orange, or lemon-lime drink in my hand!! ~:cheers:

[Proletariat]

Anything but a mug of Chianti while playing a Roman faction is a disservice to the game, to Italy, to humanity, to grapes themselves, to Bacchus, to...eh, sorry. I'll just shut up and go back to conquering.


~:cheers:


Oh, any recommendations for a good Scythian type beverage? My lame initial guess was vodka, but that seems silly since present day Russian culture wasn't around the area for a couple millenia.

[DisruptorX]

Well, I don't really play Rome anymore, but this topic is interesting enough to get an answer. My favourite beverage to drink whilst playing Total War in general is Root Beer. Then again, when is it not a good time for root beer?

[Uesugi Kenshin]

I prefer to drink the blood of my enemies as a way of becoming more in tune with the vicious all or nothing battles that I wage, 1000 v 3000 who cares let's go! By the way, who wouldn't drink some blood even if it was just by accident, when screaming their head off while slaughtering countless enemies in glorious battle??? :charge:


For medieval, fast until you take the country of my descent Ireland! Then celebrate with the populace by feasting on boiled cabbage, beef, potatoes and any alcohol within your empire!

[LordKhaine]

A good cabernet sauvignon. Or a fine cup of tea, or a cup of hot chocolate. I'm not too picky.

[Kraxis]

Now where is Vanya and his Headsoup? :director:

[Red Harvest]

Summer time: Pilsner Urquell or Czechvar are my 1st choice. There is a warm harvest grain flavor about them that reminds me of the fields as a kid. 2nd choice would be an India pale ale.

Winter time: A decent Scotch ale, or a wee heavy, a barley wine, a Trappist ale like Chimay, or even a Guinness.

Anytime: Some nice cava, Cristalino. Hey, I love French champagne, but the cava I like costs 1/3rd to 1/6th as much in the States, has more consistent flavor, and actually tastes as good as many of the French champagnes I like. A good bottle of French champagne is hard to beat though if money is no object...and if I happen to get a good bottle by the luck of the draw. I have been disappointed with the wide bottle-to-bottle variability of the flavor of French champagnes so it is a crapshoot every time I buy one. One time I get a terrific bottle with a very clean smooth flavor that is fantastic. The next time I get one that is corked, or that is too clean with very dilute flavor, or it has some other off taste or acidity that would be fine in an inexpensive sparkling wine, but won't do for something from Champagne and the associated sticker.

[Basileus]

coffe or water for me heh

[Sin Qua Non]

Early Game: I prefer a beer over anything else. Anchor Steam and Grolsch Blonde are surprisingly good beers for expansion. If I've recently been screwed or betrayed, I'll pull a black and tan or porter instead.

Mid-Late game. Usually wine, with the occasional hot tea. I live down the road from the San Sebastian Winery in St. Augustine, FL, so their wine is usually what I have. I also have about 6 gallons/22.7L of mead currently in the secondary fermentation/bottling stage, but that's really more of a VI thing. Maybe it will be my choice of drink for Britannia.

Got to watch out for the home made mead though. Mine was meant to be about 16% alc/vol, but now it's almost 19%. I'll really be roleplaying my drunkard generals!

[pyrocryo]

Hello there,
My favorite beverage is Coca-cola. . .if i winning.
If not, definitely chugging coffee until i can turn the tide, save, shut down my computer, and get some. . . .DAMN! it's already morning!!!!

[Shadow]

Still to young to drink for me ~;)

but I always have a bottle of water beside me when I play ~D

[Orvis Tertia]

Hah! What an interesting thread this has turned out to be!

Regarding the vodka comment above: According to a book on spirits that I have, "peasants in the 8th century (in Poland) were making a crude alcoholic spirit by freezing wine, though the first written record of a spirit made from a grain comes in 1405--predating Russia." So vodka was probably not around during this game's time period. (But that doesn't mean it wouldn't be a swell drink for a Scythian camapaign.)

According to the same book, probably the earliest spirit was arak, which is claimed to have been distilled in India in 800 B.C. It is/was made from palm-tree sap in India and from fermented figs or dates in North Africa. So arak (which I have never had nor seen available, but it is apparently produced today) would probably be the ideal drink for any campaign from Seleucia to Carthage. That is, provided it doesn't taste like crap!

:drunk:

[Proletariat]

Interesting stuff on Vodka, Orvis. I'll have to pick up a bottle of Absolut for when I get to the mid game in the Scythian campaign I started last night.

Weirdly enough, I had Arak a few years ago. I remember the friend who let me have some kept correcting me, "No, not Iraq! Arak!"

It was awful, btw.

[Colovion]

Coffee, beer if I have it.

[Duke John]

Coffee in the morning.

A nice sweet brown bock beer in the evening. The fall season is great just for the bock beers coming back into store. Hail the Netherlands and Belgium for having the best special beers in the world!

:medievalcheers:

[Orvis Tertia]

Coffee in the morning.

A nice sweet brown bock beer in the evening. The fall season is great just for the bock beers coming back into store. Hail the Netherlands and Belgium for having the best special beers in the world!

:medievalcheers:

Hoegaarten rules! (Or is it Hoegaarden...)

[Odysseus]

I'd have to go with a Miller or Coors. I'll drink whiskey if I can get my hands on it. But when I have no cash, I'll be drinking a nice cool Wild cherry pepsi

[Colovion]

Hoegaarten rules! (Or is it Hoegaarden...)

http://www.yipyang.com/epostcards/images/hoegaarden.gif

Droool, I love it. Man we need a beer thread.

[AssasinsShadow]

I just chug Mountain Dew, IT'S THE SLEEP YOU CAN DRINK! ~D ~:cheers:

[Duke John]

Currently my favourite: Grolsch Herfst Bok

http://www.grolsch.nl/content/product_herfstbokflesglas.jpg

http://www.grolsch.nl/content/product_herfstbok6pack.jpg

[Sin Qua Non]

Currently my favourite: Grolsch Herfst Bok

Now that's a Grolsch I haven't tried! Do you know if it's ever imported into the US, or is it Europe only? I think Grolsch and Anchor are my two consistently favorite brewers. So many beers...

[Oaty]

Beer gooooooood!!!!!!! Napster bad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Uesugi Kenshin]

I am a bad Irishman, I am not old enough to drink :embarassed:


As to the mountain dew sleep you can drink thingy, who needs sleep it is the enemy, run off of pure hate or pure willpower, choose one or use a combination! ~:cheers:

[LordKhaine]

Hoegaarden! Grolsch! Now we're talking. Can't really beat belgian/dutch beer. (though german beer is pretty snazzy as well)

[*Ringo*]

A good pint of Bitter is hard to beat, something like Winter Warmer or Spitfire. In the day though, i make do with a nice Cup 'O Tea (ensuring my little finger is at the correct angle at all times ~D )

*Ringo*

[m4rt14n]

Lets just hope u dont get the "interesting" vice from that Bacchus temple :P

[harwai]

:wacky: You cant beat conquering europe as the greeks with a glass of ouzo in hand!

[The Wizard]

Currently my favourite: Grolsch Herfst Bok

http://www.grolsch.nl/content/product_herfstbokflesglas.jpg

http://www.grolsch.nl/content/product_herfstbok6pack.jpgWhatever happened to Hertog Jan...~;p

I prefer Leffe Dubbel Bruin or Leffe Triple ~D



~Wiz

[Orvis Tertia]

It is hard to find bok beers in my part of the world, even this time of year. I went looking for that Grolsch today and couldn't find a one. Came home with a six of Hoegaarden and a 12 of Guiness draft.

For the Hoegaarden fans on my side of the Atlantic, I recommend trying an American microbew called Blue Moon, which is a Belgian white style ale at a fraction of the cost (in the U.S., anyway). It's not a clone of Hoegaarden, but it is a mighty nice white ale that can stand on its own legs. Hoegaarden does, however, have its own complex flavor that is a must-try for anyone who hasn't checked it out before.

Regarding the Greek campaign/ouzo comment above, I think I might try that. Haven't had any ouzo since my teenage years, when ouzo was an exotic (and extreme) drunk. Sipping it might be enoyable, though. Never tried. Another Greek drink that I love is retsina, which is a wine with resin from the grape vines in it (I think--my memory might be unreliable). I am sure retsina is much younger than the time-frame of this game, but it would still be a pleasurable accompaniment to a Greek or even Seleucid campaign. Maybe with some olives and feta to munch on. I'm making myself hungry now...

[Orvis Tertia]

Hmm... reading over my preceding post, the ouzo reminds me that I haven't had Pernod in a long time. I might have to pick up a bottle of Pernod and play a Gallic campaing. No, I'm sure the Roman-era Gauls probably didn't drink anything like Pernod, but at the same time, Pernod does have a kind of mystical druidy/foresty kind of character to it...

Funny to think about it, but I can't think of many other games where this conversation about food and drink would be appropriate or even make sense. It's either a testament to the Org community, a testament to this game, or both, that we can have a lively discussion about what food and drink enhances the gaming experience. ~:cheers:

[Proletariat]

Mm, olives. I suppose they work with just about all the Meditteranean cultures. Maybe some humus for the further southeastern cultures.

Does retsina have that licorice taste uozo does? I guess it's the anis or something, but too syrupy/sweet for me.

Definately gonna try hoegaarden now. What is a bok beer? I know I'm partial to Stouts, but other than that I just buy Bud Light when I want to get hammered. Not that Guiness doesn't work for that, but it's just a little cheaper over here. Is a bok ale-like?

I'm off to fire up some bratwurst and get ready to take on ze Germans.

[Proletariat]

Not to take away from the Org or the game, but let's give alcohol itself a little credit, no? ~;)

On the other hand, we could probably play a game of 'throw the cat at the log' and I (or some of you all, too) could ponitificate up an appropriate beverage with hors d'oeuvres.

[Sin Qua Non]

For the longest time I drank ouzo straight.... then I started dating a Greek girl. She poured a glass of ouzo, and so did I. As I took a sip, she looked at me funny, then poured some water into hers, turning it milky white. I had no idea. Ah, milk of the gods, I get it now!

[drone]

As the great philosopher Homer said - "Alcohol, the cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems."

Guiness is always good, but you can't drink it ALL the time. I like continental beers, but it's usually hit or miss here in the States. Green bottles + trip across large pond = skunked beer. If I'm in the mood for lager, it's usually Moosehead. Sent down south by the Canadians in a valiant effort to calm us Yanks down, the Moose has a nice clean taste.

After a long night of invading/imbibing, it's sometimes amusing to load up TW the next day just for the "What the hell was I thinking????" effect. Maybe we are supposed to do this to give the AI a chance :idea2:

[Uesugi Kenshin]

I think we should have an expirement and have everyone of drinking age and inclination grab their beverage of choice and report on the success of their campaign when hammered and when sober! ~:cheers:

[Spino]

Crack cocaine with a magic mushroom chaser. Ultimately I wind up being incapable of playing RTW and instead scream at the dog for three hours while she lectures me on the basics of quantum mechanics.









But uh, most of the time I just tank up on 4C Iced Tea. ~:cheers:

[NightStar]

Egils Öl I would say, an Icelandic beer named after the famous viking hero and berserker Egill Skallagrímsson. That goes well with my current Germania campaign where I am loving the berserkers ~:cheers:

[MerlinusCDXX]

Depends on what faction I'm playing, Roman= a nice red wine, Greek,Macedonian,or Thracian= retsina or if I'm feeling adventurous (or...hrmm...don't have to work the next day) ouzo, Carthaginian,Numidian,Pontic or Seleucid= a nice date wine (from a little middle eastern grocery), Egyptian= a light lager (lawnmower beer) Germania= a big bock or doppelbock, Brittania=mead if I can get it or have any made, if not India Pale Ale, Hispania=aahhhhh Sangria

~:cheers:


yeah...I take my 'beverage selection' (a euphemism for alcoholism) seriously

[Orvis Tertia]

Does retsina have that licorice taste uozo does? I guess it's the anis or something, but too syrupy/sweet for me.

No, retsina is a dry, white wine that has a unique resiny/woody taste to it. It's one of those drinks you either love or hate, I think. It's unusual, and it's well suited to drinking by itself during, say, a long RTW campaign, or maybe with some olives and feta, some dry bread and olive oil, or some baclava. Yum.

[The_678]

A simple case of Molson Canadian ~:cheers:

[lancer63]

Since I liked to be as close to my faction's generals as possible and one of my favorite factions in MTW was the danes and it's drunkard bloodline I usually played drunk. ~:cheers:
Good thing they didn't have too many perverts. ~D
Now it's soft drinks and water for me in RTW. Less fun you may say but ar leas I remember how to continue the campaing the next day.

[Duke John]

If at any point you despise the stupid AI then drink a couple of Grolsch Kannons before playing. 12% of joyness should bring everything into a different perspective :barrel:


Is a bok ale-like?

*takes his beer encyclopedia*
Bokbeers are generally dark brown and sweet with alcohol percentages ranging from 6% to 7,5%. But there are also lighter versions such as the Spring Bokbeers.
It's not ale, but ale isn't commonly drunk in the Netherlands anyway. If you think that dark beers are "always" ale then you are missing a whole lot of fun and you definetly should visit a shop with a wider variety!


Whatever happened to Hertog Jan?
They have excellent beers, but I've got to watch my spendings.

:medievalcheers:

[nokem]

No, retsina is a dry, white wine that has a unique resiny/woody taste to it.
In fact it can be red, white or rose. Traditionally it's the cheapest wine you can buy in a cafe - often made locally from whatever they can get they're hands on. It's resinated by treating with pine resin (hence the name) to give all different retsinas a relatively similar taste. However I've researched the issue in depth on mutilple field trips :-D and can't find very much in common between them. Retsina from Attica is held to be the 'true' retsina - made there for 3000 years.

Like all these things it tastes completely minging once the holiday is over.

[Orvis Tertia]

In fact it can be red, white or rose. Traditionally it's the cheapest wine you can buy in a cafe - often made locally from whatever they can get they're hands on. It's resinated by treating with pine resin (hence the name) to give all different retsinas a relatively similar taste. However I've researched the issue in depth on mutilple field trips :-D and can't find very much in common between them. Retsina from Attica is held to be the 'true' retsina - made there for 3000 years.

Like all these things it tastes completely minging once the holiday is over.

Interesting! I've never seen a red or blush retsina. I've tried three different ones, and all three might have come from Crete (I'm pretty sure at least two of them were Cretian). I've found them to be very inconsistent from bottle to bottle. Sometimes they are excellent and sometimes a bit off tasting.

[Proletariat]

Thanks for the info, Duke. I'm definately going to keep my eyes pealed for a bok this weekend at the store.


One drink I'd recommend for anyone doing anyone serious sword swinging in Iberia is a drink I was put on to in Florida this summer called 'Sangrita' (little blood.) You need two small glasses (brandy glasses or those large shot glasses or something like that) and you fill one with nice sipping tequila (Patrone does nicely). In a seperate glass mix one part orange juice, one part tomato juice and some hot sauce, salt & pepper. Then you just take a small sip of the tequila followed by a small sip of the cocktail and so on.

It's a Mexican drink but, what the hell.

[CaravanShaker]

It's a Mexican drink but, what the hell.

I'm not sure what that means, but the Mexicans make a great beer called Negra Modelo. If you've never tried it, do yourself a favor.

Anyway, lately one of my favorite drinks for RTW has been my latest homebrew which turned out pretty well. It's a weizenbock, very much in the style of Aventinus for anyone who's tried it. It came out a little higher in ABV than it should have though (It's over 9% and it should have been around 7%), but I'm not complaining! ~:cheers:

I also love Duvel, and a really good American India pale ale. I say American because when I went the UK, I tried every IPA I could get my hands on from London to Inverness, and while they really were great, we just make them WAY more hoppy here in the States. Anyone in the Arizona or southern California must try Stone IPA. That's a beer with a real hop kick.

[CaravanShaker]

Hmm, that's odd. I'm new here, but it says I can't edit my post...

Nonetheless, I meant to write in the Arizona or southern California AREA.:dizzy2:

[Loopy]

Lots of folks in here drinking expensive brews! I prefer an ice cold can of Old Style (or 12) for my occasional Saturday Late night session. Ah, there is nothing like the feeling of continuing your campaign with absolutely no recollection of where you left off. Who's my faction leader? My capital is where? What the heck did I sent that army and my best general to the other side of the world for? Why is the entire Iberian pennisula completey pissed off at me and lighting the place on fire? It's like trying to recover from the reign of Caligula.

[Proletariat]

I'm not sure what that means, but the Mexicans make a great beer called Negra Modelo. If you've never tried it, do yourself a favor.



Oh, just that Mexico isn't a R:tW found area. Well, at least not without some interesting modding.


Modelo is very nice, btw.

[KyodaiSteeleye]

well, i'm sorry, and i apologise to all greeks here, but retsina is the wine from the pits of hell as far as i'm concerned (maybe its pumped from the Styx?) - if they had a smiley for pulling face into contorted wracks of yuckness, i would put it here - and as for ouzo... (coughs...). Then again, its not just greek drinks - pernod and all alcoholic things aniseed are also nasty vile inventions, as is the fermented boot scrapings that Italians refer to as Grappa.

Hell, if I was any of the above factions and drinking those drinks, i'd be giving away my cities and grovelling on the floor just so i didn't have to drink the stuff anymore.... 'Yes, take the women into slavery, oh, and here, while you're at it, have my warehouse of Grappa' (nervous laugh) :bow:

Now give me a nice red, or a scotch, or an nice bitter or pilsner and i'll conquer the known world, just to spread the word....

[CaravanShaker]

Oh, just that Mexico isn't a R:tW found area.

AH! I guess since everyone was talking about drinks from the RTW areas I probably should have picked up on that... Sorry, anyway.

Mabye someone from the UK can clear this one up for me. What's the difference between a bitter and a pale ale? Does anyone know? Here in the states, no one serves 'bitters' persay, but the pale ales here pretty much have the same malt to hop ratio from what I tasted in the UK. Even my brewing books don't go into this one.

[Proletariat]

Not at all Caravan, if I hadn't been inebriated while posting I might've posted clearly.

Kyodai is exactly right. I would rather take a tackhammer to the genitals than drink anything with aniseed. I was really looking forward to my first glass of absinthe a few years ago. I could've saved myself a few years of anticipation if I had just mixed some LSD with melted down licorice with ground up nail clippings.

I'm surprised scotch hadn't been mentioned until now. A glass of black label is just the ticket.

[Orvis Tertia]

Not at all Caravan, if I hadn't been inebriated while posting I might've posted clearly.

Kyodai is exactly right. I would rather take a tackhammer to the genitals than drink anything with aniseed. I was really looking forward to my first glass of absinthe a few years ago. I could've saved myself a few years of anticipation if I had just mixed some LSD with melted down licorice with ground up nail clippings.

I'm surprised scotch hadn't been mentioned until now. A glass of black label is just the ticket.

Lagavulin is my hands-down favorite scotch, but I can seldom afford to drink it. If anyone knows a less-expensive scotch that's got that same Islay peaty/seaweedy flavor, do tell!

I dislike most anise drinks, but I must say I developed quite a taste for Pernod. I can't imagine what drinking it straight from the bottle would be like, but tip a shot of it into a lowball glass half-filled with ice water and it's a fantastic drink. Not at all syrupy or sickly sweet. It's meant to be drunk with ice and water, but I'm sure it's terrible unmixed. And it glows with such a lovely yellow color when properly mixed, too. Magical, really.

I had absinthe one time, which a friend had brought back from the UK. She apparently had to ask for it special, because it wasn't on pubilc display. It was an absinthe from one of those countries like Albania or something and it was godawful. Wasn't the least bit like Pernod or any other drink I imagined it would be like, and it didn't have any of the color that one would expect from the green fairy. Anyway, a book I later came across mentioned the wildly varying crop of drinks that are called absinthe, including some bizarre and mysterious drinks that come from the slavic countries. The article mentioned a similar experience to mine ( *cough*spit*gag* what the hell is this crap!?). So after that, I decided that I probably still have never tasted absinthe. I have no idea what was in that bottle, but I probably am better off not thinking about it. :dizzy2: :mad:

[Flatulus Maximus]

Damn not a single bourbon drinker here? I find a nice glass of Wild Turkey on the rocks takes the edge off sending thousands to their doom, or easing the tension of facing a "Gold" appointed hoard of Egyptian chariots & axemen...

[Proletariat]

Bourbon's fantastic. I prefer Maker's Mark on the rocks with a glass of ginger ale to settle the stomach.

(Sorry if this becomes a double post, having some techinical difficulties with the org here)

[Glycerus]

Sweet Tea. Sweeeeet Tea. Being from the Southern US (redneck barbarian faction?), Sweet Tea enhances all things.

[Hetman_Koronny]

Beer ~:cheers: , but not too much as I usually play late in the evening/night. Too much beer = fast sleep = little RTW progress :bow:

[Besieger]

Kalua... since i'm always playin late into e night in my air-conditioned room...kalua is best for keeping me awake with its coffee flavour and warm with its alcohol....so cheerz everyone!!!

[Rurik the Chieftain]

Hmmm...I'm gonna have to go with water. You can never have enough water!

[Uesugi Kenshin]

When you run to the bathroom once every five minutes, you have had too much water. It does add another element to the game though: Time Attack mode, finish the battle before you wet yourself! ~D

[Tyrac]

Alcohol is a great way to up the difficulty of your current campaign!!

[Slaists]

A good 200 g Black Label glass will enhance enone's campaign! ;)

[master of the puppets]

While i was reading these posts i wanted to cry i am underaged with caring parents so i can barely get my hands on a red bull (BTW i have a medical condition thingy "SENSATIVE to sugar" i mean i start drinking to much sugar at my job, next thing i know i am attemping to climb onto the roof and am jumping off the balcony into the parking lot ~D ) ok so anyway i like sprite or cherry coke (don't tell my parents but i love a hard lemonade when i can get it)

________________
i shall eat your flesh and drink your blood...now wheres my bendy straw?!