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!

[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!!

[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.





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???


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?

[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

[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!

[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!

[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!

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...)

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

[AssasinsShadow]

I just chug Mountain Dew, IT'S THE SLEEP YOU CAN DRINK!

[Duke John]

Currently my favourite: Grolsch Herfst Bok

[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


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!

[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 )

*Ringo*

[m4rt14n]

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

[harwai]

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

[The Wizard]

Currently my favourite: Grolsch Herfst Bok

Whatever happened to Hertog Jan...

I prefer Leffe Dubbel Bruin or Leffe Triple



~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...