Happy Thursday,
It’s almost time for the weekend and some of you may be thirsty for some tipple or knowledge. Either way, you’re in the right place and today’s news is a quirky mixture of alcohol, comics and pop culture courtesy of the man who’s the best there is at what he does and what he does isn’t very nice.
I’m talking about Wolverine and the Pop Culture Pub Crawl.
This is a series that imagines the drinking habits of characters across pop culture.
A fun fact about Wolverine is that his healing factor makes it damn hard for him to get drunk. (Which explains why there’s A LOT of booze for him to get through in this list).
Budweiser
Volume: 5%
Taste: Fizzy
To start off his night, Wolverine would find a quiet, low-key bar where he could drink alone. His first beer of choice would be an American classic like Budweiser. The beer goes down well and has a smooth taste. It’s brewed using a mixture of barley malt, rice, hops, yeast and baking soda, which has been described as making Budweiser taste like beer-flavoured water. I could see Logan being able to drink the equivalent of a full crate of Budweiser within an hour or two.
Molson
Volume: 5%
Taste: Crisp
In between Buds, Logan would mix it up with a few bottles of Molson. The Canadian brand has a history that dates back to 1786, with the brewery being founded in Montreal. Molson beer has a crisp, clean flavour that would appeal to Wolverine’s enhanced taste buds.
Kirin
Volume: 5%
Taste: Smooth and rich
Wolverine has a strong connection to Japan, so it goes without saying that he’d enjoy Japanese alcohol. He’d knock back a few bottles of Kirin Ichiban and soak up the rich flavour. Kirin is one of Japan’s most popular beers and has a unique brewing method.
The drink is blended in the Japanese ichiban shibori style, which means First Press process. This involves brewing beer in its purest form from a single ingredient. When wort is extracted from the mashing process, the Kirin brewery only blends the first press. Other breweries tend to blend the first and second press of wort.
Absinthe
Volume: 45 – 74%
Taste: Herbal
After working his way through several beers, Wolverine would want to move onto the harder stuff. It doesn’t get much stronger than a couple of shots of absinthe. The spirit has a reputation for being banned because of its alcoholic content and supposed hallucinogenic properties.
There has been no evidence to support this claim. The belief that absinthe is hallucinogenic stems from experiments carried out by the French psychiatrist Valentin Magnan in the 19th century. Magnan experimented with wormwood oil and claimed absinthe was worse than other alcoholic drinks.
The spirit is brewed from the leaves of grand wormwood, anise and fennel, giving absinthe a liquorice taste. Distilled absinthe is a popular choice in bars, but I’d see Wolverine wanting the pure variety to give his healing factor a good kicking.
Hibiki Whisky
Volume: 43%
Taste: Sweet and spicy
At a certain point in the night, Wolverine would be feeling nostalgic about his time in Japan. He’d find a Japanese themed bar and choose a top shelf liquor like Hibiki whisky.
The whisky has a beautiful mix of flavours that include apricots, orange blossoms, marmalade and cinnamon.
With his superhuman senses, I’d picture Logan scenting the aroma of the liquor. It’d bring back memories of cherry blossoms, golden fields and the lights of Tokyo. He’d sip each glass slowly, letting the taste unfurl on his tongue and revel in the subtle hints of spiciness that Hibiki whisky provides.
Futsushu Sake
Volume: 15%
Taste: Meaty
Having drank enough to test the limits of his healing factor, Wolverine would feel it was time to drink and socialise. He’d call some of his closest friends like Nightcrawler and Angel and share sake with them.
Traditionally, sake is shared among company in small cups called choko. Wolverine’s sake of choice would be a warmed up futsushu sake that contained essences of plum and floral extract.
The futsushu variety can be considered the ‘regular’ type of sake and Logan would choose it in order to introduce his friends to a simplistic blend.
As the taste of sake is affected by the material of the choko, Wolverine would have the alcohol served in ceramic cups to bring out the futsushu’s savoury qualities. I’d also see him pairing the sake with bar snacks such as BBQ ribs or yakitori. The potency of the futsushu would mix with the food to create an extra layer of flavour.
Drinking the sake would remind Wolverine of women he’d loved, like Mariko Yashida and Yukio. Both women are a physical representation of his love for Japan, manifested through the ritual of sake drinking. Logan would toast his companions and remember the good things in front of him.
Toko junmai sake
Volume: 15%
Taste: Savoury and sweet
The next sake on the list is the smooth and silky Toko junmai. It’s got savoury and sweet notes of chestnut, rice, orange and lime that mingle together in an umami bomb.
Drinking the sake would help Wolverine to feel connected to the samurai that he’d modelled his sense of honour on. The Toko brewery has been in operation since 1597 and has connections to the famed Uesugi samurai clan.
Urakasumi honjikomi honjozo sake
Volume: 15%
Taste: Creamy and fruity
Logan’s next sake of choice would be an honjozo with a velvety mouthfeel like Urakasumi honjikomi. With a nutty, savoury flavour, Wolverine would want to make the most of that texture by having the sake served hot.
While sipping it, he’d likely pair it with something savoury and crunchy, like a plate of takoyaki. The warm sensation of the octopus balls would pair beautifully with the heat of the sake.
Iichiko shochu
Volume: 25%
Taste: Fruity and astringent
At some point, Wolverine would likely mix his drinks up and switch to shochu. Japan’s national spirit is made with a plethora of ingredients and I’d see him choosing a smooth-tasting shochu like Iichiko to clean his palate.
Iichiko shochu carries notes of lychee, oat and walnut, building up into a sweet burn.
Tatsugo gold shochu
Volume: 35%
Taste: Silky and sweet
Curious to expand his horizons, Logan would pick another type of shochu like Tatsugo gold. This shochu differs from the previous one because it’s a kokuto (brown sugar) variety, whereas the Iichiko is made from barley.
Light, airy and mellow, the Tatsugo gold is the perfect drink for helping to clear away the taste of a heavy meal.
I could see Wolverine drinking it in the mizuwari method. This is shochu that’s been mixed with cold water and served immediately.
Harasume Kari awamori
Volume: 30%
Taste: Savoury
After drinking a hell of a lot of sake and shochu, Logan would succeed in getting a good buzz going and shift towards a punchy awamori like Harasume kari. Created in Okinawa, awamori is similar to shochu, but is only made with rice and black koji mold.
Harasume kari has a complex flavour profile. Powerful nuttiness is layered with fudge, cream, vanilla, and black pepper. The aftertaste is a punch in the gut that would give Wolverine something to remember and enjoy.
Santa Maria rum
Volume: 37%
Taste: Light and sweet
For his next drink, Wolverine would want to wind down to something lighter. Santa Maria rum is a good choice. Elegant, sweet and light, it carries all the best qualities of Japanese craftsmanship.
An agricole variety of rum distilled on Ie island, Santa Maria has whisky-like qualities that Logan would appreciate. This is due to it being aged for two years in Nikka whisky oak barrels.
The result is a rum that has flavours of banana, caramel, pepper, cocoa, and apple.
Akashi-Tai Shiraume Umeshu sake
Volume: 14%
Taste: Sweet and smooth
At the end of a hard night of drinking, Wolverine would want to eat again to soak up the alcohol and treat himself to a dessert. He’d order a matcha cheesecake and pair it with a bottle of delicious Shiraume Umeshu dessert sake.
This sake has a mouth-watering plum taste, courtesy of the Japanese ume plums that are preserved in ginjo grade sake. The plums are removed after six months of steeping and the sake is left to age for two years. Glorious hints of Christmas pudding, raisin, honey, and marzipan come together.
Logan would sip the sake slowly and let it mingle with the flavours of the cheesecake. It’d keep him focused on the present moment. Of being in Japan and a part of the culture that he fell in love with.
Cheers for reading and look out for future editions of The Pop Culture Pub Crawl.
Wolverine obviously loves a drink but there’s so much more to this multi-faceted character. His ability to endure is superhuman and it’s worth diving deeper into this notion.
How To Endure Like Wolverine is a free PDF that covers Logan’s personal philosophy, how Japan has influenced him and other geeky things for comic fans.
Give it a read and hopefully you’ll take away something of use.
Best,
Jamie
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Pop culture pub crawl...Brilliant my friend.