Saving the world is thirsty work, especially when you’re doing it on a regular basis. There are plenty of superheroes who like drinking and the Pop Culture Pub Crawl combines comics and alcohol together.
This edition features Thor, a character whose strength is matched by his ability to consume a lot of booze. The God of Thunder’s drinking sessions are legendary, so here’s what I think he’d have when he’s out on the town.
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Mead
Volume: Generally 20%
Taste: Sweet
In traditional Nordic fashion, Thor would start off with a flagon of mead in his hand. The sweet drink has become synonymous with Norse mythology, with the Mead of Poetry being created from Kvasir the Wise.
Anyone who drank the substance would be given new insight, becoming a poet or scholar.
Mead is brewed by fermenting honey with water. Depending on the alcoholic content, it can also include fruits and spices. Thor would go for a strong mead because of his natural alcohol tolerance.
He’d need a strong beverage to get him going. Mead would be his drink of choice in Asgard, where he’d toast the other gods and start getting rowdy.
As we’re going through something of a mead boom at the moment, here are some bottles that Thor would raise to Valhalla:
Brennivin
Volume: 37.5% – 40%
Taste: Spicy
Once Thor had downed several meads, he’d move on to Midgardian liquor.
I’d see him going for Icelandic Brennivin because of its high alcohol content and spicy flavour. Brennivin is the national drink of Iceland and translates to ‘burning wine.’ The drink can be considered a flavoured spirit made from fermented grain or potato mash.
Brennivin is also known as ‘black death’ because of its potency. I could see Thor taking a lot of Brennivin shots or swigging the bottle.
He might even have it with fermented shark if he’s drunk enough.
Odin’s Tipple
Volume: 11%
Taste: Malty
Thor has always revered his father Odin. So, he’d look to honour the elder god by drinking in his name. Odin’s Tipple is the ideal beer, strong, malty and memorable. The beer is made with a single strain of wild yeast and brewed by Norwegian company Haandbryggeriet.
Upon seeing Odin’s Tipple, Thor would become reflective. He’d raise his bottle to the heavens and proclaim his respect to his father.
Ringnes
Volume: 4.6%
Taste: Hoppy and malty
Having drank strong-tasting alcohol, I feel Thor would want to change things up.
For variation, he’d go for a lighter beer like Ringnes. The brand is one of the oldest Norwegian beers and it’s brewed with pure yeast. The pilsner has a golden colour, which is reminiscent of mead.
Thor would taste a few different flavours, including a maltiness that had an undercurrent of bitterness.
Nogne Imperial Stout
Volume: 9%
Taste: Bittersweet
To round off his drinking session, Thor would choose a beer that packed in a lot of flavour. A few bottles of Nogne Imperial Stout would satisfy the God of Thunder.
Brewed by craft company Nogne O, the drink is made with English ale yeast, Columbus and Crystal hops and Norwegian water.
The stout contains aromas of smoke, wood, spice and chocolate, making for a rich beverage.
A new Japanese whisky appears on the horizon
Keeping my ear to the ground about interesting products digs up some fun results, especially when it comes to elevating Japanese drinks.
A new Japanese whisky called Shinsei is out in 2023 and there’s a fascinating story behind it.
Translating to Celestial, this new whisky is produced in the city of Fuefuki in Yamanashi Prefecture at the bottom of Mount Fuji. The environment has plenty of clean water and fresh air that influences the whisky production process.
Made with the light mineral water of the area, Shinsei is a blended whisky distilled with a column still and the liquid is aged in Japanese oak casks for a minimum of three years.
Flavour-wise, I’m told there are a lot of woody and sweet notes. Look out for notes of pear, quince, citrus, pineapple and cherry against a backdrop of butter and liquorice.
Shinsei is an exciting addition to an already stacked category.
For more information and distribution opportunities, check out Shinsei-Whisky.com or contact info@shinsei-whisky.com
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