Conan & distilled alcohol ?

[mikkoh]

How advanced is the alcohol beverage industry and the related technology in the Hyborian age ? Is distilled liquor (whisky, brandy, vodka, etc.) available or is the thirst of the Hyborians (and others) quenched with only beer & wine ?

I cannot be completely sure, but I don't recall any mention by REH of Conan emptying a bottle of whisky, etc.

 

[Spongly]

Given that it's basically a medieval world they'll have fermentation but not distillation.

That said, you can leave a drink like "Beor", which was a sort of strong fruit cider, in a barrel outside in winter, and if you scrape the ice off the top it is very highly alcoholic, closer to a distilled drink than a fermented one.

But no, there would probably be no whiskey, vodka or anything of the sort. There would be beer, ale, wine, cider, perry and various fruit based concoctions similar to wine or cider, and of course the ever popular mead, bragget and metheglin.

 

[Strom]

In "Xuthal at Dusk (aka The Slitthering Shadow)" Conan drinks from the "magical" elixir and exclaims:

It may be a false strength this
liquor has given me, but I swear I am aware of neither pain nor weakness!

One could extrapolate that Conan knew the meaning of the word "liquor" and some form of distilled drink stronger than fermentation. Certaintly the Xuthal elixir was a early version of Johnny Walker Black Label as I have had made the same exclammation Conan makes when partaking of said substance!
:lol:

 

[Majestic7]

Well, if Messantia has mechanical clocks (do they have printing presses?), they might have distilleries as well. It would be a nice trading advantage over other nations. Remember that Hyborian Age is not Middle Age, it is mix of different eras ranging from Stone Age to Late Medieval and even Sci-Fi -style super science hard to distinguish from magic. I bet someone will invoke Clarkes Law now.

 

[Spectator]

Correct me if I am wrong, but I do recall that in one of the Pict/ westermark adventures they make reference to the Picts trading goods for Bossonian Whiskey. Whiskey of course being distilled.

I remember numerous references in the Black Kingdom tales about "beer" whether made with Bananas and or millet.

I also recall "ale" which is not dis-similar to beer, right?

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Spongly]

Correct me if I am wrong, but I do recall that in one of the Pict/ westermark adventures they make reference to the Picts trading goods for Bossonian Whiskey. Whiskey of course being distilled.

I remember numerous references in the Black Kingdom tales about "beer" whether made with Bananas and or millet.

I also recall "ale" which is not dis-similar to beer, right?

Just my 2 cents.

Ale is a type of beer, though in the middle ages it referred to a fermented grain drink without hops, whereas beer usually contained hops. Nowadays ale, lager, bitter, stout, porter and so forth are all types of "beer" - ale uses a top fermenting yeast, lager uses a bottom fermenting yeast that ferments at a lower temperature.