So, um, really. What's the official drink of the Forge '04?

I propose that rejected sorcerer drink, with the shot of I think tequilla and chili pippers and bleach. But I'm up for hearing other suggestions.

Dev wrote: So, um, really. What's the official drink of the Forge '04?

I propose that rejected sorcerer drink, with the shot of I think tequilla and chili pippers and bleach. But I'm up for hearing other suggestions.

Some of those Chinese drinks are brutal. I've done Everclear shots in TJ, and I couldn't even try to drink this weird stuff called "Mu Tai" (same name as the martial art in the 2nd lamest Bab5 episode, from season 1) that one of our Chinese graduate students brought to a department party. The smell was like paint thinner, but worse, and I couldn't bring myself to actually drink it.

We've got our Passover seder tomorrow, so my drink will be red wine, and lots of it. In general I favor grape-based drinks of all kinds: grappa when I can get it, brandy otherwise, and plenty of wine, port, and madeira, regardless. My wife and I like to listen to Patrick O'Brien books on tape on cold winter nights and play "drink along with Jack and Stephen" - lethal, but fun.

Sean wrote: Some of those Chinese drinks are brutal. I've done Everclear shots in TJ, and I couldn't even try to drink this weird stuff called "Mu Tai" (same name as the martial art in the 2nd lamest Bab5 episode, from season 1) that one of our Chinese graduate students brought to a department party. The smell was like paint thinner, but worse, and I couldn't bring myself to actually drink it.

Funny you should mention this, because I was waiting for the forum to go up to raise the issue of drinking and Sorcerer.

Last time around, I don’t think anybody came up with a really successful Sorcerer beverage. Probably nobody could think of anything sufficiently evil and twisted yet surprisingly palatable. Here goes:

Sorcerer: Demon In A Bottle

This is a big production, but the product is seriously evil. You will wonder if the Binding went very badly in the demon's direction. And it’s also extremely tasty – and illegal.

Make mead, as described in the previous birthday drinking thread, and if you're serious about it add non-fermented apple cider or pure apple juice 50/50 to the water mix (you may also want to cut down the honey a little bit, but that's between you and your airlock). I recommend against the ginger. Don't overdo the lemon, either, as the apple juice will make the stuff a little more acidic and you don't want to scorch the yeast. You will definitely want to make a quadruple or larger batch for this, but unless you have good equipment you will need to do it as several independent batches. Be damn sure to have all your equipment scrupulously clean, and use a proper airlock (like they use for making beer – you can get it at a homebrew supply place, where they can also give you good advice about making good cider, perry, and maybe even mead). After a month or two, when it's really hard and has stopped fermenting, rack off the beverage from the lees. In other words, carefully and gently pour off the liquid, leaving all the gunk in the bottom. You might want to strain it as well, through a very fine-mesh strainer or even a coffee filter.

You can also do this entirely with pure apple cider or juice, or even pure pear juice (if you can find it), but I don't know how well it works with other fruit. Grapes are a possibility, if you know basically how to make wine, but you need to add champagne yeast because you need high alcohol content. God knows what would happen if you did it with peaches or something. But what you want, as a result, is a fairly strong, smooth, low-yeast-flavor drink like strong cider or perry.

You now have roughly 4 gallons or so of rather strong fermented cider, with an odd sweetish taste from the honey.

Taste it. Good, huh? Sure, but it ain't Sorcerer. Good Heartbreaker drink, though.

Now we have to summon a demon.

Make sure you've racked off into something like a bucket, or better, a big cooler (like the ones they use at football games and such). It should be roughly barrel-shaped, and you shouldn't fill it by more than 1/2. Put the lid on, but not tight; you just don't want dust and such in there. You should definitely combine the whole batch into one cooler if you can.

Okay, so now the thing is that you've timed this all rather slickly, starting making the product in around October or November. So when it's done, in January/February, and making sure the police aren't watching (nor your neighbors), put it outside in the freezing cold somewhere where it won't get any sun. Wait long enough for it to freeze pretty solid, like let’s say about 2-3 days. If you have a large chest freezer you could do that too. Now pull it back inside.

<warning: you are about to break the law if you continue>

Using a red-hot fat skewer, clean poker, or whatever, run two holes through the ice on opposite sides of the cooler. Get a big funnel, a very clean fine-mesh plastic strained (like a coffee strainer but plastic) and a large clean glass bottle. Put the funnel in the bottleneck, and the strainer in the funnel. Pour the liquid out of the cooler, through the strainer, and into the bottle (this is easier with help).

Taste the stuff in the bottle, which is (depending on how fast it froze and a bunch of other concerns) roughly 150 proof.

Can you say, Demon In A Bottle?

Put it in those little Mason bottles, very clean; you know, the ones that are about a pint size. You could also use an old flat pint or two. You're not going to get a huge amount of product here, because you're stripping out almost all the water. BTW I am told that the defrosted remnant isn't bad as an exceedingly mild drink.

Incidentally, if you make this from pure, unpasteurized apple cider or juice (in which case be damn sure you use a very fine, mild yeast) it's technically known as Apple Jack Brandy, and made very well is I think what Terry Pratchett had in mind as Scumble.

<warning>

What you are doing is cold distillation. It is absolutely illegal in the United States; I believe it's a felony. Chances are the cops won't notice, and in fact won't care unless you start selling it, but bear in mind that this is not legal behavior. If you go to jail because of this, it's not my fault.

Hi there,

'Round the local bar, the drink we call The Sorcerer is:

1.5 oz limoncello
1.5 oz brandy
1.5 oz club soda
over ice in a brandy snifter

Best,
Ron

That probably beats the hell out of my Dr. Pepper and Scotch. Ugh. Ugh.

Nigori-zake (sweet, milk-white sake made with unrefined rice- You can find it at Whole Foods, etc)

Stamina: 2
Willpower: 7
Lore: 1

Cover: Innocent-Lookng Alcoholic Beverage 7.