Alcohol: The Nectar of the People
Written by: Maester Tommen in 182 AC
Alcohol: A drink beloved and cursed by many. Alcohol has been a constant in man's life since before written history, even oral history contains no mention of a time before it. These tales instead talk of how pervasive alcohol is in our lives, and the lives of our ancestors. Be it First Men or Andals, Dothraki or Valyrian, alcohol is present in all of man's lives. Some disdain it and avoid it, some think nothing of it (their thoughts too basic to understand the higher complexities of the world), and some heathens even worship it as a form of their false god. Regardless, people everywhere have taken to alcohol and although different cultures have differing forms of it, all do. In this, we can see that alcohol is truly the nectar of the people; it facilitates cultural exchange.
Men have long traded alcohol, even before coins were used, as a status symbol. They traded it for wealth, in whatever form it took in their culture, and would even trade for food. This treatise will explore the differing kinds of alcohol present in Westeros, and their effects on culture.
To start, I will work from the north of the continent and make my way to the south and explain the differences in alcohol consumption.
Beyond the wall is a harsh place, filled with many savages. Unlike our ancestors, these men have been content to live in squalor, but that is a topic beyond the scope of this treatise. These men have little in the way of established agriculture, which means that their alcohol is also severely limited. They are the only culture in Westeros that consumes fermented milk, which they call kumis. Fermented milk is also consumed by a few poorer cultures in Essos, like the Dothraki, but there is no evidence of culture exchange being the reason for this similarity. This fermented milk is often made from goat, unlike the Dothraki's horse milk, as it is one of the few domesticated animals they have in abundance.
They also to a smaller degree have cider and mead, but the harsh conditions of the land lead to this being a rarity. According the Black brothers, there is a semi-settled group of Wildings, far the north that live in a somewhat lush valley, that produce most of these products. They do conduct trade with other Wildings for it, but little is known about that. Other Wildings, those closer to the Wall, also tend to raid below the wall for a variety of things, but alcohol does tend to be a favored target. With little to no alcohol, their culture rarely changes and does not adapt to new ideas. There is no exchange of information, the Wildings simply despise those south of the Wall and have no wish to trade.
The North as a region is more distinct, as they – like the Andal population – have a developed agriculture that is capable of sustaining more complex products. They produce some wine, in their more fertile lands, but tend to dedicate most of their farming lands to food production. Wine itself has no defined beginnings. There is evidence that the First Men had wine production in the area that would no be called the Reach, though not as big or well-developed as today. Similarly, there are no reliable records in Essos that detail the origins of wine. Regardless, most of the wine in the North is transported from the Reach and Arbor to White Harbor, where it is then distributed throughout the North – mainly to Lordly holdings. The North is not a prosperous land, and the distribution of wine shows this. Wine, even cheap wine, is not commonly drank amongst the smallfolk and mostly consumed by Lords and Masters. This is a source of cultural exchange for the North, though it mainly affects their nobility. This can easily be seen by the fact that the North (First Men) have adapted the Andal's governing system (even before Aegon's Conquest).
The North also produces cider and mead and beer, in much greater quantities than wine, and this is the product of choice amongst the smallfolk. Cider and mead is produced in most communities, even the poorer ones, though mostly for personal or communal consumption. There is little trade and movement of alcohol in the North, or than the expensive products for consumption by the Lords and Masters. It is worth noting that White Harbor does import small amounts of other alcoholic products, like rum and hippocras, but usually in very small amounts. Beer is also produced by the North but mostly by larger communities. While cider and mead are the most common product in the North, beer is preferred by most, but it's cost, and lack of trade movement leads to it being mostly unavailable. The North produces three main beers: black beer, autumn beer, and stout beer. These beers are recognized on a larger scale, and are actually exported from the North, though mostly to King's Landing, Braavos, and Port of Ibben.
The rest of Westeros, excluding Dorne, is fairly similar in their alcoholic beverages due to their shared Andal heritage. The rest of Westeros has a much richer variety (both in types and quality) than found in the North. Beer is the drink of choice, with wine being the second most favored – though the nobility tends to favor wine over beer. Typically, a region is known for producing a certain type of beverage and exporting it to other locations – for example, the Arbor and their high-quality wines. There is much more movement of these products in these parts of Westeros, which is a result of the closer relations and culture. The land is also, of such a high quality, that these people can grow enough agricultural products that they can start to trade. With this trade we can see ideas and cultural traits being shared.
It is an unpopular opinion, especially amongst non-Maesters, but there is little difference between a Westerlander and a Reacher. There may be cultural drift amongst the isolated communities, but not much. This is due to trade and travel, which helps to keep any new trends amongst the population the same. A large part of this is due to alcohol. Alcohol is a staple in taverns and winesinks, which is where many travelers stay, and have thus become centers of cultural exchange or updates as it were. Different types of alcohol can facilitate conversation and trade. For example, a new style of hippocras will bring together wealthy merchants and talk will flow between them. Or another wagon load of poor wine brought to King's Landing will bring news from other poor in a different part of Westeros. The alcohol binds us together.
The final region in Westeros, Dorne, is slightly unique. They are more isolated than other regions, similar to the North, but unlike the North this is due to hostility and their political situation. Their main form of alcohol is Dornish red wine, which is a very sour wine, and Stongwine, which is a very dark and sweet wine. Their quality and price highly vary, but wine is the preferred drink in the region – it is even preferred over beer. The Dornish export their wine, which helps to facilitate cultural exchange, but they import very little in the way of other alcoholic drinks. The Dornish nobility certainly drink other types of alcohol, but the people rarely do. This further limits cultural exchange in Dorne, and this can be highlighted by their cultural isolation.