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Bretonnia-Project for WFRP
Bretonnian drink
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Very famous drinkers and regular readers...
Wine is by far the most popular drink in Bretonnia. The most reputed wines are without contest those of the Bordeleaux region, though the fine clarets of Moussillon and the Sannez valley are also renowned. Vineyards can be found almost everywhere in the country, in perticular close to the largest towns. These wines are not all of great quality and therefore are usually drunk young.
Beer by contrast is not very popular, except in Flandres. In this region, the soil and climate have prooved inadequate to grow vines. Quite early, this lead to the discovery and then improvement of the brewing techniques. Flandres "beere", of which several kinds exist, is usually quite good. But let's not forget the dwarven settlements which almost all brew their own beer. Typically the latter are rather strong brown ales, which the dwarves drink without any kind of moderation.
In the countryside, those who can't afford wine usually drink mead, a drink obtained by the fermenting of honey in water.
In Armorique, cider is the main drink. Any traveler crossing the region will be stunned by the enormous quantities of cider which are consumed. A distilled version exists which is called Calva. Distilled alcohol (brandy) is generically called eau-de-vie or gnole. The most famous kind is Cognac.
In Guisoreux, the poets celebrate absinth liquor. However the regular consumption of this high alcohol drink sometimes leads to madness (because of toxics contained in it).

Economical aspect
The Bretonnian fine wines and Cognac are very much appreciated in the rest of the Old World. But the Empire and to a lesser extent Marienburg tax them heavily. This situation has lead to much smuggling, an activity the Bretonnians of L'Anguille specially excel at.
In the Bordeleaux region, the wine production has become the main economical activity, making a formerly poor region fairly wealthy. Next to the fine "grands crûs", a great quantity of ordinary or mediocre quality wines are produced. The latter can be bought very cheaply in the taverns. As a result, sober men in the Bordeleaux region are indeed a rare commodity.

New drinks
Rum, which is produced in the islands is a popular drink with pirates and sailors. It can be bought in port taverns, especially in Brionne.
Tea arrives in Bretonnia via Marienburg (after being heavily taxed by the Bretonnian excisemen).
Coffee and chocolate arrive directly at the port of Bordeleaux. All these overseas products remain expensive and are therefore only affordable by the elite. Maybe for this reason, Chocolate is currently very much in vogue with the nobility.

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15:50 02/08/01
This is not the final version of the document,
Please mail your suggestions and your remarks to
peter butterworth <peter.butterworth@ircom.unilim.fr>
Bretonnia Project, Bretonnia the WFRP version
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