Behind Enemy Lines: A Pub Crawl

Halflings and dwarves aren’t the only ones who enjoy a good Ale from time to time, you know. Word has it that goblins enjoy a drink as much as anybody else, and some say even the undead embrace the art of hops. What else is there to do in the afterlife anyway?

A big part of Norrath Brewing is the exploration of any and all taverns, be it multi-level beer halls like Slug’s Tavern in Neriak or just a barkeep operating out of a single-room hut in West Karana. In that spirit, Alefia and I decided to check in with some enemy races to see what kind of watering holes they’ve come up with.

First stop on the list is Runnyeye! It’s a good thing we’re knocking this one out first, as getting to the bar is no simple task. Hoofing it down a four level maze with torch and map in hand, there certainly are many interesting creatures to behold. Some are so fearless as to engage even us, triple their level! Then there’s the booming voice continually echoing through the citadel halls: “You feel brave enough to challenge the Goblin Lord in his lair. Brave, or foolish?

The journey to the bottom is worth it though, as these Pickclaws actually have a pretty decent setup down here. They’ve got a painting of a mushroom, a golden portrait of the Goblin King, a nice crackling fireplace, and an impressive amount of barreled beer in reserve! Heck there’s even a janitor on duty. We were also surprised to find the bartender to be so kind to sell to Alefia the dwarf. The same favor was not paid to I the halfling, however.

This is, afterall, the only place in the region to get a nice pickold gofer or shrunkn headcheez so it’s no wonder there are so many goblins here milling about. While one green skinned gentleman peers deeply into the flame pondering his subterranean existence, another has obviously had too many pints, soiled himself, and has now gone hidden in embarrassment.


It’s a shame the goblins are so misunderstood, really, as they turned out to be quite welcoming and have set our pub crawl off to an excellent start. Alas, we head out and make our way across the land to another goblin bar at Solusek’s Eye.

Upon arriving we take a moment to mourn the corpses awaiting resurrection, and begin to get the sense that these goblins might not be quite as welcoming as the Pickclaws were.

Our hunch is confirmed as we pass through the goblin city gate and down their halls, as every fire goblin in the realm has it out for us, making quite the mess of our blades. We finally reach the bar only to find it totally deserted. With nothing else to do we saddle up at a table and pop the corks off a few brews we luckily thought to bring along. Before long at all, a kind Rogue fellow by the name of Shankapotamous Rex appears out nowhere in the seat next to us and asks if we’re here to have a drink. We share with him some of our reserves and he tells us he’s a regular around here but the bartender hasn’t been seen in a while. He says he has money riding on his return any minute now though and we’re welcome to wait if we please.

With a little patience indeed, the bartender finally returned to his counter along with a couple impatient patrons looking for their tonics! He must of been out somewhere smoking that Asmag Weed he carries with him.

We decide to have a quick look around, and without warning another angry patron ignites us into flame! It’s amazing how clumsily he wields his staff, yet the Frothy Goblin Tonic in his other hand remains remarkably steady. Priorities.

After bonking him on the head with his own staff and taking his tonic, we head on out. The third stop on our adventure takes us across the pond to Faydwer as we head to The Estate of Unrest.

Alefia just couldn’t contain his excitement and had to pose for a pic with the friendly Butcherblock Skeleton brothers.

Undead folk might not have a functioning digestive system, bloodstream, or bladder, but at least they’ve been blessed with taste-buds to appreciate a nice glass of hops. In fact, the master brewer here at Unrest is a skeleton himself along with his ghoul minion.

They supply enough beverage to fill the rotted bellies of all walks of [after]life here including the bones of former monks, zombie incarnations of ex-nobles, festering old hags, and even miniature werebats. It’s always nice to see people coming together over a nice pint, isn’t it?

The peace didn’t last long however, as the regulars here definitely seemed a bit threatened by our presence.

We were lucky enough though that in the scuffle, the brewer dropped his satchel of Preserved Hops which we promptly looted before high tailing it out of there. Maybe now I can unlock the secret to their magical brew that keeps them kicking well into the afterlife!

With that our pub crawl came to it’s conclusion. A fantastic journey across many distant lands to visit an unlikely blend of taverns proves there’s still much left to explore. There are many obscure locations yet to cover here and a number of related quests to complete. I’m finally getting close to collecting a bottle of Capt. Nalot’s Triple Strength Rum, for example, and am currently gathering intelligence for a number of bar trips. Locations such as Timorous Deep, Cabilis, Oggok, and Skyshrine each have taverns I’ve yet to document, as do some even more unlikely zones such as Kithicor Forest! We’ll be back with the next adventure soon enough.

P.S. I’m updating the Project1999 wiki with information on every location I visit and I’ve created a special Taverns page for it. The entries are filled with additional information and screenshots including full NPC and quest lists.

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Velious Brewing

At last! Ever since the boats started traveling to Velious I’ve kept a growing list of all the cool new stuff I need to add to my collection. I’ve been busy gathering ingredients and brewing supplies for an extensive selection of new drinks, and with a Cobalt Scar key finally in hand I was able to knock a few of them out. A huge thank you to Hobban of Blood Guard for helping Alefia and I out to get the key. Easy access to Cobalt Scar and Wakening Lands will also open up some other excellent opportunities for the collection which I’ll be covering soon enough.

These first few brews are thanks to the otter race of Velious, the Othmirs. When they’re not busy collecting fish, casting shaman buffs, or presumably defending their clam-shell built camps from the wyverns, they’re doing what’s truly important: brewing beer. The ingredients used in their drinks are unique and only available here directly from the source.

Made up of Azure Algae, Ochre Algae, and some Brackish Water scooped from the ocean, Brackish Othmir Ale is born.

Similar, yet different, is Othmir Algae Ale. Also made with Azure and Ochre Algae, just swap the Brackish Water for some White Algae and ferment it in a cask. I imagine the White Algae gives this one a hazier conditioning quality and perhaps some creamier notes on the palate.

The third drink in this Othmir trilogy is Othmir Short Beer. The algae requirements are the same as the Ale variant, but this one is aged in bottles rather than a cask. This no doubt makes for a more carbonated drink with a frothy head.

The usefulness of Othmir algae has not gone overlooked by the Coldain dwarves, who’ve utilized it it to craft their very own Coldain Heater. Combine some Brown Algae with Allspice and a bit of water will offer a nice sipping tonic with a real kick to it.

That does it for the Velious specialty drinks, for now, but there are a few more I’m currently working on. Tainted Avalanche Ale is a big one, but that’ll be a very long term goal as it’s difficult for me to access the various mobs who drop necessary ingredients. I am working on leveling my brewing skill to the necessary level of 248 in the meantime, however. I’m also currently gathering supplies for the more achievable Capt. Nalot’s Triple Strength Rum quest.

I’ve recently brewed a few other new drinks as well however. I either missed these during my initial gathering back in 2012 or they’ve been added to the server since.

Armadillo Simmer Ale, for example, I knew existed back then but heard it was broken. I more recently read it’s now fixed, but after an hour or so of hunting armadillos in North Ro with only 1 ingredient drop, I still began to wonder. A few days later during a trip to Oggok, however, I finally got the armadillo ingredients to add a couple of these Ales to the collection! On a side note, Ogre Swill is one of my favorite drinks and am happy to see it used in this recipe. I wish the armadillo husks were easier to come by, as I’d love to brew this in larger quantities.

I’m not exactly sure what the story is behind these next two porters in terms of when they became available. Whatever the case, I definitely overlooked them during my initial round of brewing.

Red Porter is pretty straight forward, requiring just four bottles of Red Wine dumped into a cask for a new take on this classic staple.

A step up from there you have Ro Porter, a well balanced blend of the world renowned Elven Wine.

After a trip to the farms in Kaladim, I was finally able to make a couple of drinks that had previously eluded my collection. The dark roasted malts and pitched mushrooms give Underfoot Brown the deep earthy flavors that suit it’s name.

Thurbs Darkened Ale is a cask fermented beer utilizing both yeast as well as A Strange Dark Fungus. The combination of that and the malted barely make quite the unique brew.

And so there we have it. The first batch of Velious era drinks have been brewed (along with a few others). There are a number of other things I need to collect still, both from Velious and also a few classic items I would love to get my hands on for the collection.

Here’s a snapshot of this batch:

And here’s a recap of the rest of the original collection:

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Thurgadin Steins

Score! During our initial gathering of Velious beers in Thurgadin, we ran across The Icy Mug Souvenir Stein. We were quite proud of this discovery at the time, but later learnt that we had missed a few other available souvenir steins. So we made the trek back through the frozen wastelands and shelled out the coin for two more. Rumor has it that a fourth is also available at The Velium Keg, but exactly how to acquire it remains a mystery.

Check out Souvenir Mugs on the wiki for more info on these Thurgadin steins. Speaking of steins, one of the next tasks on my list is to collect a few additional Norrath steins that had previously eluded my collection.

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Thurgadin: A Pub Crawl.

And we’re BACK!

With word spreading of a powerful new steam boat now operating between Antonica and the frozen continent of Velious, us adventurers Dynomite Megajoule and Alefia Gigglepickle had no choice but to dust off our walking sticks and keep this quest going. With new unexplored land comes the promise of new bars, new brews, and surely no shortage of ice to keep our frothy loot chilled through the journey. Persuaded by rumors of a prominent bar scene, the subterranean Coldain city of Thurgadin seemed to us like a proper place to begin (not to mention the very reputation of a dwarf). After a short hike through the Northern Desert of Ro, we caught the next skiff out to the awaiting ship and thus began our first Norrath bar crawl in over five years!

Stepping off the boat through Iceclad, the thought of whiskies, rums, wines, and porters to warm our bellies is the only thing on our mind. We waste no time heading straight to the city, other than of course stopping to deal with some frost giants who wanted US to warm THEIR bellies. We certainly did set their story straight.

At last! We’ve journeyed far and long to lay eyes upon the majestical beauty of this shimmering fortress of velium, once only a distant dream in the depths of Norrath lore. Just stepping foot into these legendary caverns is awe-inspiring to any dwarf or halfling alike, as we pause a moment to give thanks to the glory of all Coldain warriors and heroes since Colin Dain himself. Now where’s the bar!?

Ahh The Broken Glacier. A rather quaint establishment run by the Bottlenip brothers, this tavern and inn is kept warm and cozy by the hearty flame of a large stone furnace. It’s a welcoming sight to any visitor fresh out of the cold, located conveniently just through the front gates of the city. Rent a room for the night upstairs if your legs are weary, or head on down into the basement to find the bar. The selection of stiff spirits they’re serving do not disappoint either, including Melted Glacier Whiskey, Winter Falls Wine, and Bleeding Kromzek, the drink of a warrior.

It’s also worth noting that the inn-keeper located in the lobby sells brewing ingredients and jeweling supplies for the DIY hobbyist travelers! They’ve got a little something for everybody, here.

Moving onward to The Icy Mug, little did we know the pleasant surprises waiting for us behind these walls. Between the large frothy ale on their signage and panoramic front window, this bar certainly calls a little more attention to it’s self. Surely drawn in by the ample amount of seating available for dwarven shenanigans and camaraderie, loyal patrons are not in short supply here.

Upon sparking up a conversation with one of the fine Coldbeard bartenders, Alefia learnt they’re offering Icy Mug Souvenir steins for just 5 gold pieces! An excellent find for the beginning of our brew tour!

The mugs alone are enough to lift our spirits, but we also find some top notch beers being poured. Dain’s Choice Porter is no doubt worth mentioning first and foremost, named after none other than the captain, explorer, and hero Colin Dain. A porter fit for him is a porter fit for us. For the binge drinker there’s Coldain Ice Beer, cold activated within the blue mountains of Great Divide. There’s also Dire Wolf Pale Ale for lovers of man’s best friend, or Kromif Spit Vodka for the a truly tough gut.

Needless to say we’ve had a few by this point.

Meandering through the icy Thurgadin streets, we’re drawn to a fine jingle being played on a fiddle, accompanied also by a large ruckus. Upon closer inspection we find The Velium Keg in full swing party mode. One dwarf has already had more than his fair share, apparently forcefully ejected through the front window! Or did he stumble through on his own accord, forgetting the existence of a door perhaps?

There’s certainly no lack of bar service or amenities here. Up front there’s a lengthy bar tended by the Bartleby’s and plenty of seating to accommodate the drinking of their very own Velium Keg Stout. A keen eye might even notice that this is in-fact a fully operational Coldain brewery! Towards the back of the room and down a few stairs, there’s not only a second equally large bar, but also a functional brewing kettle and multiple velium-carved fermentation barrels! There’s also a generously sized dining table to host even the largest fellowship of brews.

Making note of the brew kettle location, which will certainly come in handy later, we head on out to see what’s next to see. As we venture into the west side of town, some angry shouting suddenly catches our attention. Curious to find out what’s happening, we approach The Holy Harbinger just in time to catch a group of dwarves chasing somebody down the road!

What the heck!? Who was that guy? After listening to the bar banter, we discover this heathen Horasug claims to believe liquor is EVIL and that it needs to be BANISHED from Coldain culture!

“Over my dead body!” exclaims Jorumin, a regular here by the looks of it. This halfling agrees with that statement, for never does a dwarf need go sober. That idea is simply not written in the lore of Norrath, and even considering such a brash departure to this belief is just blasphemy. Good riddance!

Anyway, listening in on more bar chatter, the true purpose of The Holy Harbinger bar in Thurgadin finally becomes clear. They uphold dearly a religious following to the god of liquor! While some patrons may ask for Frostreaver Frozen Vodka (claims the bartender), the strongest spirit they offer is their very own Harbinger Holy Ale. An ale blessed by the liquor gods? I’ll allow it.

So by the time we leave there we’re feeling pretty blessed by the gods indeed, if you know what I mean. Good thing there’s only one charted bar left in town: Doogle’s Drinks. Located near the entrance to the old Thurgadin Mines, this fine establishment is surely catered to the lower key folk of Norrath. Offering a wide selection of spirits (most all of the non-exclusive drinks previously mentioned), this small bar sports the only dart board in town and also the only available rum in town. Their claim to fame is Doogle’s Spiced Rum, sure to light the fire of any soul who dares indulge.

We don’t even bother trying to stay standing for the final bar shot!

Alas, our bar crawl of Thurgadin was then concluded. However, after leaving the city and showing off our prized Icy Mug Souvenir steins, we quickly learn there are actually MORE of these treasures available for the taking! Word has it that many of the bars we visited offer their own take on a souvenir glass, if only you talk to the right person. So fear not, we’ll soon be back once again with more Thurgadin loot, Velious adventures, and even some fresh exploration of Kunark and the mainlands!

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Spreading The Wealth

So now that my collection, stowed in the bank, has a decent layer of dust settled on it, I’ve started to consider making some better use out of it. As a level 40 druid feeling a bit lazy on the leveling front, I’ve taken a liking to just helping others and interacting with the folk of Norrath. Porting people is an activity I enjoy doing for fun, and have made it even more entertaining to myself and my riders by handing out many of my rare booze. I never request money and will very often port for free, but a good tipper will always get a really good brew in return.  Many non-tippers and CR goers also receive some drink if their demeanor is right.
To make things even more interesting, I try to be deliberate about giving people a type of drink that will remind them of their homeland.  Iksars always get Cabilis Pale Ale, folk from the far east get Faydwer Shaker or perhaps Tunare’s Finest, while half-men of my kin will be pleased to receive a handful of Lendel’s Grand Lager.

Some are easier to provide for than others, such as the Barbarians whose Halas Heater requires quite a bit of prep work. No worry though, that is all part of the fun! This brings me to my current task: Creating a nice batch of Halas Heater!  Spider Legs are easily found by checking a few local Misty Thicket traders, but Vegetables (for Vodka) are, surprisingly, a bit harder to come by. Once I have gathered enough, I shall head up to Halas to create the drinks in name of the Northmen!

Future quests: Finally get that elusive Cyclops Skull for some more Skull Ale.

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The Lot

The full collection…

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A Trip to Ocean of Tears

Decided to make a trip out to Sister Island to gather some supplied for my next venture.  While I was there, I noticed a merchant also selling an abundance of Kiola Nuts.  Since my collection only contained one Tumpy Tonic (since my single Kiola Nut came from a fellow traveler), I filled my bags to the brim with the nuts.

Once I got back to the mainland, I whipped up a big batch of Tumpy Tonic.  I’ll keep half a stack in stock, but will probably hand the rest out!

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A Few Stragglers

Just a couple of new additions to the collection.  With the assistance of Alefia, I lifted some Clockwork Oil Stout off of a CWG Model XC, and then during a guild raid of Mistmoore I came by some Blood Spirits!

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Blackburrow Swig

Finally collected enough bleep’n Blackburrow Gnoll Skins to create some Blackburrow Swig.  I’m excited about this one.  The collection would not be complete without it…

Good thing I have an extra Blackburrow Cask too, as this one was used up upon combine.

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Stormguard Root Beer

Discovering this recipe is the most bitter-sweet recipe I’ve come across.  All this time I’ve been discrading all my foraged Roots when I could of been saving them and brewing Stormguard Root Beer

I must have destroyed/dropped hundreds of roots while wondering what they could possibly be useful for, when all this time it was sitting right under my nose…

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