Well Met good Scholar, out of curiosity, what sorts of things would Tolkien's Dwarves drink? I know in the hobbit they request things like Coffee, Ale, and Porter, but what sorts of stuff would they drink on a daily basis (Milk, water, etc.) and when they did drink Alcohol, What sorts would they prefer and/or what sorts of Alcohol would the Dwarves have made themselves.
My kind of question! *cheers* You may (or may not) know that I am also an amateur brewer of ales, so I’ve given the topic of “dwarvish ale” quite a bit of thought.
In fact, I even got so far as to get a local Belgian brewer to brew a dwarvish ale, which we named “Durin!”
Three bottles of tasty Durin! - on a side note: Good news! The brewer just brewed a fresh “batch”. So, any friends who I promised some of these ales to, the wait is nearly over (at last!); they should be heading your way very soon!
Now back to your question Anon. I believe dwarves, like many other peoples of Middle Earth would commonly drink what most would drink, namely water and to a lesser extent milk (if received through trade or available) or other water-based drinks (such as coffee and tea - as attested by Tolkien); and apart from that they would of course have consumed a wide variety of alcoholic drinks, not just ale.
In the end their drinking preferences would be personal, or cultural (according to clan or region - and available ingredients). Some would drink more ale than others, yet I wouldn’t depict most Tolkien dwarves as binge-drinking brutes as seen in some popular modern depictions of them.
I’ve had a good look in the dictionary for some examples of beverages for you. There a many more listed in the current draft, but I think this should do for now. By the way, the vast majority of these drink are based on drinks that exist (or existed) in cultures around the world.
adalamahzull : wormwood infused ale [literally: dream-creator-ale]
akhlabshalk : perry (alcoholic beverage made from fermented pears)[literally: dropper-drink]
amrâlmarn : wine flavoured with woodruff [literally: love-wine]
‘arshalwurshalk : hot Stiffbeard traditional winter-drink (based on honey mixed with water, spices, and jam) that has a dark purple appearance and, depending on the recipe, can be very spicy and/or very sweet.[literally: hot-containing sugar-drink]
balb'urs : icefire (very strong drink native to the Stiffbeard clan) [literally: ice-fire]
halwabrâsh-shalk : liqueur made by infusing brandy (usually apple brandy) with cherries and sugar (popular amongst the Blacklocks) [literally: sweet-pain-drink]
halwakhgârshalk : popular liqueur in the Stonefoot halls (made from myrtle berries and myrtle leaves), often shortened to “halwakh” [literally: sweet-smell (scents)-drink]
harskharhshalk : foul tasting drink that is a traditional dwarvish treatment for alcohol hangovers and an antidote to discomfort following overindulgence (contains raw eggs, oil, peppers, mustard seeds and onions) [literally: flame-egg-drink]
ithtêrashthar : small quantity of brandy as an aperitif before breakfast (Grey Mountain tradition) [literally: staring-clouder ]
khalfzalali : root-grog (ale brewed by slow fermentation from an infusion of malt and roots) [literally: root-element of the ale]
khuzrushalk : distilled alcoholic beverage made from a malt and grain mash, generally distilled twice, matured for a minimum of three years in oak casks (similar to whisky, colloquially called “khuz” or “khuzra”) [literally: fury-drink]
lasharâlshalk : drink made of sheep milk whey [literally: parent-drink]
mabarzulmarn : mulled wine [literally: that which is heated-wine]
marânketham : rare sparkling white wine produced exclusively in Dorwinion (sweet and low in alcohol, and often enjoyed with dessert. Highly prized by dwarvish traders as a very valuable tradeable commodity) [literally: wine-bell]
sabsmarn : wine mulled with honey and spices [literally: spice-wine]
shalakanâm : clear very strong spirit (drink) with little odour made from buckwheat (popular amongst Blacklocks, Ironfists and Stonefoots)[literally: water of kisses]
shalkutn : milk and water; any weak drink [literally: drink of man]
shargarg : ale with a distinctive smoke flavour imparted by using malted barley dried over an open flame (common amongst the Ironfists) [literally: smoke-ale]
shathrmurnmarân : cloud berry wine (extremely expensive wine made from rare cloud berries) [literally: cloud-berry-wine]
Sirbark : Iron Hills ale that spontaneously ferments with wild yeast in the air in the brewery (distinctive for its sour taste and aroma) [literally: sour-axe]
tablashthar : type of alcoholic punch from Tumunzahar, composed of cider and apple brandy [literally: apple-clouder]
‘ursgarg : spicy ale of Stiffbeard origins usually served at gatherings, banquets and weddings, believed to aid digestion [literally: fire-ale]
'utnashthar : type of alcoholic punch from Dale, composed of wine, and brandy [literally: man-clouder]
webanshalk : brandy liqueur made of hawthorn berry and petals [literally: broom-drink]
zirak-khalf-marân : type of wine made from parsnip (traditional drink had mainly at spring-festivals in the Iron Hills) [literally: spike-root-wine]
zudrâmernar : expensive brandy-like after-dinner drink exclusively distilled in the Ironfist halls of Kheled-dûm (often consumed for its therapeutic benefits) [literally: high-supreme wine]
Phew, what a list… if you’ll excuse me, I think I deserve a drink.
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