Fiction Friday: A Far-flung Blog Collection

Drunk Gods Prefer Flowers

Originally posted on 5-13-16 by Lugh Mac Darragh to alexisdonkin.com blog

Floral nectar (sometimes called "flower nectar") is one of the privileges of being an Otherworlder. Nectars come in all range of flavor profiles and forms, partially from the process of making the drink, but also the choice and blend of flower varieties used.

Like wine, nectars use a fermentation process. In fact, it is the same process – what would make a red wine can make a pink nectar. The ingredients however, are quite different. Some of them might be found in a human yard – like honeysuckle or rose. Others can only be found through the veil – such as those involved in soma.

The end result is drastically different from wine. While an Otherworlder may experience drunkenness, a human drinking nectar could induce anything from violent sickness to death to horrific physical transformations.

It is the responsibility of all Otherworlders to prevent nectars and other similar drinks from falling into human hands.

That said, the responsible Otherworlder can learn to appreciate all the layers of a well-made nectar.

Drinking a floral nectar can be as casual or ritualistic as the drinker. You could pour a glass and down it as you bump and grind on the dance floor.

That is entirely possible.

But let's just say your goal is to enjoy the drink. Let's just say, you're drinking for the experience. In this case, you need the ritual.

First, take the bottle of nectar. Inspect the label and cork to make sure it is intact. This is especially important for darker nectars that have laid down for any length of time – as the cork has greater potential to go bad.

Next, take your corkscrew and insert it into the cork. Turn it into the cork until you have good leverage, and pull the cork out.

At this point, you'll have the opportunity to check the integrity of the nectar. Remove the cork from the corkscrew. Take the portion of the cork soaked in nectar and inspect it. If it's in poor condition, you may find some bits of cork in your glass later on. If the cork is in good condition, bring it to your nose and smell. This will give your first encounter with the nectar's bouquet.

If the nectar is darker and was laid in a cellar for any time, you will need to aerate the nectar to activate its flavor profile. There are several ways you can do this, and ultimately the best choice will depend on the length of time the nectar rested and your intentions:

You can just let the nectar sit in the bottle for 30 minutes and then pour a glass (also called "breathing"). This works best for younger nectars.

You can get an aerator – a marvelous human invention they use for wine. This eliminates the need to let the wine breathe as much, as it forces air through the wine as you pour through the aerator into the glass.

Or, for the darkest and oldest nectars, where you intend to drink the entire bottle, you may choose to pour the nectar through a funnel into a decanter and then let it breathe. This is the most extreme form of aeration, and really should be reserved for the darkest and oldest nectars in your cellar. It is possible to OVER aerate, which will ruin the nectar.

Once you have a well aerated glass of nectar, observe the color. Nectars can range anywhere from water-clear, to indigo ink in opacity. In addition to opacity, there's also the hue – which can be anything commonly found in flowers (Which is to say, everything – though you would never find a nectar of the electric or fluorescent variety. That's unnatural.).

After you've observed the color, swirl the nectar in your glass and check to see the viscosity. Younger and lighter nectars with less complex floral blends will tend to be thin, and chaotic on the glass. More mature and richer blends will have what they call in wine, "legs," where the liquid forms unmistakable streams or ordered drips down the glass.

Now bring the glass to your nose. Inhale for a richer showing of the bouquet or scent of the nectar. Observe the different elements of the scent – fruit, flower, earth, or other notes. The bouquet may or may not reflect the flavors experiences by the tongue.

After you've enjoyed the bouquet, bring the floral nectar to your lips and sip. Let the liquid coat your tongue and consider the different elements of the drink. You may notice the flavor changes from entering your mouth to the aftertaste.

If drinking with a companion, compare notes at any stage of the process.

Drinking nectar can be a meditative, ritualistic act. It is best done in a mindful attitude, so that you may enjoy the experience from start to finish.

Of course, you can just drink from the bottle immediately after it's uncorked, but that's a disservice to yourself and the nectar.

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Lugh Mac Darragh is a character from the epic fantasy series Khloe Alwell. You can read more about him starting in book 1, THE BROTHERS.