Powderkeg Item in Hastened Delight | World Anvil

Powderkeg

The 'Powderkeg' is an alcoholic beverage produced by the Loose Cannon Brewery and is known for its very high alcohol content.
It takes inspiration from, and is marketed towards, the naval industry, which has made plentiful use of fermentation for the preservation of rations.
The fairly simple process of manufacture, although significantly refined, hearkens back to the basic Ship's Brewery of early intercontinental vessels and the dash of lemon reduces the risk of scurvy.

Manufacturing process

The main ingredients of the drink, pulped grapes and sugarcane, slow yeast and water, are combined in vats of dark oak to ferment.
Branding declares that the brew matures for a full two years while being continuously 'tumbled'.
This 'tumbling' serves to prevent flavour-rich particles from rising to the top of the drink, instead seeping in the liquid.
Once the brew has matured sufficiently it is poured into large copper-pot stills and distilled four times to guarantee the desired composition before being poured into the trademark powder kegs.
A dose of lemon extract is added to the keg before it is sealed.
In a final step the product, date, batch number and brewery is tinted onto the keg.
Since the final product is shipped in the wooden keg, it continues to age and acquire a more complex flavour even after purchase.
This allows the brewery to sell the product priced at it's 'peak flavour' without having to keep the product shelved.

Quality Control

The signature trait of the Powderkeg is that gunpowder, when soaked in the beverage, must still catch fire.
Before barreling a fireproof bowl is filled with a sample of the drink before a gun's worth of gunpowder is added and stirred in.
Once the gunpowder has been uniformly diluted, sparks are made and the mixture should catch light.
This guarantees that the beverage consists of at least fourteen 26ths of pure alcohol.
If it doesn't, the whole batch (excluding the sample) is reused as a base for a different drink.

Significance

Powderkeg is a very popular drink among seafaring individuals, not only for consumption but also for it's medical and fire-starting properties
It must be noted that for the latter two purposes there are cheaper alternatives such as Dr Vonkler's Wintergreen Oil.
It is a popular substance for flavouring other foods and beverages and is highly appreciated by luxury chefs, although it's reputation as a drunkard's friend has it often used as an unlabled 'secret ingredient' in these contexts.
Item type
Consumable, Food / Drink
Manufacturer
Related ethnicities
Related Condition
Weight
56◝Ψ (10◝Ψ empty)
Dimensions
Height: 94◞І, Diameter: 68◞І
Base Price
ℳ512

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