by Adren Belecosta
Morrowind has some of the most unique spirits in Tamriel. The land’s unusual flora provide a wide range of local flavors not found elsewhere. The dunmer have a marked preference for these local beverages. Imported wines, liquors, and beers are generally consumed by Imperial colonists. As grapes do not grow locally, comberries are the signature fruit of dunmer wines and brandies. Wickwheat and saltrice are the staple grains in this region, forming the base of their liquors and beers. In this book, only the most popular alcohols of the province will be covered. Readers should be aware that there are various regional and local permutations of each drink described herein as well as more exotic drinks which are arguably less popular and have been omitted from this text.
Comberry Wine
Comberry wine is the single most popular table wine in Vvardenfell. It is inexpensive and perhaps lacks the esteem of the finest Tamriel wines, but has a distinct flavor and local charm. This deep red wine is slightly tart and astringent, but in better quality varieties, this is balanced out by its rich sweetness, and even exhibits a slight hint of fruitiness.
Comberry fairs better than grapes in the ash-laden soils of Morrowind. Comberry does not have the perfect combination of sugars, yeasts, and tannins for wine making, but they are a close second to grapes; needing only a little extra tending during the first fermentation. Because comberry contains more tannins than grapes, the stems are typically removed before crushing. The comberries are then crushed, and the skins are left in the vat to ferment with the juices, producing a heady wine with a deep red color, known locally as shein.
Comberry Brandy
Known locally as greef, comberry brandy is a distillate of comberry wine. Comberry wine benefits greatly from distillation, and its brandies are a much finer quality. Comberry brandy is smooth and clean tasting, with a hint of fruity sweetness. The production of comberry brandy follows much the same process as elsewhere in Tamriel. It will either be bottled into common brandy or cask aged for at least forty years to make vintage brandy.
Local Beers
Mazte is a local ale made from saltrice. It is a deep red ale that is fairly bitter and malty. As the name implies, the saltrice grains give the drink a salty after taste which many colonists do not take to at first. This local ale is inexpensive, and the most common beverage in the province.
Whiskeys and other Distilled Liquors
Sujamma is the most common local liquor and packs quite a punch. Made from malted and fermented wickwheat, this golden liquor has a smooth and pleasant taste with a slight peaty aroma.
Sujamma is made by first malting the wickwheat grain then fermenting in a similar manner to beer. The malting process gives sujamma its distinct peaty flavor. It is roasted in kilns fueled by green lichen which impart their flavor in the smoke.
All in all, the dunmer have a rich cultural heritage, and these spirits are an integral part of that heritage. They are best experienced in the dunmer heartland while traveling through the unique province that created them. You’ll be hard pressed to find them elsewhere, as they are not often exported from their homeland. The tastes of Morrowind reflect a world set apart from Tamriel.
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