Top 10 fictional drinks

The Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster is an alcoholic cocktail invented by ex-President of the Universe Zaphod Beeblebrox in Douglas Adams’ 1979 novel The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. 

Based on the fictional Old Janx Spirit, the cocktail is considered to be the “best drink in existence”. Drinking the beverage is said to be similar to “having your brains smashed in by a slice of lemon wrapped round a large gold brick”, according to the guide.

Old Düsseldorf – Magnum P.I

Old Düsseldorf was favoured brew of chest hair-loving private detective Thomas Sullivan Magnum, played by Tom Selleck, in the 1980s TV series Magnum P.I.

Brewed in a fictional Maryland Brewery, the beer is of German origin but was apparently hard to get hold of on the island of Oahu in Hawaii where Magnum lived. Consequently the moustachioed private detective was often seen drinking a variety of substitute fictional brews including Coops, Tiller and and oddly named Flagler beer.

Firewhisky – Harry Potter

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Firewhisky is an alcoholic beverage consumed by wizards and witches in the fictional world of Harry Potter. Popular brands include Ogden’s Old Firewhisky and Blishen’s Firewhisky.

The drink appears on a number of occasions throughout the books. Romilda Vane gave Harry Potter a box of Chocolate Cauldrons, claiming that they had Firewhisky in them, though they were really laced with a powerful Love Potion.

Following the death of Professor Alastor Moody en route to The Burrow from Privet Drive, Harry Potter and his friends raise a toast of Firewhisky to his memory, served by Bill Weasley.

Dharma Inititative Beer – Lost

Josh Holloway (Sawyer) with Dharma Initiative beer

Popular TV series Lost had its own beer, produced by the mysterious organisation based on the Island, the Dharma Initiative. Throughout the long and winding series, that had more confounding twists and turns than I can remember, the castaways are sporadically seen sipping on cans of the standard issue beer.

In one episode Hurley and Jin discover cans of Dharma Initiative beer in a Dharma van, a VW bus that was later auctioned off at an official Lost Memorabilia event by auction house Profiles in History in 2010.

The blue-and-white van was sold for $47,500 alongside 1,100 lots of props and costumes from the ABC series including 12 cans of Dharma beer which sold for a staggering US$5,000.

Schraderbräu – Breaking Bad

Schraderbräu is the beer brewed by Hank Schrader in AMC’s hit series about a chemistry teacher-turned-drug dealer, Breaking Bad. 

The aptly named brew comes complete with its own personalised label featuring a grinning Hank and carry case. Homebrewer Hank, a drug enforcement officer by day, is seen bottling the presumably German-style ale in season two of the show, and later offers a six-pack of the beer as a prize in an Albuquerque fundraiser, where the show is set.

While it doesn’t appear in the TV series, a limited-edition range of “Heisenberg” vodka, inspired by Breaking Bad, were launched in the US earlier this year.

Named “Say My Name”, “Tread Lightly” and “The One Who Knocks” after well-known phrases in the show, the Blue Ice Vodka  bottles have been approved by Vince Gilligan, executive producer and creator of Breaking Bad. Blue Ice Vodka was founded in 2002 and is produced from Idaho Russet potatoes and water sourced from the largest volcanic aquifer in the US.

Pawtucket Patriot – Family Guy

Seemingly ripe for real-world distribution, Pawtucket Patriot is the fictional ale beloved by Peter Griffin and his pals in US cartoon Family Guy. 

Brewed at Pawtucket Pat’s brewery, a Willy Wonka, Mad Hatter type character who wears and oversized beer can as a hat, the beer is said to be a parody of the Boston-based lager Samuel Adams.

In one episode fictional brews collide when it is discovered that Pawtucket Patriot Ale is just “Duff beer with a new label pasted on it”. A copyright lawsuit ensues in which judge Fred Flintstone claims both are an imitation of his Budrock.

Mudder’s Milk – Firefly

Mudders Milk features in Joss Whedon’s short-lived series Firefly, an American space western set in the year 2517. A speciality of Canton on the planet of Higgins’ Moon, the mud-based beverage features “all the protein, vitamins and carbs of your grandma’s best turkey dinner, plus 15% alcohol.”

Many super fans have attempted to recreate the intriguing concoction in real life using various base ingredients. As far as we can tell, it is intended to be something similar to an alcoholic milkshake, combining a brown spirit, peanut butter (for added protein) and a milk-based substance such as yoghurt or milk.

Check out the Geeky Chef’s attempt here.

Aspen Beer – Alien

With rampaging aliens and Aliens bursting out of people’s chests, it’s no surprise that most people fail to notice that Alien, the iconic sci-fi trilogy, featured its own fictional beer.

According to Xenopedia, a database detailing the world of Alien, Aspen Beer was brewed by Weyland-Yutani in the 22nd century in Aspen, Colorado. Members of the crew of the USCSS Nostromoin 2122 are seen drinking the beer after awakening from hypersleep in the film’s first outing, and right before an Alien emerged violently from Gilbert Kane’s chest.

Romulan ale and Warnog – Star Trek

While most fictional beverages remain just that, a few have made it into reality. Warnog was the official beer of Star Trek’s infamous Klingon baddies and featured in both The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine TV series. The Klingons, a fictional humanoid species of warriors, were recurring baddies in the television series which was first launched in the 1960s.

Last year a real-life version of the beer was released onto the US market by The Federation of Beer – a Canadian company which commissioned Warnog ale to be brewed by the Tin Man Brewing Company of Evansville, Indiana. Described as a 5.5% Roggen Dunkel style ale, the brew was said to “incorporate rye malt into a modern Dunkelweizen grain bill, creating a flavor profile that is both familiar and unique.”

Romulan ale – a highly intoxicating beverage of Romulan origin with a characteristic blue colour – also featured in the Star Trek franchise. In 2009, an energy drink called Romulan Ale Energy Drink was manufactured by Boston America and released to tie into the film Star Trek.

Duff beer – The Simpsons

The favoured brew of Homer Simpson, Duff is perhaps the best-known fictional brew of all. The beer’s official slogan is “Can’t Get Enough of That Wonderful Duff”, as well as “It’s Always Time For Duff” and “Now Leaving Duff Country”. The brand’s spokesperson is Duffman, a bleach-blonde, muscular superhero who was created as a parody of Budweiser’s ’70s-era mascot Bud Man.

This week 21st Century Fox announced that it was preparing to make the fictional brew a reality, launching an official “Duff” beer inspired by the long-running TV series The Simpsons, first in Chile and then Europe.

Many unofficial versions of the beer have been launched in the past, most significantly in Australia but also Germany, Colombia and New Zealand, only to be shut down by advertising bodies and the show’s owner 21st Century Fox.

The official Duff brew, described as a premium lager, will be produced by Fox with the help of British brewmaster Paul Farnsworth and is due to be released in South America and Europe early next year.