Dungeons & Dragons is a game played by folk of all ages from all walks of life, with all sorts of different tastes, but one of the things we all have in common is that we have to eat and drink. We’ve raved in the past about the excellent Heroes Feast and its companion, Flavors of the Multiverse, which are both excellent in-universe cookbooks.
Puncheons and Flagons is the obvious sequel to those books; another cookbook, but this time focusing solely on drinks (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic). The idea here is that you can make these for fun or also as part of a game. A well-served drink mid-game can lock a person’s senses into the game, creating a more memorable experience.
Like the previous works, it’s robust and well put together and intended to cope with the odd spill or two (though it is by no means waterproof). It’s crammed with gorgeous food photographs, which are mostly there to serve as inspiration for your own creations. It also has some reasonably sensible guidance for mixing drinks, with the basics of what you need covered in a home bar. (It does not go into anything advanced; this is a list of fun, fantasy cocktail recipes, not a bartending manual.)
Each chapter ties into a specific tavern and location from The Forgotten Realms. We were delighted to discover that Candlekeep, famous for its scholars, has its own special bar. That said, it apparently stocks a lot of gin, which makes sense, given the haunted nature of some of the books in Candlekeep. The recipes are divided mostly by spirit, so the Pink Flumph Theater in Waterdeep is full of vodka-based drinks that have a ‘pink’ vibe to them, The Yawning Portal drinks are ale-based and so on. (These are all fantasy bars from The Forgotten Realms; if you want a real-world geek bar, try the Fab Cafe in Manchester.)
We particularly enjoyed the thematically clever ‘Eye of The Beholder’ drink, even though it’s a little heavy on lychee to provide to the eyeballs, and of course, there is a drink called Hellish Rebuke. It’s got quite a kick.
Puncheons & Flagons: The Official Dungeons & Dragons Cocktail Book is stuffed full of fun ideas and variations on familiar themes. And yes, there is a mocktail section (though most of the recipes could be made into mocktails with a little effort). It is absolutely not for kids; it’s instead a fun cocktail with some crazy ideas, both for entertaining guests and to squeeze into your games of D&D. Fun.
