[jakeandbake]

So this started about two hours ago, when I remarked to a friend it'd be cool to do some beers based on these books, mostly so we could drink them while watching the premiere of the show.

Now, this is turning into more of a long range project. I'm a newbie at this game, only got two beers under my belt, but I figured you guys would probably know a little more than the people at BA.com about what kinda beers to brew.

If you're curious, the Game of Thrones (or Song of Ice and Fire) books are sort of a gritty medieval fantasy. There's magic and dragons and stuff, but it's really not your average fantasy fare. We were looking at brewing a beer for each of the main families in the book, the Lannisters and the Starks, but I'm thinking about adopting it as a larger project in order to learn more about brewing. So we're looking at maybe doing some regional brews for the kingdom instead, which would give me a greater range of stuff to brew.

The general consensus is a stout for the Starks/Winterfell, who inhabit the snowy upper regions of the kingdom, and something light and wheaty for the Lannisters, who tend to live more around the southern parts of the nation. There's a host of other regions in the kingdom, so there's really no end to the kind of beers I could brew.

Any GoT fans or people who are up to snuff on medieval brews have any input on styles or recipes?

[euge]

I've read about three of the books. Whew! Talk about some people (children even) getting a raw deal! Will check out the game.  The idea for the beer is appropriate.

The Lannister clan needs something brutal and sneaky. A beer that totally surprises you.

[jakeandbake]

Ah, well if you've finished the 3rd book you're just getting into the good stuff. The 4th book was decent enough to make me impatient as hell for the 5th, but the 3rd has remained my favorite so far.

My line of thinking was more about the Lannisters outlook towards the approaching winter, and how they don't really seem to give much heed to it. The Starks (while they were around anyways) were much more about planning ahead and being prepared, since "Winter is coming." So for the Lannisters I was gonna do a wheat brew, something summery that you could imagine lots of being drank. I've even got an idea for some manner of oaked ale for the Night's Watch.

Although, this idea of a brutal, sneaky beer does make me wonder how I could pull this off...but being a newbie, I don't know if I've got enough skill to pull it off, lol. This is tempering my ideas, I don't want to take on anything I can't really do yet.

So far, the lineup is coming up as such, and will probably take up most of my brewing efforts for a while:

Stark - Something stout, a more "wintery" beer
Lannister - A weizenbock or other wheat brew...though I really love weizenbock
Night's Watch - An oaked ale of some kind
A cider of some sort, like the kind made in Old Town
Probably a mead too

Those last two are really because I wanna learn to brew em, but they fit with the theme. I'm trying to think of other brews that fit well within it as well...

[euge]

I'm drinking a weizenbock right now. 

Cleverly hidden alcohol content. Ever had a 9-10 abv beer and not taste the alcohol? Some of the Belgian brews that I like are like that. Nice and light at the same time. Sneak up on you. Not good for mass consumption but there could be a play on that. Got the session beers and then pull out the strong stuff later.

[tschmidlin]

Lannister - A weizenbock or other wheat brew...though I really love weizenbock

weizenbock is too good for them.  Make it an American Wheat, that's the douchiest of all beer styles.  They took something delicious and complex and turned it into an insipid bastard of a beer.

[theoman]

Sorry for the brief sidetrack, but I had to comment:

"Douchiest"

We're watching the evolution of the English language right here, on this forum. Fascinating.

[majorvices]

This thread just rolled a "20" on geekdom.

[jakeandbake]

I sort of like a Belgian for the Lannisters, just because at the same time you've got that hidden kick, there's also a regalness to it. It's completely a facade, because the brew will kick your ass, but it goes down nice and smooth. Well played, Euge.

So save the Weizenbock for something else. Hey, the Tyrells! That'd be a good brew for them.

[gimmeales]

Seems like a Gruit should fit well into the mix somehow.  Yarrow, Sweet Gale, Mugwort, Juniper, some smoke malts, spicy yeast - none of those would be out of place in a pseudo-medieval-euro context.

Sounds like an interesting series - just watched the trailer of the HBO series.  Will have to look the books up as I haven't read any good fantasy in awhile.

[dano14041]

A Gruit would be good for either the people north of the wall, or the Cannomen ((sp.? too lazy to look it up), the men from the swamps in the neck)

There are only 4 boos so far. Just get in line with the rest of us for the Fifth; we have been waiting for over 5 years for  GRRM to finish the second half of it.

[jakeandbake]

Ugh, I know. Living an hour or two from the man, I'm often tempted to drive out there and steal what he's got written so far, lol.

Lots of awesome ideas in this thread, now I just need to build the knowhow to get them brewed. Hell, I'm having to look up Gruit now just to stay on top of the convo. 

[madscientist]

Can't believe I missed this thread... Ice and Fire are some of the best books I ever read.  A feast for crows was a little slow, but in the end Cersi got hers!  I too, am waiting for the 5th book.  Can't wait for Game of Thrones to come out on HBO.  Tons of great actors lined up for it, and it's HBO.  Don't think you can go wrong. 

[tumarkin]

I've only read the first book. Will have to read the rest. Saw this article and it made me think of this thread.

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/01/ancient-celtic-beer/

Maybe this would have been the beer of the Children of the Forest?