This is a folk tale from Mexico that tells how a pulque vendor tricks the Devil. Pulque as you may remember from our post on the 400 Drunken Rabbit Gods of the Aztecs is a traditional Mexican alcoholic beverage that is made from fermented agave (or maguey). Although the story takes place on a completely different…
Japan has a very rich culture when it comes to myths and sagas. We found one about their national drink saké that we like to share with you. As you probably know saké is a rice wine that is used in many traditional ceremonies. This folk tale is about a rare version of the drink…
Without a doubt Jim Morrison (1943-1971) was one of the biggest icons in modern music. As frontman of the legendary band The Doors his songs are still played on a daily basis by radio stations all over the world. And whenever a list of greatest rock songs in history is made, be sure The Doors…
This is a folktale from Serbia about the country’s national strong drink rakija. It reminds a bit of the legend of Gambrinus, which was told in Belgium and Holland, about the introduction of quality hoppy beer. In the Serbian tale the Devil appears again and introduces Saint Sava, an important prince and the first archbishop of…
When you think of successfully defending a town in 17th century, what comes to mind is brave soldiers in epic battles fighting with guns and bodies till their last breath to ward off the enemy. However, this is not how then-mayor of the German town Rothenburg ob der Tauber saved it. His heroism involved a…
As this is our 500th post on Lords of the Drinks, we wanted to do a special story. And what better than the great legend of Gambrinus, the King of Beer. You might have seen him before, as he is the fine gentleman you see in the LOTD-logo. This mythical figure was known from folklore tales…
Most people can probably tell you who Dionysus or Bacchus is, since ancient Greek and Roman mythology are quite well spread in the Western World. But have you ever heard of an African colleague of these Wine Gods called Mbaba Mwana Waresa? Well, the Zulus believe that this Goddess created beer and taught people how…
The ancient Greeks and Romans had Gods for nearly everything. One of the most famous now, and most popular in those days, was Dionysus, or Bacchus in Roman. Less well known is his loyal sidekick Silenus. A shame because this old drunkard was the one who taught the God of Wine and Partying how to…
Many old civilizations had Gods for just about everything: the sun, the sea, lightning and often quite a few for alcohol related matters. The Aztecs were no exception. Even though they had very strict laws on alcohol use and abuse, no other tribe or culture had as many ‘Booze Gods’ as the ancient habitants of Mexico. The…
Lords of the Drinks 