Game of Thrones knows their audience, and their audience likes nudity, violence… and alcohol. The series is full of heavy drinking, especially when it comes to fan favorite Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage), who is famous for his ability to knock a few (dozen) back and still survive longer than most of the other characters. HBO plays into this, regularly releasing official beer and wine options for the show, including ‘Take The Black Stout’, ‘The Three Eyed Raven’, ‘Valar Morghulis’ ‘Iron Throne’ and three wines to be released this spring.
Now, a new brew has been announced to coincide with the upcoming seventh season of the hit fantasy show, called ‘Bend The Knee Golden Ale’.
The beer will be made by Ommegang brewery, and is due to be released around the end of May; no specific release date has been announced. Three different bottle designs have been revealed for the brew, each one displaying the house crest of one of the major families in Game Of Thrones: Targaryen, Stark, and Lannister. Doug Campbell, the president of Ommegang describes the beer as “fit for a king… or queen”.
Drawing from a rich Belgian brewing tradition, Golden Strong Ales are deceptive due to their unique combination of extreme drinkability and relatively high alcohol content. Bend the Knee walks that line, while also incorporating the delicate flavors of honey into the mix. The subtle noble and floral hop contribution adds to its delicateness, and the beer finishes smooth and dry.
Ommegang is the same brewery who collaborated with HBO on the previous beers for the show, meaning that we will (presumably) be treated to the same kind of backstory for ‘Bend The Knee’ that we can read for the existing offerings. Ommegang’s approach to describing these beers is informative but very lighthearted, referencing the series and the characters as well as the actual flavor and type of beer. The release in late spring will come just ahead of the return of the series itself. We do not currently have a date for the premiere, although leaked reports last year suggested that it would launch at the beginning of June.
We love seeing Game of Thrones collaborating with breweries and vineyards to create these fantastic beverages – and it’s certainly worth trying a bottle when the show comes back to HBO this summer. Past beers have been unique and delicious (for those fans who enjoy beer), and now that there is also a wine option in the offing, there’s an alcohol for everyone who partakes! While the labels are slightly less detailed than those of previous beers, fans who enjoy collections will certainly want to pick up at least one of each.
Of course, this is only a fun promotional beverage, and some cynics are sure to say that it is just another way for HBO to make money from its fans. Neither the label designs nor the descriptions provide any hint about what will be happening in season 7 of the show (although it’s clearly a reference to kings and queens demanding fealty), but we wouldn’t really expect them to. For fans who aren’t that excited about alcohol or merchandising, these beers aren’t going to be anything special – but we’ll probably be sampling a few come June!
Next: Game of Thrones Season 7: Emilia Clarke Wraps Filming
Game of Thrones season 7 premieres on HBO summer 2017.
