Alcohol
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- "What say we find a bottle of something borderline toxic, go somewhere private, and then... Y'know... Share our woes."
"You're drunk." - ―Deena Shan and Luke Skywalker
Alcohol, sometimes referred to as fire-water[1] or booze,[2][3][4] referred to a number of beverages that contained ethanol[5] and octane,[6] and had mind-altering effects on many organic species[5] while in a person's bloodstream.[7] It was viewed as a mild poison.[8] Some types of alcohol would catch fire if an ignition source was applied to it.[9][10][11] Operating a vehicle or vessel while under the influence of alcohol was considered very ill-advised.[12][13]
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Production
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The vast majority of alcoholic beverages came from plants.[14] The beverages were made through processes of distillation[1][15][16][17][18][19][20] (like liquor),[15][20] brewing[1][16][21][18] and/or fermentation[22][21][23][18][1][24] (like wine),[22] and were brewed from grain,[25] corn,[1] wheat,[1] fruit,[1] berries,[1] plants[1] and trees[1]; there was even a drink brewed from solid rock (with the help of powerful bacteria and an unusual planetary atmosphere)[1]. Endrolian ground-apple juice wasn't supposed to be alcoholic, but would often ferment during storage.[1] Some types of alcohol were kept in special wooden aging casks over time, until the right quality was achieved.[26] A distillery was a factory where strong alcoholic beverages, like liquor, were made through distillation.[15] A brewery was a dedicated building for the making of ale.[27] A winery was a building or property that produced wine.[28]
Types of alcoholEdit
- "Barkeep! Get me something tall, frothy and life-threatening!"
- ―Marn Hierogryph, in a Telerath cantina
Alcoholic beverages included:
- Beer - both generic and brand-named[18]
- Brandy - both generic and brand-named[18]
- Champagne[29]
- Cider[1]
- Claret[30]
- Cognac[31]
- Grog[32].
- Liqueur[33]
- Liquor - both generic and brand-named;[18] rather expensive, and classified as a luxury good[3]
- Malt - both generic and brand-named[18]
- Mead[34]
- Rum - both generic and brand-named[18]
- Whiskey[5]
- Wine - both generic and brand-named[18]
A distinction was made between beer (which included fortified beers, lagers and ciders) and stronger alcoholic beverages (like wine and liquor), which were referred to as spirits.[1]
Cultural significanceEdit
- "Where are you going, Master?"
"For a drink." - ―Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Outlander Club
Virtually every inhabited planet in the galaxy produced intoxicating drinks of some kind,[1] though on repressive or highly religious worlds, alcohol may be available only through the black market.[3] Alcoholic drink could be made at home,[35] or bought in special alcohol stores[20] or intoxication retailers[36].
Corellians, in particular, were hard drinkers, as evidenced by a plethora of types of alcohol and mixed drinks. However, the average Corellian didn't seem easily impaired by alcohol; some believed Corellians were extremely adept at holding their liquor, whereas others guessed that they only produced and sold the alcohol to other planets, consuming only moderate amounts themselves. Some people even believed that Corellia wanted to get the entire galaxy drunk and then rob it blind.[37]
Methyl alcohol was the drink of choice for Chadra-Fans, just like water was to Humans.[38]
Mus was a name given to female Zabraks, and meant "wine". The name originally referred to any strong alcohol that was used to cleanse wounds.[39]
Economic significanceEdit
Merisee,[40]Corellia,[37][41] Kuat[37] and Sacorria[37] were major exporters of alcohol, whereas wine was one of the major exports of Alderaan[37][41] and Glova [42]. Seikosha was a major exporter of liquor.[42]
On many worlds, the tariffs on alcohol were high, and alcohol smuggling was not uncommon.[43]
RestrictionsEdit
Many planets in the galaxy had prescribed a legal drinking age which prohibited the consumption of alcohol by minors. For example, there were many planets where a 16 year old Human could not legally vote or drink.[44]
In the city Mos Espa on Tatooine during the Rise of the Empire era, operating heavy equipment while under the influence of alcohol was a Class Three Infraction. The penalty for a Class Three Infraction was a fine of 10-1,000 truguts, depending on the severity of the crime.[45]
Although the Jedi Lord Valenthyne Farfalla was known to enjoy fine wine circa 1000 BBY,[46] alcohol was not recommended for Jedi by the time of the Clone Wars.[47]
Other usesEdit
Alcohol was a disinfectant.[48] Certain alcohols, such as ethyl alcohol, could be used as a cleaning solution,[49] and some types of strong alcohol were used to cleanse wounds.[39] There were even some types of alcohol, like tihaar, that could be used to degrease engine parts.[17]
EffectsEdit
Short-term effectsEdit
- "You're hanging out at Chal's drinking yourself under a table?"
"I'm relash- relaxing." - ―Dash Rendar and Han Solo
The process of becoming intoxicated would depend on the alcohol content of the drink and the drinker's body mass.[50]
It was possible to overdose on alcohol;[50] a notable exception was a type of liquor called lum, which, while alcoholic, was impossible to overdose on.[51]
Slower reaction time[52]
Lowered inhibitions; impaired judgment
Rebel Alliance member Deena Shan admitted that she often made a pass on men when drunk.[53]
Architect Teela Kaarz became willing to go along with what anyone wanted just for the fun of it when drunk, which had gotten her into trouble more than once.[18]
After the Battle of Yavin, Rebel Alliance member Jal Te Gniev was sought out by the young Dubravan Bobek, who requested to join the Alliance. Gniev, drunk, blindfolded Bobek and had him walk into a trap door in the boardwalk, falling into the swampy water below.[54]
Impaired memory and comprehension
Once, Han Solo was drunk and got lost.[55]
To get aboard a Hrakian starship, the droids C-3PO and R2-D2 once pretended that the Hrakian Branox was their owner. Branox was so drunk he never really figured out what was going on.[56]
In 137 ABY, when Pilot Bushman Krentz was passing through Mos Eisley one night, he was so drunk that he couldn't remember where he parked his ship.[57]
Increased self-confidence and courage
Chadra-Fan pick-pocket Kabe felt twice as quickly and twice as cleverly with a little juri juice in her.[58]
Violence and aggression
The cortosis miner Hurst often beat his son, Dessel, while intoxicated.[59]
During the period of time where Nightsister Ros Lai was using a Force Illusion to disguise herself as a hideously deformed old hag, she was constantly ridiculed by her felllow tribe members, which turned to outright bullying when they were drunk.[60]
In 0 ABY, in Chalmun's Spaceport Cantina, a drunken Ponda Baba picked a fight with Luke Skywalker. Luckily for Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi stepped in, resulting in Baba getting his arm cut off by by Kenobi's lightsaber.[2]
Sexual violence
Once, when Warlug and Tornik, two of the guards in Jabba's Palace, got drunk, they attempted to rape Jabba's dancer Yarna d'al' Gargan.[61]
Weakened motor skills[62]
This could lead to unsteadiness and a staggering gait and movements.[51][63][64] Rebel Alliance member Fulkrehm Protial would use this to his advantage: His own motor skills were irreparably damaged, and matched the intoxication-hampered movements of drunk people. He became an information collector for the alliance, by spending his evenings in seedy drinking establishments in the Kriz sector, listening to the conversations around him, while the patrons dismissed him as drunk.[62]
Becoming overly talkative
According to Rebel Alliance General Airen Cracken, drunks were extremely undependable informations sources; a being who is intoxicated is as likely to betray you as to provide useful information.[62]
Theed Palace Guard Theomet Danlé once turned to drink while feeling bitter, voicing his venomous alcohol-fueled complaints in a crowded bar.[65]
After the Rebel Alliance's victory on Kalist VI, Deena Shan got drunk and babbled on about her sorrows; her father's disappointment with her, and being torn by her feelings for Imperial Captain Kale Roshuir and her loyalty to the Rebellion.[66]
The combination of lowered inhibitions, impaired judgment and being more talkative than usual made it harder for a person to keep a secret. The Rebel Jal Te Gniev, having found his was to a Dubrava cantina and its intoxicating drinks, ended up revealing the name of the pilot who destroyed the Death Star (Luke Skywalker).[54]
The Devaronian spy and Information broker Labria was often very drunk, but would sometimes fake drunkenesss to wheedle information others at the bar.[67][68]
Fuzz-headedness[18]
Inertia[18]
Sleepiness
This could result in a person oversleeping.[16] The Mandalorian mercenary Kal Skirata had a glass of tihaar each night to help him fall asleep.[69]
Unconsciousness
Large amounts of alcohol could make a person pass out.[51][64] This happened often when Kabe had too much juri juice,[68] resulting in her adopted father, Muftak, having to carry her home.[58]
In some types of drinking competions, the last participant to remain conscious became the winner.[51][64] One such drinking game was lumguzzling.[51]
Hangover
Several hours after being drunk (usually the day after) the drinker could suffer a hangover,[70][71][72] this would cause headaches,[73][71] sickness and other not so nice symptoms[73]. Revan suffered a hangover the morning after his marriage to Bastila Shan because he got drunk after the wedding.[72]
After escaping Bespin Rahm Kota showed signs of suffering from a hangover, he stated to Galen Marek that he "started to wish that I had" after Marek remarked he was starting to worry that Kota had died in his sleep.[74]
Dulling of the senses[75]
Long-term effectsEdit
- "Vease, sir, smav drink? Vickerman, vickerman?"
- ―A desperate Mimbanite alcoholic
The liver was one of the primary organs for processing alcohol,[76] and heavy doses of alcoholic substances could damage it.[7]
Many beings, such as the Gran Ree-Yees[61] and the Mimbanite of Mimban,[70] were addicted to alcoholic beverages. Others resorted to alcohol to drown their sorrows. Notable examples includes former lockbreaker Baco Par,[77], Han Solo after the death of his friend and partner Chewbacca,[78][79], and the Rebel Alliance operative Margo "Pepper" Flarestream. The latter was haunted by feelings of guilt and shame over the loss of many of her fellow Rebels, and frequented the local bars in an attempt to escape the ghosts of her past.[62]
Species significanceEdit
- "Oh, I get it. So you can't get drunk."
"Oh, we still can, and do. Just takes an awful lot." - ―An unnamed Human discusses Devaronian physiology with Madhi Vaandt
Some species reacted differently to alcohol than others. Alcohol had an unusual effect on Tofs; it augmented their strength and stamina and sharpened their mental focus, at the cost of speed and reaction time. Most Tof warriors were drunk on the battlefield.[52] The Zelosians couldn't get drunk on alcohol, but exhibited intoxication when they ingested sugar.[14][80] Devaronians had a second liver, so therefore it took copious amounts of alcohol to get a Devaronian drunk.[64] The Zeltrons also had two livers, which allowed them to enjoy a larger number of alcoholic beverages than other humanoids.[6] Yuzzem had extremely long hangovers,[70] and alcohol would often provoke a depressed mood in Gands.[81]
Force-sensitivesEdit
Alcohol, like drugs, would blur a Force-sensitive's connection to the Force.[82] However, a Force-sensitive person was also able to use the Force to detoxify their body. This power made them able to remain sober while drinking large quantities of alcohol.[8] A Force-user could also use a type of Force flow to make sure that the alcohol they consumed did not impede their senses.[83]
DroidsEdit
- "I-Five is drunk?"
"I've been watching him for hours, and believe me, he's soused. If that's the proper term for a droid."
"From a program."
"Yeah."
"Which he wrote."
"Right." - ―Jos Vondar and Den Dhur, while watching I-Five
Droids couldn't get drunk on alcohol, as they had no metabolism to process ethanol. However, some droids be programmed to behave as if they were drunk. This was the case with the 5YQ-series protocol droid I-Five, who was able to program himself that way - which resulted in him getting his arm ripped off after provoking a Wookiee who was a sore loser.[5]
AnimalsEdit
Animals were also able to experience intoxication. The ootak on Vinsoth was a primate known for searching out fermented fruit and proceeding to gorge until intoxicated.[64]
AppearancesEdit
Titles set in bold indicate that the word alcohol is mentioned
SourcesEdit
Notes and referencesEdit
External linksEdit
- Alcoholic beverage on Wikipedia
- "The Star Wars Cantina: Getting Hammered In A Galaxy Far, Far Away" – "Only Sith Deal In Absolutes!," Abel G. Peña's StarWars.com Blog (content now obsolete; backup link on Archive.org)
- Alcohol on SWG Wiki
