- New York-based Brewery Ommegang makes "Game of Thrones"-themed beer.
- The beers include the "Iron Throne," a smooth golden ale inspired by the Lannister wearers of the crown and the "Fire and Blood," a spicier red ale based on House Targaryen's words and Daenerys' dragons.
- The beers sell for approximately $10 a bottle.
The following is an adapted excerpt from "100 Things Game of Thrones Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die" by Rowan Kaiser:
"It's not easy being drunk all the time. Everyone would do it if it were easy."—Tyrion Lannister
If you're a beer drinker and a "Game of Thrones" fan, it's worth taking a look at the Thrones-inspired offerings from New York-based Brewery Ommegang, who, since 2013, have been releasing officially licensed, limited-edition "Game of Thrones" brews with names like "Iron Throne" and "Valar Morghulis."
Ommegang does Belgian-style ale, which tends to be light and smooth but with complex flavors. (Chimay or Fin du Monde are decent comparison points—there really isn't a mass-produced beer that comes close, although Samuel Adams has similar lightness and complexity, but it's a lager, not an ale.)
Seven different types have been released as of this writing, at a rough pace of two new models per year. Those seven are:
Iron Throne, a smooth golden ale inspired by the Lannister wearers of the crown.
Take the Black Stout, a smooth, malty dark beer obviously inspired by the Night's Watch.
Fire and Blood, a spicier red ale based on House Targaryen's words and Daenerys' dragons.
Valar Morghulis, a light dubbel ale with a spicy little kick in the aftertaste inspired by Arya's quest for revenge (and easily my favorite of the five I tried).
Three-Eyed Raven, an interesting combination of a dark ale and a pale, fruity saison, built on Bran Stark's quest.
Seven Kingdoms, a hoppy and fruity light ale.
Valar Dohaeris, another complex light ale inspired by Arya's quests.
As Ommegang has continued with this project, their beers have become more complex, experimental, and thematically intertwined with the show (and, having had the first five, they've become better over that time as well, with Iron Throne and Take the Black being good but nothing special, while Valar Morhulis and Three-Eyed Raven had tastes I hadn't really encountered before).
It's pretty easy to scoff at corporate tie-ins for "Game of Thrones"— as one of the most popular franchises in the world, everyone wants a piece of the action. But Brewery Ommegang shows how to do this kind of tie-in right: a company that wants to flex its creative muscles in association with a show they clearly love, and a final product with a quality that matches "Game of Thrones"' production values.
If you want to find one of Brewery Ommegang's "Thrones"-inspired beers, they're not the cheapest things in the world—recommended $10 price tag for a 750ml bottle. They also tend to be only at specialty liquor stores, so it's worth checking out their website (ommegang.com) to see where they've been delivered.
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