Is there an official RAF "Adult Beverage"
 

Perhaps more appropriate for Jet Blast, but I've started so I'll finish. Please feel free to move.

Pretty much every squadron party, mess dinner, or general booze up I have ever seen involved the consumption of beer. The Navy has its rum of course and I also seem to recall a mixture of Bovril and sherry being very popular on cold nights in place of grog. The army seems to like spirits, David Niven talked in very fond terms of a drink called the Heart Starter when he was an officer in the infantry - a concoction which was a mixture of neat brandy and port if I remember correctly.

So from your mess nights and general debauching, and Toilet Duck notwithstanding, is there a unique cocktail or generally accepted drink of the RAF or is it simply "Beer - pilots for the use of, 50 gal".

During a no notice call-out from a tent in Southern Iraq, the Captain threw his flying suit on and exclaimed
"Instant aircrew!"
to which my retort was
"...just add Gin."

G&T is the pre-dinner drink in RAF messes AFAIK.

33 Sqn RAF: Jaegermeister.
Loyalty.

Depends.

In Malta and Cyprus it was brandy sours. In Singapore I believe Horses Neck or Singapore Sling.

In much earlier days, when pay was p^ss poor and monthly bar bills were limited, anyone that had not used their ration would buy spirits or beer and anyone who had would buy Merrydown cider which, for some reason, was not so rationed.

To quote an old colleague:
"If I drink beer I get full before I get drunk. If I drink whisky I get drunk before I get full. So I drink beer followed by whisky chasers, and get drunk and full at the same time"

My experience appears to be "What is available at the time". If the locals drink it then it can't be all bad (except for American beer of course).

Why? Because it's cold or because it's mass produced?

Because it's like making love in a canoe!

Because it has no significant taste.

American beer has come on in leaps and bounds in the last 30 years. Not the mass produced fizz, but micro breweries everywhere in the US are making and selling really good brews. You can go to chain bars like Yard House and choose from 200 draughts.

CS. I wish. Used to drink Storz but that was 50 years ago. Tried to find a local beer in Tampa and complete mission failure only 6 years ago. Key West was OK though.

This does lead us down the path that ends with Tungi on Asi. (although the St Helena gin or coffee spirits are rather good!).

I do remember convicing some students on XV(R) a few years ago that a Green Growbag was an acceptable drink, at 50/50 Blue WKD and Red Bull it's horrifically caffeinated, sweet and fizzy. Also day glow green, which I believe was its attraction as a pre-Joanna's tipple.

Most decent tipples are quite acceptable. However, I guess G&T and brown beer are staples. Champagne cocktails go down well before Summer balls.:)
Also, depending where you are in the world, vast quantities of local brews are consumed. Kokinelli goes great with a good Kebab and flaming Sambucas are well received after Decci red. I recall the Pig and Tape served a variety of bottled beers but, like the rest of Italy, it is all a bit of a haze! The variety of German beers are astounding and a dose of Ratzeputz settles the palate after grossen bier! French food demands good wines of the appropriate region, even at lunch during ADEX! I do recall actually drinking some sort of yogurt in Turkey but, that was just to settle the tum before beer. A cheeky brandy sour or two dozen does the same in Akrinelli. Champagne brunch is well thought of in Bahrain although, you may have to resort to less savoury brews in some sandy parts! That said, only the best wines of the world should be taken after refreshing beers in The UAE or Oman. Africa can be a bit of a beer session but, don't miss the chance for some really good wines if passing through Cape Town. Hotter climates often require the tanker to supply a Gin-mine on trails although this can be supplemented with a bucket of Harvey Wallbanger. A good pick-me up when further East is Tusker beer, although I tend to prefer Tsingtao with the local food. Of course, some of the superb seafood will require a fine wine but, this is not a problem to find in a decent restaurant. A Singapore-sling should be tried at Raffles but, if the peanuts dry your throat, a beer or few will sort you out before making your way to Fattys.:) Australia, a great country to try the beers, usually as a precursor to some fine tucker and stupendous wines in great quantity. It doesn't really matter where you hop-off to cross the Pacific, there is great food and drink all around but, maybe Honkers has the best choice and, you can easily get anything there. Hawaii is a great place for cocktails after beers at Waikiki and that gives you time to contemplate the vast range of drinks available in America. North American beer has improved tremendously and, you will have no problems finding speciality brew-pubs and local brews wherever you go. It is worth searching out some good food after a reasonable skin-full and you will not be disappointed. Of course, do not forget Central and South America, where great beers regularly lead you into a superb steak meal washed down with superb wines. You might leave North America for the UK from anywhere if your tanker is big enough and that gives you the chance to sample a huge variety of beer and other drinks. If you pass through Goose Bay, don't miss the chance to be screeched-in and, try some of the Moose steak while you are knocking back the beer!
Of course, I am only scratching the surface of a near 40 year career of drinking around the world here. Wherever you are, try the local brew!:ok:

OAP

Onceapilot - excellent post, almost had me reaching for my passport but I suggest staying off the Brazilian meat for the time being ;-)

A lot of variety in there including champagne :oh: (now wonders about starting a "pay" thread) but it seems that Mother's Ruin and Indian Tonic Water may well be the official drink. I would not have guessed that.

Personally I can't stand gin, vodka and tonic is a different story, and one of these days I'll pluck up enough courage to try one of Niven's Heart Starters.

RAF & Adult in the same sentence just worries me.

In the early 1970s, RNAS Culdrose had a visit from the importer of Galliano when Harvey Wallbangers became the wardroom best seller after a few carrier visits to the East Coast. Apparently some 60-70% of the UK consumption was through our bar.

On the comments by onceapilot, UnZud now has some magnificent boutique breweries with truly magic beers. Worth a visit just for the pub crawls.

Fonsini, G&T is of course mainly taken for its medical properties with respect to Tropical diseases. However, it is also a quite loyal friend and often provides that extra pick-me-up after a gallon of beer. Flexible too, you can drink short or long and, many a bottle can be enjoyed when attempting to decide if it is better with a slice of lime or lemon? A fine setting for G&T used to be the Mess bars at ASI. Double measures were required to make it worth charging for and the convivial warm evenings were enhanced by an ocean of Gin, while waiting to watch the MIRV re-entry and entertaining the ladies.:) Worth trying!

OAP

Onceapilot wrote: Perhaps NOT in Saudi Arabia though. In GW1, 'Moussy' or 'Black Swan' alcohol-free lagers were about the best legally available pseudo-beers...

However, in earlier times, the vilest I encountered was something concocted by the BWoS folk who minded the RSAF Lightnings at Tabuk. This was Kaliber alcohol-free beer mixed with illicit 'Jeddah gin' (made from oranges, lemons, potatoes, sugar, yeast and water) plus some gravy browning for colour.

I wasn't tempted to try it, but those who did said it had a kick like a mule, but tasted like something the mule itself had probably passed!

However, on a recent trip to the Reich, I was served the non-alcoholic version of Paulaner Hefe-Weißbier by mistake. It was actually very good!

BEagle. Ref non-alcoholic. Back in the seventies Barbican and Kaliber made an entry into the non-alcoholic beer world. Dreadful is the word I'm looking for. However, having been teetotal since '05, I have to say that there are a lot of very good alcohol-free beers out there now. It's just a shame that I miss out on all the craft beers that have arisen in the UK in the last ten years or so.

I posted this 4 years ago:
http://www.pprune.org/military-aviat...on#post7827614