The first episode of Season 8 of Game of Thrones premiered on April 15. And it has set the stage for what promises to be a chilling season. What better way to keep one's spirits high than GoT-themed drinks. Fair warning though: tracking down these is going to be a challenge for the most passionate collector.
GOT SINGLE MALT COLLECTION ($29.99 TO $64.99)
HBO's collaboration with Diageo has eight single-malt Scotch whiskies—one for each of the seven major houses in the show, and one for the Night's Watch. Made at eight diverse Diageo distilleries, each has unique characteristics that explain its pairing with the house.
The Oban Bay Reserve for the Night's Watch (43%), for example, is from the Oban distillery located beneath a cliff overlooking the bay (reminiscent of Castle Black). The packaging is all black and it comes with a vow at the back of the bottle.
ROYAL RESERVE COLLECTION ($12.99 EACH)
A series of four limited release beer by Brewery Ommegang and HBO, each designed and brewed as a homage to a GoT character. The first, Hand of the Queen (10.7%), is a barleywine brewed for Tyrion Lannister, launched in April 2018.
The other three are Queen of the Seven Kingdoms (6.5%), a blend of Belgian sour and blonde ales for Cersei Lannister; Mother of Dragons (6.5%), a blend of smoked porter and a Belgian Kriek for Daenerys Targaryen; and King in the North (12%), a barrel-aged imperial stout for Jon Snow.
GOT WINES ($19.99 TO $49.99)
Vintage Wine Estates released four wines till June 2018. The signature wine in the series is the Game of Thrones Cabernet Sauvignon, released in March 2017. It is also priced $20 more than the other three wines in the series.
WHITE WALKER ($36)
The blended Scotch (41.7%) is Johnnie Walker's tribute to the iconic series. The brand, also owned by Diageo, has chosen to go with the shows 'supervillians', the White Walkers. But that can be forgiven given the ingenuity of the bottle's design.
The white bottle has to be refrigerated and when it is cold enough, the words “Winter is Coming”appear on the bottle. The aroma is a blend of dried apricots, vanilla, toffee and ginger and the flavours that hit you are berries, cinnamon and almonds.