Tuijon, the drink

Tuijon is in elite circles the most popular drink of Daleth. Where wine and beer and also the infamous fireberry wine are common drinks, available almost everywhere and drunk without another thought, Tuijon is a way of life.

The ingredients of the brew

Common ingredients of Tuijon are alcohol and Mynde, together with the herb that gives the brew its particular bitter taste and side effects: Aelçim.
Some brews of lesser quality contain Red Jusila, Wild Anaqil, Kemp or even Brinnóswamms. These drinks can be very dangerous; the herbs are in overdoses deadly and the alcohol is not as pure as in the normal Tuijon.
The most famous and expensive Tuijon contains several other herbs that somehow veil the deepest bitterness of the Aelçim. The recipe for this variety is a secret, only known to the owner of the “Tuijon Dreams” Inn.

The smoking

Aelçim -the main ingredient of Tuijon- can be smoked as well. Together with large amounts of mynde and a variety of other good smelling herbs it is put in a pipe and then can be smoked. It should not be inhaled, but the smoke should be taken in the mouth alone.
A ready-to-go mixture of the herbs in a paper wrapping is on sale in Glassgardens and other trendy parts of Ildritz, and known as “Tuijon Smoke”. These little tubes should be lightened with oak wood, according to legend.

The cult

Tuijon should be drunk (or smoked) relaxed, with friends, in a warm, quiet place. The Tuijon Dreams Inn in Ildritz' Glassgardens is excellent for this. Be it in the garden or in the house, the atmosphere is all right.
The strong drink, with over 50% alcohol, should be sipped from a small glass. These glasses, just enough for about six imperial sips, sometimes even smaller, are usually beautiful decorated glasses of Dernian Landisian origin.
To cover its bitter taste, there are several rituals to sweeten the drink:

The Tuijon is mixed with hot honey. The honey, mixed with alcohol in a closed glass vase, is warmed by a flame underneath it, until it becomes very liquid, sometimes even gassy while the alcohol vaporises. On top of the closed vase is an outlet for the gasses produced in the ritual - these are usually lit with a green flickering flame. Sometimes the heat from the flame is reused to heaten the honey. With a tap the liquid honey is poured in the Tuijon. Cooked, cooled down water (or even ice) follows to cool down the mix and to crystallise the honey. The combination of honey, water and Aelçim makes the drink opaque.
The Tuijon is made into a tea with many other herbs and a large amount of honey. While the tea heats on a stove, a lot of the alcohol vaporises. A special kettle is used to avoid the room from blowing up in the alcohol gasses.
The Tuijon can also be mixed with fruits. This should be done on forehand, so the fruit can give its taste to the drink and the drink can get into the fruit. After a day, the mix is done in a sieve. The liquids that come out of it can be drunk with cooked, cooled down water, and the rests in the sieve are used in cakes and cookies.
A more spectacular way to drink the Tuijon is to have a glass filled with ice cubes, a cup filled with tuijon, and a carafe filled with cold, (usually 'lec're) soured water. The tuijon is set alight a couple of seconds - but not too long. As soon as it burns, it is poured over the ice, which gives spectacular steam effects. The drink is then extinguished with soured water. This way of drinking is popular with steam engineers (and wannabees) who do not like the sweet alternatives.