View source for Turbot's Really Odd (real ale)

A beverage much favoured by Archchancellor [[Ridcully]]. Served at [[the Mended Drum]] amongst other Ankhian [[pubs]].

Given the general state of the river [[Ankh (river)|Ankh]], any casual student of Roundworld history might reflect that [[Ankh-Morpork]] is at a stage in its history where, for example, Paris, France was  at the time of its Revolution. With no knowledge of germs or [[walruses]], the water used for baking bread (and Marie Antoinette's cakes) was drawn directly from the Seine, a river that also functioned as sewer, dump, and occasional cemetery. While people still ate the bread (and cakes), they were also aware of a causal link between Seine water and debilitating diseases such as cholera. Therefore wine and beer were the preferred beverages - not from choice but necessity, for as we now know, the alcohol content acted as a crude purifying agent and kept disease at bay. An example of this is during the 
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1854_Broad_Street_cholera_outbreak Golden Square/Broad Street] Cholera Outbreak, when it was noted that practically the only people in the area not suffering Cholera were the brewery workers, who had ready access to beer.

This would have been the case for most of European history in most towns and cities up until the late nineteenth century. It is therefore a sobering point to reflect on how many important decisions were taken by leaders of government who would have been more than slightly drunk by dinnertime... Ridcully, however, appears to thrive on his diet of beer with everything and has not taken any noticeably erratic decisions during his tenure as [[Archchancellor]]. Lord [[Vetinari]] considers a glass of water to be a sufficiency, but it has been pointed out that he has it boiled.

[[Category: Food and drink]]