Tom Pynchon’s Liquor Cabinet

Every drink in every Pynchon novel.

Gravity’s Rainbow

My edition: Viking 1973.

Gravitys_rainbow_cover

Vat 69 (and water) – p.9, 173

Banana mead – p.10

Bananas flamed in ancient brandy – p.10

Bitter – p. 14, 153, 468, 708

Punch – p. 16

Sherry – p.32

Beer watered down with your own sweat – p. 35

Montrachet – p. 59

Old-fashioned – p.63

Canadian ale – p.65

Oude genever – p. 104

Schnapps – p. 105, 365

Lafite Rothschild – p.116

Bernkastler Doktor – p.116

A gin marshmallow – p.118

Jamaican rum – p.128

Schloss Vollrads (’20/’21) – p.163

Zeltinger (’20/’21) -p.163

Piesporter (’20/’21) – p.163

Grain alcohol mixed with beef tea, grendadine, cough syrup, infusions of blue skullcap, valerian root, motherwort, and lady’s-slipper – p.169

Italian gin – p.191

French beer – p.191

Spanish bourbon – p.191

White Lightning – p.191

Brandy – p.194, 197

Something large, fizzing, opaque, and garnished with a white chrysanthemum – p.202

Veuve Clicquot Brut – p.212

Pink champagne – p.213

Épernay – p.213

Taittinger – p.213

Gentian brandy in tea – p.258

1945 Nordhausen wine – p. 281

Nordhauser Schattensaft (fictional wine – ‘shadow juice’) – p.292

Kriegsbier (‘war beer’) – p.329

Kari (brewed from potatoes, peas, and sugar) – p. 351

Christmas vodka – p. 351

Fermented mare’s milk (qumys) – p.356

Watered pink wine – p. 375

Rheingold beer – p. 381

Moselle wine – p.381

Caña/la tacuara (Sugercane spirits) – p. 383

Irish whiskey and water – p.463

Absinthe and water – p. 464, 636

Pilsener Urquelle – p.475

Brandy Alexander – p.480

Cognac – p.497

Grain alcohol – p.501

Fermented potato mash – p.528

Vodka distilled from potato peels, melon rinds, and candy bars – p. 551

“A glazed jug of some liquid brain damage flavored with dill and coriander and distilled … from oatmeal” – p.568

Canadian blends out of silver hip-flasks – p. 586

Ethanol, 75% solution – p.593

Grain alcohol and grapefruit juice – p.595

Quimporto (quinine, beef tea, and port, with a dash of Coca-Cola and a peeled onion) -p.615

1911 Hochheimer – p.652

Homebrewed sake – p.691

Watered Moselle – p.706

May wine – p.742, 743

Rye whisky – p.752

Aged bourbon – p.756