Pop Culture Pub Crawl: Wolverine

The Pop Culture Pub Crawl is a series that focuses on the drinking habits of a superhero and describes their ideal version of a night out. When it comes to putting away a large amount of alcohol, Wolverine has one of the most impressive track records in the Marvel Universe. His healing factor makes it difficult for him to get drunk, so it makes sense for Wolverine to be able to handle his booze. It’s why his night out would include a range of potent beverages that reflect his cultural tastes.

Budweiser

Volume: 5%

Taste: Fizzy

To start off his night, Wolverine would find a quiet, low-key bar where he could drink alone. His first beer of choice would be an American classic like Budweiser. The beer goes down well and has a smooth taste. It’s brewed using a mixture of barley malt, rice, hops, yeast and baking soda, which has been described as making Budweiser taste like beer-flavoured water. I could see Logan being able to drink the equivalent of a full crate of Budweiser within an hour or two.

Molson

Volume: 5%

Taste: Crisp

In between Buds, Logan would mix it up with a few bottles of Molson. The Canadian brand has a history that dates back to 1786, with the brewery being founded in Montreal. Molson beer has a crisp, clean flavour that would appeal to Wolverine’s enhanced taste buds.

Kirin

Volume: 5%

Taste: Smooth and rich

Wolverine has a strong connection to Japan, so it goes without saying that he’d enjoy Japanese alcohol. He’d knock back a few bottles of Kirin Ichiban and soak up the rich flavour. Kirin is one of Japan’s most popular beers and has a unique brewing method.

The drink is blended in the Japanese ichiban shibori style, which means First Press process. This involves brewing beer in its purest form from a single ingredient. When wort is extracted from the mashing process, the Kirin brewery only blends the first press. Other breweries tend to blend the first and second press of wort.

Absinthe

Volume: 45 – 74%

Taste: Herbal

After working his way through several beers, Wolverine would want to move onto the harder stuff. It doesn’t get much stronger than a couple of shots of absinthe. The spirit has a reputation for being banned because of its alcoholic content and supposed hallucinogenic properties. There has been no evidence to support this claim. The belief that absinthe is hallucinogenic stems from experiments carried out by the French psychiatrist Valentin Magnan in the 19th century. Magnan experimented with wormwood oil and claimed absinthe was worse than other alcoholic drinks.

The spirit is brewed from the leaves of grand wormwood, anise and fennel, giving absinthe a licorice taste. Distilled absinthe is a popular choice in bars, but I’d see Wolverine wanting the pure variety to give his healing factor a good kicking.

Hibiki Whisky

Volume: 43%

Taste: Sweet and spicy

At a certain point in the night, Wolverine would be feeling nostalgic about his time in Japan. He’d find a Japanese themed bar and choose a top shelf liquor like Hibiki whisky. The whisky has a beautiful mix of flavours that include apricots, orange blossoms, marmalade and cinnamon. With his superhuman senses, I’d picture Logan scenting the aroma of the liquor. It’d bring back memories of cherry blossoms, golden fields and the lights of Tokyo. He’d sip each glass slowly, letting the taste unfurl on his tongue and revel in the subtle hints of spiciness that Hibiki whisky provides.

Futsushu Sake

Volume: 15%

Taste: Meaty

Having drank enough to test the limits of his healing factor, Wolverine would feel it was time to drink and socialize. He’d call some of his closest friends like Nightcrawler and Angel and share sake with them. Traditionally, sake is shared among company in small cups called choko. Wolverine’s sake of choice would be a warmed up futsushu sake that contained essences of plum and floral extract.

The futsushu variety can be considered the ‘regular’ type of sake and Logan would choose it in order to introduce his friends to a simplistic blend. As the taste of sake is affected by the material of the choko, Wolverine would have the alcohol served in ceramic cups to bring out the futsushu’s savoury qualities. I’d also see him pairing the sake with bar snacks such as BBQ ribs or yakitori. The potency of the futsushu would mix with the food to create an extra layer of flavour.

Drinking the sake would remind Wolverine of women he’d loved, like Mariko Yashida and Yukio. Both women are a physical representation of his love for Japan, manifested through the ritual of sake drinking. Logan would toast his companions and remember the good things in front of him.