The Dark Brew
Dark Brew is an energizing hot drink with dark texture and bitte-sweet earthy taste. It is extremely popular across the Empire, and sometimes is called the #1 household item.
The rise of Ormola
Since 500 AE almost no adult on Limmean continent of Pangea could begin their day without a steaming cup of Ormola. Ormola was made from the Limmean native root called Oorja Mool. Modern studies show that Oorja Mool has high concentration of chemicals that are similar to caffeine, essential vitamins and weak amphetamines. Ormola was prepared by grinding the sundried Oorja Mool root into fine powder and cooking it slowly to become a viscous paste. This paste was later dried and broken into small inch-long pieces. Each piece could be dissolved in a cup of hot water and this way become a daily dose of steamy Ormola drink.
During the Unification Wars of Limmea, between 701-715 AE, the conquering armada of Unmesh Khan was followed by a smaller fleet of trader ships that were eager to take advantage of the newly opened markets. This way, habit to drink Ormola was spread across the whole planet together with economical and military influence of the Pangean Great Oligarchy.
Interstellar Complications
As the Empire of Limmea was rapidly colonizing neighboring star systems in 940:s AE, it was also introducing Ormola to all these human worlds. As off-world sales were rising, the unfortunate truth has surfaced – Oorja Mool was impossible to cultivate on other worlds then Limmea. Also, means for accelerated growth were making Limmean roots sick and weakened subsequent generations of the plant. When news about this disaster reached the court, by the Imperial Decree, any exports of Ormola from Limmea were banned under fear of death. It became a huge shock for billions of imperial citizens who lived off-world and saw a cup of Ormola as an inseparable part of their daily routine. This decree did also upset the Nobles that were profiting from the exports, but the Imperial Monarch Alexander Khan was not open for any negotiations.
Emergence of the Dark Brew
As billions of people were waiting for a solution for Ormola-crysis to emerge, a young Zirkonian entrepreneur got an idea – if one could not cultivate Oorja Mool away from Limmea, maybe it was still possible to artificially synthesize Ormola based on the chemical makeup of the original drink? Unfortunately, the original Ormola was not accessible for testing anymore outside the Limmea. So the young man had to bet all his life savings and his livelihood in order to drive a smuggling operation, and retrieve a single package of original Ormola from the stronghold of the Imperial rule.
Finally, when the chemical makeup of Ormola was decoded, the first prototype compound of the Dark Brew was successfully mixed. It was created out of multiple roots that were growing on Zirkon and enhanced by synthetic chemicals in order to regulate its potency and taste. Unfortunately, the entrepreneur was murdered by his partner, and all his property got confiscated by the Imperial Militia. As news of the murder and the project of replacing Ormola began to spread, some high ranking Nobles acquired the confiscated equipment and used their immense resources to perfect the formula for the Dark Brew.
The #1 Hot Drink of the Empire
By the year 951 AE all colonies of the Empire were hooked on the Dark Brew even harder then they were on Ormola in the first place. The hot drink was extremely cheap and easy to produce, and one Noble family could monopolize the market and comfortably control its prices.
Dark Brew Today
In 1070:s AE the Dark Brew is still the most affordable and popular hot drink across the Empire. The amount of psychoactive agents in it have been regulated through the decades, so current version of the Dark Brew is the least potent and most healthy one that have ever existed. The Dark Brew today does also sometimes rival the original Ormola even in Limmean households. Over a century of embargo, Ormola became a gourmet drink of the elites, meanwhile the Dark Brew maintains a familiar taste that is known and appreciated by Imperials since their early childhood.
Dark Brew is usually sold as powder, densely packed in square 1 kg boxes. It is prepared by putting one spoon of the powder inside a cup and covering it with the boiling water. The powder dissolves in a matter of seconds and the cup becomes filled with steamy Dark Brew. Some people also prefer to cook the Dark Brew on a stove for few minutes, others like to mix it with milk and sugar… Currently there are thousands of ways to consume this magnificent drink – a true symbol of Imperial entrepreneurship and unity.
Sources:
Imperial Informatorium
