Chapter 568 The Perfect Combination!
“What’s that?”
“It looks like some sort of alcoholic beverage. I can smell the fragrance of barley; could it be barley wine? But how could barley wine be so clear and translucent?”
Everyone parted to open up a path for Yabemiya as they looked at her platter with curious expressions. Within the large transparent crystal glasses, golden liquid made up about two-thirds of its contents, while a pristine white layer of bubbles made up the rest. There were also a few ice cubes floating in the liquid in each glass.
The faint aroma of barley wine wafted through the air, and the eyes of those standing closest to Yabemiya immediately lit up. Compared to the bitter aroma of normal barley wine, the aroma of this beverage gave one a more refreshing sensation, just as if they were basking in a cool sea breeze on a hot summer’s day.
“We won,” Mag informed Yabemiya with a smile. He looked at the elated smile that blossomed on her face and pointed at the judges as he said, “Give the judges a taste of our beer.”
“Yes.” Yabemiya nodded joyfully with a wide smile on her face. She had been told to prepare five glasses of this so-called beer at the most critical juncture, and was overjoyed to receive such fantastic news upon her return. Mag had won, Mamy Restaurant’s ownership rights remained with him, and she would be able to continue working here.
Yabemiya placed a glass of beer in front of each of five judges before stepping off to the side.
The five judges had just finished their kebabs, and the same spicy flavor was wreaking havoc in their mouths. They looked at the translucent beverage placed in front of them before turning to Mag with inquisitive eyes.
Mag stepped forward and smiled as he explained, “This is beer with ice cubes. It’s the first beverage that my restaurant will be releasing in conjunction with the release of my kebabs. If you’re all done with the kebabs, you can perhaps have a taste of this beer.”
“Beer? What’s that? Why have I never heard of it?”
“I don’t know, either. Wouldn’t adding ice cubes dilute the beverage? No one would ruin a good alcoholic beverage like this.”
“Is Boss Mag planning to revolutionize the concept of alcoholic beverages in this world as well? Is he trying to drive everyone else out of business?”
Everyone discussed spiritedly among themselves as they appraised the translucent golden alcoholic beverage with curiosity in their eyes.
All of the judges were also looking at the glasses of beer. The large crystal glasses were clean and transparent; it was difficult to imagine that someone would carve such exceptional crystals into alcohol glasses. Furthermore, there were five of them at once, which seemed like an outrageous waste.
There aren’t even any pretty designs carved into the glass. It feels like the crystals really have gone to waste. Scheer glanced at the glass before her attention was drawn to the beer within. The golden beer was transparent and bright, with no impurities whatsoever. Aside from the scent of barley, there was also a peculiar fragrant aroma coming from the beer.
This was an elegant yet reserved aroma that wasn’t even close to overwhelming. Instead, it was only faintly detectable, and it wasn’t the aroma of barley, nor was it a floral aroma. It was not intrusive at all, but somehow seemed to reach directly into one’s heart. The imagery evoked was like stumbling in the forest upon a little kitten, which stuck out its head and gave a timid meow. However, right as you began to make your way toward it to hold it in your arms, it would squirm into the bushes. As you turned to leave, it would employ the same tactic by meowing after you again as if it were playing a game of hide-and-seek.
Scheer wasn’t a fan of alcoholic beverages. She would only drink the finest wines from the Buffett Family winery, from which even the Roth Empire’s royal family would order batches of wine every year for His Majesty’s consumption. Of course, the wine that she had was of a superior standard compared to the batches offered to the royal family.
However, she was somehow developing an interest in the glass of beer before her. She had never seen an alcoholic beverage with so many bubbles before. It was as if the top third of the glass had been filled with snow, upon which floated three ice cubes, creating an interesting spectacle.
After a brief hesitation, Scheer picked up the glass and took a small sip of beer. The golden beer slid down her throat, and its refreshing flavor immediately made her eyes light up. The beer was smooth and reinvigorating, but did not lack body. It was like ice water produced from melting glacial ice flowing down a snowy mountain. The scorching spicy sensation brought about by the final cube of beef on the kebab was instantly soothed. It was almost as if she could hear a sizzling sound as the figurative fire was put out, following which her soul seemingly began to rise out of her body.
The beer also carried with it a smooth bitter tang, but there was no bitter aftertaste, and the drinker was drawn into drinking another large mouthful instead.
“Phew…”
Scheer exhaled as she stuck out her pink tongue to lick the white bubbles hanging on her upper lip. She carefully savored the aftertaste of the beer in her mouth, only to find that it wasn’t very rich nor flavorful. However, it was somehow able to appeal to her more than the wines that had been stored in the cellar of her family’s winery for several centuries.
She took another larger sip of beer, and a trail of the golden liquid slowly flowed down from the corner of her lips, and then continued down her proud and regal neck. Many of the men in the crowd looked on with scorching eyes, gulping involuntarily as they took in her beauty.
Meanwhile, Febid had already thrown his head back and was chugging down his beer with glee. The beer in his glass was disappearing at a rate discernible to the naked eye, and he downed the entire glass of beer in one go. He placed the crystal glass back down onto the table, leaving only three ice cubes and a layer of bubbles behind.
“Burp-” Febid let loose a long belch, completely unaware of the fact that his carefully maintained mustache had been buried under a layer of white froth. His eyes were alight with elation as he exclaimed, “This beer is incredibly refreshing; it was made to complement this roast meat. Together, they make a perfect combination! Its texture is very smooth and refreshing, while its flavor is slightly bitter yet not astringent. It’s completely doused the scorching sensation in my mouth left behind by the kebab, and it’s left me wanting more!”
“This is indeed an exceptional alcoholic beverage. It has the fragrance of barley wine, but isn’t as bitter and astringent. The smooth bitterness lends the beer an extra dimension without leaving behind any undesired aftertaste. I feel like I could drink this forever!” The professor had also finished an entire glass of beer, and was full of glowing praise.
“I agree. I rarely ever drink at all, yet even I’m stunned by how refreshing and delicious this beer is. It’s not anywhere near as difficult to swallow as other alcoholic beverages; this is indeed a very special brew.” Robert nodded in agreement as he took another small sip of his beer.
“This beer is fantastic. Drinking it while eating kebabs would undoubtedly be an amazing experience.” Shire turned to Mag with a smile, and asked, “Boss Mag, have you thought about selling this beer in the market on its own?”
“I don’t have any plans to do that at the moment. This beer is brewed by hand, and the production quantity may not even be enough just for the customers of my restaurant alone.” Mag shook his head with a smile. With such glowing praise from the five judges, Mag had no doubt that his beer would prove to be a hit even in this world.
“I’m getting thirsty just from looking at this beer. Is it really that delicious?”
“Clearly it is. Even Young Mistress Scheer seems to really like it. The Buffett Family’s winery is one of the 10 largest wineries on the entire Norland Continent. Any alcoholic beverage that catches her fancy is sure to be quite exceptional.”
“Kebabs and beer; it’s a match made in heaven!”