Romulan Ale

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In the fictional Star Trek universe, Romulan Ale is a blue ale produced by the Romulan people.

Romulan ale is a particularly strong alcoholic beverage. It is either nearly or just as strong as certain Klingon beverages. Those who drink Romulan ale for the first time are advised about the strength of that beverage. According to the Star Trek Cookbook, the Romulan ale used for shooting was actually blue Gatorade.

[edit] Legality

For many years, Romulan ale had been illegal in the Federation. How rigorously the laws were enforced is a matter of debate. Many Starfleet officers and Federation civilians continued to drink the ale despite its forbidden status due to ships smuggling ale across the Romulan Neutral Zone.

When the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-A) initially met with the Klingons before the First Khitomer Accords, the ship had been carrying a supply of Romulan ale. The ale was used during a banquet between Chancellor Gorkon's staff and the Enterprise command crew. It had the effect of loosening the inhibitions of those at the dinner, and the dinner nearly degenerated into a full blown argument. As a result, Captain Kirk advised the galley that Romulan ale was to no longer be served at diplomatic functions. The illegality of carrying the ale aboard a Starfleet ship was later used to attack Kirk's credibility during his Klingon show trial. In contrast, Romulan ale was served to Federation and Romulan representatives during a diplomatic function on board the USS Bellerophon in 2375. Some Starfleet officers, such as Admiral William Ross, had never drunk Romulan ale until this occasion.

During the Dominion War, the Romulan Star Empire was allied with the Federation and the Klingons. During the war, the two powers began making serious moves towards peace. The embargo against Romulan products was dropped and as a result, Romulan ale was a legal beverage for the first time in many years. However, after the war, the embargo was reinstated sometime before 2379.

[edit] Real-World Beverages

In an homage to the fictional Romulan ale, there are multiple real-world drinks known as "Romulan ale" - all of these are blue.

The only manufactured "Romulan ale" is a beer sold only in the gift shop at Star Trek: The Experience in Las Vegas. It is produced by Cerveceria La Costancia, a brewery in El Salvador that has the exclusive license from Paramount for this product. The beer is deep blue in color and stains the teeth and tongue of those who drink it.
Multiple recipes exist for homemade "Romulan ale" drinks, which are considerably more alcoholic than the manufactured beer. One recipe calls for 1½oz white rum, 1oz Blue Curacao, lemon-lime soda (such as Sprite or 7-Up), and 6 drops of Tabasco sauce. Another recipe calls for one part Bacardi 151 rum, one part Everclear, and one part Blue Curacao.