@TheEdVerse in the Realms are bottled milk and beer served in ten packs due to the ten day?
— Dave Clark (@bedirthan) May 20, 2020
1)
No. ;}
Milk and beer are transported by the cask (big) or keg (the “barrel” you’re used to) or handkeg (small, rope handles both ends or in a net around it, for easy handling), and only poured out of these into flasks for serving. Some large city establishments. 2)
…(large inns, big taverns, clubs, guildhalls) have tuns (GIANT casks, that never move, rest in cradles, and have spigots) in their cellars that are filled from incoming casks.
Milk and beer are usually poured out of such storage containers into glass flasks or…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) May 20, 2020
3)
…stoppered decanters only for serving. Only the high-volume establishments listed above would bottle them, and it’s a matter of funnel-pouring into bottles (the funnel being topped up before uncapping, and pre-sized to hold a “bottle-full”), then the filled. 4)
…bottles corked and either chilled or later serving, or taken straight to table, depending on what liquid's inside and how particular patrons prefer the temperature of their quaff.#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) May 20, 2020
5)
Some places (like a real-world British off-license, back in the day) may fill a jug or ewer brought by patrons to a side-window, and a few will sell a bottle of beer (not expecting to ever get the bottle back, so priced accordingly), but no one sells “packs” of 6)
…beer, cider, or anything else. Many places sell a handkeg of ale (ranging from about 8 US gallons, so a very rough equivalent to half of a modern real-world "pony keg" or "quarter barrel," up to a whole one) and the cost is typically 1 gp (2 sp for the keg, …#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) May 20, 2020
7)
…so refunded upon return).
Which doesn't mean your characters couldn't start a fad of assembling and selling packs…which just might catch on!#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) May 20, 2020
Most taverns and eateries have an ice-cellar. (Lots of blocks of ice. Purchased from ice-sellers. In summer, Auril clergy make LOTS of coin selling ice they've made.)#Realmslore
— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) May 21, 2020
This got me thinking as I’m from the #pnw. 😁 What about #growlers for the refined local noble or others with the appropriate cellars/icecaves? I could envision this in some of the #Realms larger cities. #Realmslore #DnD #taverns In the Realms, handkegs stand in for the far more breakable growlers (which we have across Canada, too; nigh all craft breweries use them, as does any buyer wanting more than "a beer" to serve to friends). FR nobles gets their own full-keg delivery (servants decant).#Realmslore
— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) May 21, 2020