Skip to main content

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

Party Like a Lannister for the Game of Thrones Season 7 Premiere

Game-of-Thrones
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Winter is here, y’all, and it’s time to strap in. With the premiere of Game of Thrones Season 7 today, we thought it would be smart to take some time to reflect on just how to prepare for what’s to come. Below, you’ll find the potions fit for kings, what to drink them out of, what to cook, and what you can use to make sure your beard looks its regal best. You might not be King of the North, but at least you’ll feel like one.

Mead

The Kings Mead Game of Thrones
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Any Medieval celebration needs mead. Made, on the most basic level, from honey and water, mead is the perfect drink for any kind of party. Never had mead before? Hidden Legend Winery’s award-winning meads are a great starting (and ending) point. From their Pure Honey

From their King’s Mead to their Huckleberry Mead, there is a flavor for every palate.

Ale

Game of Thrones Ale Knee All
Image used with permission by copyright holder

This is a Medieval celebration, so one type of alcohol, frankly, isn’t going to cut it. Only having one tipple is like saying Joffrey was a good king. For any die-hard GOT fans out there, you’ve probably already tried these, but if you haven’t, you’d be wise to check out Brewery Ommegang’s special Game of Thrones series of beers. The latest, Bend the Knee, is a golden ale that “pays homage to the struggle to control the Seven Kingdoms.” For the extreme fans, you can collect all three commemorative labels, featuring the Lannister, Stark, and Targaryen sigils.

Food

If you’re going to party, you need to have the proper food for your guests and in this case, you can’t go wrong with A Feast of Ice and Fire. This cookbook takes you into the kitchens of Westeros and shows you how to prepare everything from King’s Landing Lemon Cakes to Wintercakes from Across the Narrow Sea.

Proper Vessels

 3 Game of Thrones Horns
Image used with permission by copyright holder

If we’re going to be drinking copiously, as all good partiers should (I mean, have you seen those wedding feasts?), you’re going to need to do it the right way—with a freakin’ drinking horn. Ale Horn makes custom drinking tankards that will show your guests you know how to party with the best of them. Hand-made from 100% real horn, each tankard can not only hold up to 20 fluid ounces, but, just like the snowflakes that fall on The Wall, each tankard is unique. What’s even cooler is that Ale Horn offers custom House Sigil engraved tankards, allowing you to show everyone where your allegiance lies.

Grooming

Image used with permission by copyright holder

When walking into the most important party of the year, you don’t want to look like you came from North of the Wall, do you? (Answer: No, because you’ll probably get shot with arrows or something). Ale Horn once again is here to help: their Modern Barbarian line of beard combs, beard oil, and balm will help tame even the wildest beards, making you look presentable for when the Mother of Dragons shows up (and proceeds to burn everything around you but you know, sacrifices for the Seven Kingdoms and all).

Featured Image Courtesy of Our Brother Site Digital Trends and Helen Sloan/HBO

Sam Slaughter
Sam Slaughter was the Food and Drink Editor for The Manual. Born and raised in New Jersey, he’s called the South home for…
A guide to the five mother sauces of classical cuisine and their uses
Most sauces comes from these foundational sauces, so you must know how to make them
Sauces and spiced spreads in small jars

Did you know that most sauces come from five foundational sauces known as mother sauces? These mother sauces add moistness, flavor, richness, color, and shine, as well as interest and appetite appeal. These sauce-making techniques are some of the basic skills needed in cooking, and they still need to be combined into finished sauces. Finishing techniques have three elements to them: liquid, thickening agent, and seasoning or flavoring ingredients.

The leading sauces are made of liquid plus a thickening agent. The sauces that are derived from the leading sauce are called small sauces. The small sauces are created by using the leading sauce plus additional flavoring ingredients. The best way to remember the name of each mother sauce is by the acronym BETH V: béchamel, espagnole, tomato, hollandaise, and velouté.
Béchamel sauce

Read more
Pro tips from Chef Eduardo Garcia for cooking outdoors like a true mountain man
Here's how to really cook like a mountain man
Chef Eduardo Garcia.

When we think of mountain men, we tend to think of rugged and self-sufficient folks who live off of the land. And while that's mostly accurate, it's also 2024, and the definition has evolved. Today's mountain man is personified by chef Eduardo Garcia, who combines culinary expertise and the right cooking tools with an adventurous attitude and focus on the environment.

Garcia has put in some shifts. He's done everything from cooking on yachts to delivering motivational speeches. He's also the host of Big Sky Kitchen, now two seasons deep. The show focuses on outdoor cooking and the many joys of preparing and eating food in the context of nature.

Read more
When lunchtime (or anytime) hunger strikes, these are 13 best sandwich recipes to make
Try your hand at these gourmet sandwiches and never think of bologna and cheese again
A Banh Mi sandwich

There's a reason why everyone loves sandwiches. You can stack them, slice them, stuff them, toast them, dip them, grill them, fry them, or fill them. Sandwiches are perfect for a quick meal, easy to handle, require minimal cleanup and the creative options are endless.

With so many meats, veggies, spreads, and popular cheeses that you can stuff between two slices of bread, sometimes it's good to go back to the basics and remember why we fell in love with sandwiches in the first place. Here's a list of the ultimate best sandwich recipes for your adult lunch box.
Classic Italian sub sandwich

Read more