Alcoholic drinks in Themiclesia
Regulations
Themiclesian law is generally assessed as permissive in alcohol production and consumption. There are no monopolies currently established by statute on the production of alcohol. The Penal Code protects the interest of pregnant mothers by criminalizing their compulsion to consume alcohol, since alcohol consumption has been demonstrated to affect developing foeti in the 1970s, and similar penalties exist for compelling or soliciting a minor to consume alcohol. There are also regulations governing the age above which minors may purchase and consume alcohol.
Themiclesian legislation divides alcoholic beverages into three categories according to their ethanol content by volume:
- Beverages with ABV under 0.5% are not considered alcoholic and not regulated under this system;
- Class I, with ABV over 0.5% but under 2% are considered mildly alcoholic, and persons over the age of 10 may consume them;
- Class II, with ABV over 2% but under 4% are considered intensely alcoholic, and persons over the age of 16 may consume them;
- Class III, with ABV over 4% are considered spirits, and persons over the age of 20 may consume them.
In labelling alcoholic beverages, there is a 0.25% margin of error permissible either over or under the stated alcohol content. As fermentation may continue for a short time after bottling, most manufacturers overstate the alcohol content by a small amount to correct for this subsequent deviation.
Statistics
The average Themiclesian person consumes 2.7 to 5.1 litres of ethanol per annum; the volume of the beverages containing this ethanol varies, due to personal preferences, between 281 and 355 litres, capturing 85% of the statistical distribution. More than 97% of all Themiclesians above the age of 20 report that they consume alcohol at least three or four times a year, and more than 91% at least once a month. A large part of these individuals consider drinking alcoholic beverages a routine matter, and some further accept mild or diluted alcohol an adequate or occasional substitute for water. There is little difference between the sumptuary habits of males and females.
Given the relatively low age limit to consumption, underaged drinking is not a prominent issue in Themiclesia; however, medical professionals have asserted that drinking alcohol, even in low concentration and given large quantities, can still pose threats to a developing mind, especially by developing the habit of drinking, which may, in some cases, become an addiction.
Types of alcohol
Lei'
Lei' (醴) is a low-alcohol drink heavily ingrained in Themiclesian culture. In the interest of protecting the cultural value of this beverage, it is one of several products that must conform to statutory standards, though no license is required. The fermented grain must be rice of the Oryza sativa themica variety grown in paddy that produce one harvest per annum, the fermentation process must take place at room temperature, and the vessel containing the ferment must be earthenware. The fermentation process should last one to five days, and the product must contain not over 2% ABV or under 1%.
Lei' in traditional ceremonies functions as an agent to communicating with the supernatural, given its mildly intoxicating properties. This use may have been one of the most ancient of all alcoholic beverages, and its use dates back millennia to Meng communities in what today is Menghe. In more secular settings, it is often consumed at gatherings of friends and family, and some drink it on a daily basis, as an alternative to water. The starch and sugar content in Lei', particularly in ones that have not been completely filtered, are said to have medicinal properties in addition to widely-accepted culinary ones; off the same contents, Lei' can also be used as an ad hoc source of nourishment, rich in amino acids and sugars.
Tsju
Tsju (酒) is a general appellation for all alcoholic beverages in Themiclesia, but used as a label, it indicates that the beverage must have at least 2% ABV and typically no more than 4%. A second requirement is that the beverage be filtered so as to leave no solid particles in suspension; the accumulation of solid matter due to precipitation of microscopic particles is acceptable.
Alcohol poisoning
Alcohol poisoning is uncommon in Themiclesia, mainly because alcohol concentration in typical Themiclesian drink is low. One standard drink in Themiclesia is defined as any beverage containing 13.6 grams of pure alcohol (ethanol). For a conventional rice brew, one standard drink is found in 1.5 litres of the beverage, meaning that most individuals will metabolize alcohol faster than they consume it. The threat is further reduced if the beverage comes "pre-purged", meaning that it has been heated to 70–75°C for at least a few minutes, which causes ethanol concentration to drop significantly; studies find that "pre-purged" drinks often contain less than 0.05% ABV, at which point alcohol poisoning becomes virtually impossible, given physiological restrictions in imbibement.
The rate of alcohol ingestion is also seasonally variable. In summers, many Themiclesians add large cubes of ice to wines, which has the effect of diluting the beverage. In winters, Themiclesians often heat their alcohol before consumption, typically by suspending it in a vessel over a fire or stove, which removes the vast majority of alcohol content. Historically, heating alcohol to sub-boiling temperatures was a necessary measure to suppress microbial life that may cause diseases or poisoning. Actually boiling the drink will cause it to lose its character, while too little heat will not achieve the desired hygienic effect. Stronger drinks (2–4% ABV), implying they have fermeted for longer, are almost always heated prior to consumption, and it has been understood that the longer the fermentation period, the greater the opportunity for harmful microbes to grow in the resulting beverage.
Units of measurement
Alcohol in Themiclesia (particularly traditional varieties) are sold according to the traditional system of weights and measures. Alcohol is one of several product that, by statute, is not required to be labelled for nutritional value in terms of the metric system. The basic unit is the ghouk, which is 20.45 litres in the metric system, and other units are derive by factoring this figure to different orders of magnitude:
- 1 tjung (鐘) is 204.5 litres
- 1 ghouk (斛) is 20.45 litres
- 1 t'ou' (斗) is 2.045 litres
- 1 s'ong (升) is 0.2045 litres or 204.5 millilitres
- 1 ghop (合) is 0.02045 litres or 20.45 millilitres