Vargmust

Vargmust

Manufacturer	H&B Brewing Company
Distributor	Sone International
Country of origin	Blostland
Region of origin	Raudrena
Introduced	1908
Color	Dark Brown
Ingredients	Wolf Liver (Not since 1909), gentian root, lemon grass, caffeine, citric acid
Variants	Diet Vargmust, Cherry Vargmust, Vargmust EXTRA, Lime Vargmust
Website	H&Brew.co.BL

Vargmust or “Wolfwine” is a brand of Blostlandic carbonated beverage that was invented in 1908 by Rasmus Bjorkman as a patent medicine for a number of ailments, originally advertised as being brewed with fermented wolf liver, Vargmust has gone under a number of alterations since 1908 and has been brewed purely as a herbal soda ever since, with H&B Brewing Company forgoing all claims on the medical benefits of Vargmust in 1920.

Since 1919 the beverage has been considered the national soda of Blostland though there is no official recognition by the government, Vargmust has lost much of its popularity since its peak in the 70s however it is still widely consumed both inside and outside of Blostland. While now only a part of the H&B Brewing Company line of products the beverage is still a major part of the company and is not expected to be discontinued or altered.

History

Origins

Rasmus Bjorkman was a traveling salesman and well known snake oil dealer who in 1895 after many failed ventures would start a illegal medical practice Raudrena called, "Bjorkman's Drugs and Herbs" Bjorkman after operating the establishment for three years with the lacking profits would try a number of a ploys to bring more business to his store. With previous attempts like spirit sessions, homemade morphine, and counterfeit rare coinage not making back his losses he’d open a soda counter in his store.

Almost immediately Bjorkman would start to see rising interest in his store, but Bjorkman felt he had to create something that would separate his store from the others that also served soda. Using an old formula he had created years before Bjorkman would formulate the first type of Vargmust, this variation would be much more medicinal and would actually include wolf liver as an ingredient.

While the original recipe would catch people’s attention Bjorkman would alter it a month after the original was created making it more palatable for the average drinker. While losing much of its medicinal properties Bjorkman would continue to market it as a “medical soda” quickly becoming somewhat of a mini celebrity in Raudrena with the drink becoming widely popular.

Rise to Fame

Bjorkman would enjoy three years of minor fame until 1911 when his new business partner, Svante Holm would blackmail him into selling him majority ownership of the company which the store operated under. Bjorkman would live the remainder of his life receiving benefits from Holm and giving fake accounts of his early life and the creation of Vargmust.

Under Holm, Bjorkman's Drugs and Herbs would be transformed into “Holm’s & Bjorkman's Brewing” Company, Holm would abandon the medical business and concentrate completely on Vargmust. A shrewd businessman and novel chemist Holm would create the final variant of Vargmust further popularizing it with a successful campaign around the flavor change.

Vargmust salesman’s in Dalarland, 1914

From then onwards H&B Brewing would expand past the capital purchasing a few breweries around the country selling Vargmust to stores all across Blostland making it a nearly ubiquitous soda brand. By 1920 Vargmust would buy out most smaller soda brands creating a minor monopoly in the soda market, narrowly avoiding government intervention H&B would stay mostly complacent in its position.

Modern Day

During the Great War H&B would suffer from severe material and manpower shortages as the government would focus all resources to the war, then CEO Åke Holm would secretly support rebels against the Functionalist government winning him large favors after the war. The post war government would give a series of grants to H&B allowing them to rebuild much of their previous infrastructure and even expand into Eldmark.

By the modern day Vargmust would be a staple beverage of Blostland enjoyed in seven countries internationally and in four varieties. While in recent decades the company has shrunk in response to various economic crises the company is expected to remain as a major soda producer and continue operating in all its current markets.

Characteristics

Lemon Grass prepared for consumption.

Vargmust is described as having a medicinal bubblegum like flavor similar to a Champagne cola or Root beer, while officially neither it is often referred to as both simultaneously, this has prompted H&B to call the soda “Root Cola” on their website and in official marketing. The main ingredient in Vargmust is lemon grass though much of the flavor is derived from the gentian root which gives the soda it’s very medicinal taste.

In Popular Culture

During winter in Blostland, Vargmust is served hot to keep people warm and enhance its medicinal qualities.