History Main / TheNeedForMead

* ''Manga/YuGiOh'': Yugi and his friends play two tabletop-roleplaying games in the manga series (where they are trapped in the game world as their characters), and in both, their first stop for information is almost always the tavern. During the second RPG, Yugi doesn't even realize it's an RPG they're in at first: being a gaming nerd, [[GenreSavvy he actually goes there compulsively ''because'' adventures tend to go to taverns in role-playing games]].

* ''Manga/YuGiOh'': Yugi and his friends play two tabletop-roleplaying games in the manga series (where they are trapped in the game world as miniature characters), and in both, their first stop for information is almost always the tavern. During the second RPG, Yugi doesn't even realize it's an RPG they're in at first: being a gaming nerd, [[GenreSavvy he actually goes there compulsively ''because'' adventures tend to go to taverns in role-playing games]].

* ''Manga/YuGiOh'': Yugi and his friends play two tabletop-roleplaying games (where they are trapped in the game world as miniature characters) in the series, and in both, their first stop for information is almost always the tavern. During the second RPG, Yugi doesn't even realize it's an RPG they're in at first: being a gaming nerd, [[GenreSavvy he actually goes there compulsively ''because'' adventures tend to go to taverns in role-playing games]].

* ''Manga/YuGiOh'': Yugi and his friends play two tabletop-roleplaying games (where they are trapped in the game world as miniature characters) in the series, and in both, their first stop for information is almost always the tavern. During the second RPG, Yugi doesn't even realize it's an RPG they're in at first: being a gaming nerd, he actually goes there compulsively ''because'' adventures tend to go to taverns in RPGs.

* Every town or city and every other village or hamlet in ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' has at least one of these, plus there's several in the middle of nowhere on the road.
** ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'' has mead, bar brawls, bar wenches, wood taverns, sellswords (a term for mercenaries), fetch quest givers, the works. The game advises you to head to the nearest tavern if you're looking for work; even if nobody has a quest for you, you're sure to overhear a snippet of InfallibleBabble about a nearby location from the barman or patrons. Amusingly, a few bandits will complain about the native Nords' love of mead, since they prefer a good beer.

* ''VideoGame/BaldursGate'' has a fair number of taverns.

* The Mended Drum in Literature/{{Discworld}} is a parodic exaggeration; it's been rebuilt several times, and the brawlers rehearse their moves to look the best for tourists. By ''Discworld/GoingPostal'', the bar brawls have become Ankh-Morpork's most popular organized sport.

* ''VideoGame/BrutalLegend'' lacks a tavern, but it's got a Sacred Beer Tree that serves a similar purpose. Iron Heade loves parties, and beer's a very essential part.

* The main setting in ''Literature/TheWanderingInn'' offers everything "but" alcohol to its guests, much to their dismay.

* In the Thor comics this is done straight and played with. In the standard version of this trope, the unknown female Thor meets the Warriors Three in a tavern. There, they give her a series of quests to do before they will accept her as a rightful Thor (they also had her do a drinking contest as well to see if she could her liquor). In the 'played with' version, a little alien girl prays to Thor to save their harvest from a decades long drought. Thor does so and is about to leave when the grateful, impoverished aliens ask him to stay a while and they have a large stock of mead made from slugs to offer. Since 'mead' was involved of course Thor had to stay and in the course of the evening learns about the events of the Godbutcher. What makes this atypical was that there is no tavern, the aliens are too impoverished to have anything so fancy. It was just a somewhat solemn occasion held by a campfire.

* T meets Leonardo in one of these in ''Film/QuestOfTheDeltaKnights'', complete with buxom serving wenches, sleeping quarters and drunken, superstitious peasants.

[-[[caption-width-right:269: Whores not optional; a [[OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame Dwarf]] [[AManIsNotAVirgin is Not A Virgin]].]]-]

* OlderThanPrint: The mead hall Heorot from the epic Anglo-Saxon poem ''Literature/{{Beowulf}}'' serves as the hero's base of operations during his quest to slay Grendel and, later, Grendel's mother.

* Both the 1982 and 2011 ''Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian'' films feature scenes of the titular hero celebrating a successful adventure at a tavern with free-flowing alcohol and half-naked wenches.

->''"When we are in the tavern,''\\
''We do not care what we are,''\\
''But we hurry to the game,''\\
''To which we always care,''\\
''What happens in the tavern''\\
''Where money is my servant''\\
''Is the work that it seeks.''\\
''What I say, it will hear."''
-->-- ''In Taberna[[note]]In the Tavern[[/note]], {{Music/Carmina Burana}}''

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

[[folder:Film]]
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}} 2'' features one, appropriately named [[Literature/SnowWhite The Poisoned Apple]], where Puss In Boots is hired.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

* The Alestorm song ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbUXysD_b-A Wenches and Mead]]'' is about exactly this.
** "[[JoJosBizarreAdventureAbridged Hoes and wine all ze time!]]"
* MiracleOfSound did a song called ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DL4vR3PB2oY Nord Mead]]'' about how awesome the Nords of ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'' think their mead is.
--> ''You can keep your filthy skooma!''
-->''It makes our bellies bleed!''
-->'''Cause when we raise our flagon''
-->''To another dead [[OurDragonsAreDifferent dragon]]''
-->''There is just one drink we need!''
-->''Nord Mead!''
* AmonAmarth [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mClSA1LZPIs has their own recipe!]]

[[folder:Pinball]]

* Enforced in the ''Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian'' d20 RPG - the game rules state that most of the treasure the [=PCs=] acquire is blown on ale and whores (even if the PC is female) between adventures.
* The drink based card game [[{{TabletopGame/DrunkQuest}} DrunkQuest]] has classes themed on various alcohols, ThePaladin is mead themed.
* ''TabletopGame/RedDragonInn'' is a card game about a band of adventurers spending their hard-earned gold at a tavern. Drinking, gambling, and brawling ensue.

[[folder:Webcomics]]

** [[http://rustyandco.com/comic/2/ in the first level, the traditional usage, to find a hook]]. (Though they did not all meet at the inn. Mimic found the others on Krogslist.
** [[http://rustyandco.com/comic/level-5-6/ in the fifth level, to find an informant]]
** [[http://rustyandco.com/comic/level-7-title/ Presti and Roxy are hanging out, and overriding Stabs's objections on the grounds that only barbarians and plot hooks arrive at that hour.]] Then Rusty staggers in lugging an even more seriously wounded Madeline, and says, ". . . help. . . "
* In ''Webcomic/PvP'' Skull's dwarf character in the company's D&D game spends his treasure on "ale and whores". A couple strips after Valerie, possibly a real dwarf, is introduced she is seen demanding mead at a bar.

* ''{{Claymore}}'': Occasionally a member of the titular groups shows up in the FantasyTavern. When they do, it's a total atmosphere-killer.

* In Creator/RobertEHoward's ''Literature/TheTowerOfTheElephant'' where Literature/ConanTheBarbarian hears of the title tower.

So they head to a stock fantasy tavern, which will be of wooden construction and generally poorly lit. The drinks, generally either [[AllBeerIsAle ale]] or mead, will be of [[ATankardOfMooseUrine questionable quality]]. Nobody there may even ''realize'' that mead and beer aren't the same thing[[note]]Mead is made by fermenting honey. No hops or barley are involved.[[/note]]. Other features may include:

* ''{{Slayers}}'': Lina and co sometimes take a break in these. [[PersonOfMassDestruction Considering her reputation and her temper though]], sometimes this is to the detriment of the other customers, the tavern, the city the tavern is located at...

->''When we are in the tavern,''\\

''What I say, it will hear.''

* Every town or city and every other village or hamlet in ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' has at least one of these, plus there's several in the middle of nowhere on the road.

* ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'' has mead, bar brawls, bar wenches, wood taverns, sellswords (a term for mercenaries), fetch quest givers, the works. The game advises you to head to the nearest tavern if you're looking for work; even if nobody has a quest for you, you're sure to overhear a snippet of InfallibleBabble about a nearby location from the barman or patrons. Amusingly, a few bandits will complain about the native Nords' love of mead, since they prefer a good beer.

''Where the money is our servant''\\

[[quoteright:269:[[Webcomic/PvP http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/anh.png]]]]
[-[[caption-width-right:269: Whores not optional; a [[OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame Dwarf]] [[AManIsNotAVirgin is Not A Virgin]].]]-]