Re-opening The Strawberrystar Brewery

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The Strawberrystar Brewery
Tour of the Brewery
    Image
      The Shire's Strawberrystar Brewery is one of the more long-running businesses in all of Middle Earth. Famous for its faithful brewing of many delicious wines and ales, wizards, Men, and elves have traveled here for individual and bulk sales, group tours and occasional parties.
      During its long life, it has been under the management hands of a few hardworking hobbits who loved to contribute to the rest of the Shire by helping with parties and events. A few of those famous hobbits have been Tari Boffin, Istya Alassea and Rian.
      Upon Istya's return to the Shire, this was one of the very first places she wanted to see reopened, as some of her most favorite memories were from here. Interacting with co-workers and getting to make so many new friends all over Middle Earth, it should be no wonder why she wanted to return and bring back the brewery's homey and fun-filled atmosphere to the Shire..

        Hobbits and friends who have worked here before are welcome to return as Brewers. However, there is a very good chance that former Brewers will rise up in rank very quickly.
        Please join us today for a tour of the re-opened brewery, which will be followed by a wine and ale tasting!

          Potential Ranks:
          Image Apprentice
          Image Brewer
          Image Master Brewer
          Image Lead Brewer

            Tour Sign-Ups
            Name:
            Previous Rank, if applicable:
            Reason for Tour:

              DRINKS
              Wines
              • Old Winyard Wine – dark purple grapes, apple, dash of purple raspberry and blueberry, hint of honey
              • Classic Strawberry Wine – strawberries, green grapes, a little bit of lemon, dash of honey
              • Classic Elderberry Wine – elderberries, purple grapes, some blueberries, hint of mint
              • Classic Raspberry Wine – red raspberries, apple, green grapes, some honey, hint of mint
              • Classic Lavender Wine – Lavender, honey, green grapes, lemon and thyme
              • Classic Cherry Wine – Cherry, red grape, some raspberry, dash of honey
              • Orange Rose Wine – green grapes, orange slices, light on the raspberries, hint of mint
              • Peachy Keen Wine – strawberries, peaches, green grapes, dash of grapefruit, hint of mint
              • Lemon Tree Wine – lemons, green grapes, hints of mint and basil. Dash of salt
              • Farmer Maggot’s Barley Wine - Sweet malt, pear, orange, lemon. Dash of raisin.
              • Christmas Wine – Apple, red grape, purple grape, cinnamon, black pepper

              Ales
              • Classic Hobbiton Ale – Malted grain, elderberry, grape, mint and dash of lemon
              • Chocolate Ale – Malted grain, dark and milk chocolate, and cinnamon
              • Green Dragon Golden Ale – Malted grain, heather flowers, elderberry, some apple
              • Strawberry Ale – Malted grain, strawberry, raspberry, apple and dashes of lemon and lime
              • Frodo’s Ale – Malted grain, heather flowers, sweet gale, apple and ginger
              • Orange Ale – Malted grain, chamomile, coriander and orange peel
              • Sunflower Ale - Malted grain, rosemary and dried lemon peel
              • Brandywine Ale - Malted grain, lavender, chamomile, rosehips and elderberry

              Chef
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              Istya had two brass keys in her pocket - one for her home that was a few miles away from this spot and the other for the Strawberrystar Brewery. Granted, there were other keys out there for this beloved place's front door. But it felt awfully good turning the key in the lock and finding the large, round doorway opening up to her to let her back in.

              Once she stepped inside, she got some candlelight going in some of the darker corners of the front tasting room and brewing halls. She then went headed off to the broom closet so that she could do a quick but thorough sweeping of the floors. But as she swept up the dust and and brewing spices up off the floor, she got to thinking about what would be her next step. What would get everyone to come back here? What would refill these rooms with the happy brewers and the busy, excited customers?

              Maybe a tour would do it! she thought excitedly. And probably a few free drinks afterwards. Let's let friendly folk just relax here for a bit.

              So once she finished with the sweeping, alongside a light dusting of the counter tops and cabinets, she went to check on the cellar to see if any wines or ales were left in the cellar. She was disappointed to find only a few barrels full of Bilbo's Old Winyard Wine and the brewery's famous Strawberry Ale. And who doesn't love perfectly aged wine and ale? But at least that made them the drinks she would be able to give away.

              In the meantime, she could brew. So her next stop would have to be the vineyards and the gardens to see how this year's fruit season was doing. It was mid-summer, so that meant some fruits would not be in season. But the perennial fruits - and the many ingredients for their famous ales - would be ready for planting and picking.

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              That smell... that wonderful smell of the wooden barrels, the malted grain, fruit... Every time Ea had walked passed the Brewery, she had felt so many memories come back. Too bad it was closed. It had been for a long time now. Ale and wine came from Bree, the last years. And it tasted okay, but still... the best drinks she ever had, were made here. In their own Strawberrystar Brewery!
              As she walked to the Shire Knitting Circle, she breathed in the faint aroma's as usual. But this time they seemed stronger than they had been for a long time. Ea frowned. This was something new. She needed to find out what had changed. Carefully she made her way through the bushes that had overgrown the path to the door. Wait a minute. That door was open!
              A little hesitant she walked in. Here the smell of lemon was stronger than the rest. Someone had been cleaning. And there was a fresh painted sign that said 'Open!'. Could it be?
              Near to the sign she found a list.
              Tour Sign-Ups it said. The list was empty. Yet. Ea looked around. She didn't see anyone, perhaps the mystery opener was in the cellar. Would she?

              Two minutes later she walked away, whistling a happy tune.
              On the list it said:

              Name: Eamila Bolger
              Previous Rank, if applicable: -
              Reason for Tour: I want to know more about brewing and I would really like to taste some good Hobbit wine and ale again! I am not sure yet if I will apply, that will depend on how much time I have. I might though!
              Please state the nature of the medical emergency!

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              Coming down from the cellar, Istya could have sworn she saw a curly head of hair passing past the Tour Sign Up sheet. She wasn't able to find out who it was - the hobbit left pretty quickly - but when she saw the name on the parchment, she grinned to herself. Our first signs of interest! Thank you, Ea, she thought, happily. This is great! I wonder why she left, though. Guess I need to find a bell to put on the front door so that I am notified when someone comes in! I'd hate to lose anyone who stops by today.

              She stopped for a minute to put the Old Winyard Wine barrel right behind the bar in the Tasting Room so that everyone could see what it was on their left hand side. She then rolled down the Strawberry Ale barrel and put it to everyone's right hand side, again back behind the bar. She couldn't drink wine or ale at this time due to her pregnancy. But at least she could smell the fragrances. So she picked up a decanter from the kitchens, cleaned it out, and then poured a little bit of the wine into the bottle. She breathed in the wine's scent and couldn't help but happily sigh.

              This one looks to have been brewed three years ago. Perfect, just perfect! I can still smell its apple and raspberry.


              Changing her mind on what to do next, she instead rounded up all the glassware from the kitchen as well as those from behind from the Tasting Room bar. She then took to a nearby sink not far from the bar and washed off all of the glasses so that once everyone entered the room, they could get immediately in on tasting the brewery's classics.

              Maybe someone would love to help me get other barrels of wine and ale started while I entertain today's guests in the Tasting Room, she hoped.

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              Lily was walking down the road thinking of mundane things like how many gooseberries to use for pudding tonight, and did she remember to hang up the shirts to dry, when she saw a sign which made her stop in her tracks. The Strawberrystar Brewery was reopening...oh goodness me! Lily was hit with a wave of nostalgia - she could barely remember how many years ago it was that she had opened the doors to the Strawberrystar Brewery for the very first time - it had been a much smaller affair then of course, and had expanded in both size and fame during her time there, and afterwards as successive hobbit brewers had taken on the reins and made the brewery famous far and wide. She remembered many good times, from training up the first apprentices, to seeing those apprentices go on to become head brewer - such proud moments. And they had had so much fun, exploring all the flavours, growing new botanical elements in the gardens, finding new ways to improve the flavour...and of course racing the empty barrels down the corridor!

              Wiping a small tear of happiness from the corner of her eye, she did not hesitate a moment longer and hurried through the open door. There in the entrance hall was a sign indicating that tours would take place - what better way to relive all those wonderful memories, Lily thought to herself, and without a second's thought she grabbed the pen and signed up:

              Name: Lily Knotwise
              Previous Rank, if applicable: Brewery founder, head brewer. Will settle for brewer though
              Reason for Tour: To relive all the wonderful memories of my time with the brewery and the wonderful brewing team. Also because I love wine and ale. Also because I like tasting things.

              There, that should do it, she thought. Now, was anyone around for her to hand it in to, or was she supposed to leave it on the desk? Still clutching her piece of paper she started to follow her nose - hops, and lavender, and citrus, leading her to the Tasting Room, where she saw Istya rolling barrels into place and gathering up glasses. "Oh, please let me help, you shouldn't do too much lifting in your condition" she said, rushing over.
              Starbreeze ~ Lily Knotwise ~ Itarildë Tinehtelë ~ Peachleaf ~ Isiliyan ~ Aelflaed Goldhawk ~ Dagnead

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              Sasparilla Banks

              Sasparilla was meandering about Hobbiton, certain there was an errand she had to run, but couldn't remember what it was after she'd stopped for elevensies with her cousin and luncheon at the pub, then had a quick nap under a tree. Well, if it had been important, she would remember eventually.

              Popping a bright red grape into her mouth, she walked right by the Strawberrystar Brewery. Then suddenly, she stopped and turned around, her mouth wide open. The brewery was open?! What a delight!

              Heading right on in, she inhaled the delicious smell of ale and saw the signup for tours. She jumped forward to sign up, hoping she hadn't missed one already, but by the looks of things they were just getting started. But she better make sure, hadn't she?

              "I haven't missed the tour yet, have I?" she asked the others in exasperation. "Oh I do look forward to a tasting! I've heard such good things about this brewery! My uncle goes on and on about it all the time..."

              Name: Sasparilla Banks
              Previous Rank, if applicable: none
              Reason for Tour: I'm eating and tasting my way across the Shire and thinking of writing a book of my adventures. It will be all about the food, of course, from here to Tuckborough and across the East Farthing to Buckland!
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              At hearing a kind voice insisting to offer her assistance, Istya glanced up from her barrel rolling and glasses washing to see another hobbit leaping over to help her. She couldn't help but sigh with relief. She was hoping to see more people be interested in today's tours, and Istya got the sense this particular hobbit lass knew exactly what the Brewery was going to need right now. She hoped she would stick around!

              "Hullo ... and thank you for the help!" Istya replied, offering to partly let go of one of the barrels. She also turned her head in the direction of the glassware she was washing. She then noticed the note in her hand, and offered to take it from the hobbit lass. "Thank you for stopping by this morning, Lily. I'd be glad to get you re-acquainted with the Brewery today, and show you all the updates we have had lately. In the meantime, please. Please go ahead and savor one of the drinks from just behind the Tasting Room bar. It's a barrel of Old Winyard Wine and another of Strawberry Ale. Your pick, my friend! If you would like to help, I am mainly cleaning up all the glassware so that everyone else who comes in can just go for a drink."

              As she was about to finish talking, she noticed another hobbit entering into the Tasting Room, looking really excited. Yay! Istya thought to herself. The interest really is there. Whew - I don't feel so alone here at the Brewery anymore.

              "I think a tour will be coming up shortly, so you have come in at a perfect time," Istya replied to the fresh face. "Thanks for joining us, Sasparilla! Please. I have a few wine glasses and pint bottles on the Tasting Room bar. Please take one and fill up. The left side one is our classic Old Winyard Wine. You may notice the delicious blend of red grape and apple, with hints of raspberry and honey, in it. The right side barrel is our Strawberry Ale. Since I do expect a friend of mine to show up here soon, I am going to wait just a moment more before we start with the tour. I would like to show you all our kitchens, our cellar, and our gardens once we are able to get going!"

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              Lily took the weight of the barrel from Istya and tipped it into place, also following her gaze to the pile of dirty glasses. "Why don't you take a rest for a moment and I'll finish those, I am sure you have plenty to do organising all of this, let me handle some of the mundane stuff" she said as she made her way over to the sink. "I really am very excited to see what has changed since I was last involved, it has been such a long time and, whilst keen I can mostly be described as out-of-touch these days!" she said with a laugh as she sluiced soapy water over the glasses. "But it is lovely to see that the old favourites are still available - why, I remember my first batch of Strawberry wine - unstoppering the barrel, pouring the delicious smelling liquid into the glass, the expectant hush as we all sampled it...I think I will definitely have to have a small glass of it today, for old time's sakes." she said, her voice trailing off into happy memories. She wiped her hands dry and followed Istya's directions to where the barrels were located, helping herself to a fair-sized portion in one of the newly-cleaned glasses.

              Cradling the wine glass in the cup of her hand she went back to the main area of the Tasting Room and saw that they had been joined by another hobbit lass, Sasparilla. Momentarily torn between taking her first sip of wine and greeting the other hobbit, politeness won out and she stepped forward to introduce herself. "Hi there, I'm Lily, are you here for the tour as well? Have you ever seen inside a brewery before?" she said, holding out the hand without the glass in it.
              Starbreeze ~ Lily Knotwise ~ Itarildë Tinehtelë ~ Peachleaf ~ Isiliyan ~ Aelflaed Goldhawk ~ Dagnead

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              Sasparilla 'Rilla' Banks

              "Oh, wonderful!" she said to Istya with a huge sigh of relief. She hadn't missed it, after all! "Thanks very much for offering a tour and tasting. Especially the tasting," she said with a grin.

              "Hullo Lily! Pleased to meet you," she smiled and took the hobbit's hand, shaking it with vigor. "I'm Sasparilla, but please, call me Rilla or Rill," she invited Lily and Istya. "Only my mother calls me Sasparilla," she said with a wrinkled nose.

              "I haven't seen inside a proper brewery before," she replied to Lily. "Unless you count that time my Uncle Tombo tried to brew his own ale in his tea-room in Bywater...it tasted rather very sour and my aunt forbade him from ever trying it again. But he loves the Strawberrystar, I'll have to tell him you've opened again! He'd be first in line!" Then she realised that, in fact, it seemed others, including herself, were first in line. "Er, maybe fourth or fifth..."

              Realising she was falling into one of the faults her mother scolded her for, rambling, she stepped toward the bar and took a glass in hand. "Hmm...they both sound delicious," she mused, but ultimately went for the Strawberry Ale. "Have you been in a brewery before, Lily?" she asked. "You seem to know a bit about things around here." She took a sip of the ale. "Oh, its delicious!" she exclaimed. "Please don't let me stop you from your tasting!" She gestured at the bar.

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              There was a bustling outside the door to the brewery and it flew open suddenly. A whirlwind of neon-colored skirts fell into a lump on the floor. The lump moved. It twitched. The lump brought with it the smell of very strong perfume. Suddenly, out from the lump emerged a cat. That was followed by a cane, followed by a hand, until eventually an elderly hobbit stood up among the bright colors and straightened her skirts. Tari Boffin had fallen backward up the steps to the brewery and in the door, if that was possible.

              She looked around, "Ah...definitely not my house. The steps should have told me that." She shook her head. It should have been clear to anyone in the brewery that Tari Boffin did not know where she was at the moment, not an uncommon conundrum for the older hobbit. She looked around and saw her name on a nearby plaque listed as former management of the brewery and raised an eyebrow. "Hm. Don't remember that." And she didn't, in fact the name of the brewery sounded familiar, but her memory was a terrible one and she certainly did not remember managing a brewery. Now a winery...that seemed more like Tari Boffin. While many hobbits were into ale, Tari found herself to be far too classy for such things. She bumbled on up to the nearest table and yelled at the nearest person, employee or not, "I'll take a wine! The old one. None of this newfangled fruit stuff." Tari did not say please because truthfully, she had no manners. She never asked if she was supposed to go on tour, she just made herself comfortable in her chair and let her cat walk around on the bartop like she owned the place.
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              Glad to have Lily's extra hands for the moment, Istya slowed down her pace on washing the wine and pint glasses next to her and then went to go get some more glasses once finished with the set in front of her. "Thank you, Lily!" she gushed. "That is just what I needed right now, as my mind is still rushing with everything I could be doing. It feels weird doing today's event on my own. I usually had other hobbit lasses I worked alongside."

              Istya beamed to herself as Rilla and Lily got to know each other better. She took a mental note that Rilla was the preferred name, and then she grinned when she heard this was Rilla's first time in an actual non-family brewery. "Perfect. Yet another reason to give everyone a tour here soon. I remember when I used to even help throw a few parties here. So it's a little bit like running an inn, at times. Just more with drinks than food."

              Watching Lily and Rilla enjoy their drinks, Istya yearned to pick up a glass of the wine herself. So she was glad to hear the drinks were just like they used to be! She could imagine those familiar tastes on her tongue, and the thought brought back a lot of memories.

              And then - speaking of memories! When a cat and then a hobbit appeared out of non-matching skirts, she almost immediately recognized the hobbit lass's face. As the hobbit lass settled into a chair and asked for a glass of their current wine, Istya was 100% sure this was Tari. "Oh my goodness! Tari Boffin, is that you?" She immediately got a glass of the Old Winyard Wine ready for her, and then rushed as fast as she could to the hobbit's side with the glass she had asked for. "Please tell me you recognize me too? I am Istya Alassea, if you don't. Here is some Old WInyard, which I know got onto our recipe books later in our time together. But apparently, everyone here kept brewing it."

              She then turned to everyone else gleefully and announced the arrival of her old friend. "Everyone, this is Tari Boffin, someone I think everyone should get to know today too. I pretty much saw her as my boss back in the day. So she could probably tell you way more stories than I could about this place. But that is really up to her!" she said, as she winked at her.

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              Pretty soon after Tari's great entrance, Eamila stepped back inside as well. 'Sorry for running of like that', she said. 'But I had to ask my mother if she could watch the children just a bit longer today, so that I wouldn't miss the Tour!'
              Only after these words, she realized that Istya wasn't alone anymore. 'Oh, hullo everyone!', she said. She recognized Lily from the Green Dragon Inn and greeted her with a smile. The next face was a new one to her. After walking towards Rilla, she introduced herself.
              'Hi! Glad to meet you, my name is Eamila Bolger. But you may call me Ea as well, if you like. Most hobbits do. Are you just as fond of wines as I am? I cannot wait to taste some!'
              Just when she wanted to ask where the others had gotten their wines, she saw a cat walking towards her on the bartop.
              'Well... that is... different', she said. But there was something familiar about the cat. When she looked at it's owner, there was something familiar too. But what? It wasn't until Istya yelled it out that she realized it. Tari Boffin! The one and only! Oh, now new memories were coming, of times with Brandybuck and Blackrose Budd and so many more hobbits...
              She winked at Istya. 'I think it's time for a toast, don't you? To the opening of the Strawberry Starr Brewery!'
              Please state the nature of the medical emergency!

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              Tari snapped out of her daydreaming as someone who looked familiar said, "Oh my goodness! Tari Boffin, is that blue?" Tari's memory and hearing did not always work as it was supposed to these days. "Oh this old thing?" She asked slightly lifting the corner of her apron. She looked down. "No, it's neon green." Istya rushed off to get her wine and came back. When she spoke again of recognizing her, Tari managed to put the two things together. "Ah! Yes, nevermind about the green. My hearing isn't what it used to be. Yes, it's me, Tari Boffin! Your name sounds familiar as well, but it really feels as though it's been either decades or my brain is very foggy." She shook her head, "Probably both. Good to see you!" She spoke cheerfully, which might be a bit unusual for her demeanor.

              When Istya later spoke of introducing her, Tari's eyes got wide. "Oh bother lass! I can barely remember how many cats I have let alone working here. I can't recall ever being the boss, honestly. Though that sounds like something I'd do." At that moment Eamila's presence caught Tari's attention when she said we should toast. Tari was always down for a toast. "Hear hear!" She cried and at just that very moment the cat hopped down from the bartop and back into her purse. Cats weren't great lovers of lots of noise.
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              Sasparilla 'Rilla' Banks
              Rilla openly stared as a brightly-dressed elderly hobbit stumbled into the brewery. At first, she thought maybe the hobbit (Tari) had had a few too many brews already. However, her attention was quickly distracted by the cat, whom she quickly became besotten with. Trying to get within ear-scratching range took all of her attention until another hobbit spoke to her.

              "Hullo, Ea! Its lovely to meet you!" She said with a bright smile at Eamila. "I'm Sasparilla Banks, but please call me Rilla. Oh yes, I do love wine! All kinds! And ale, too!" She held up her glass to show it had been half-drunk already. "This Strawberry Ale is like no other!"

              Then Istya introduced the elderly hobbit as Tari Boffin, of whom Rilla had heard of, but never met. Not that it seemed like she would remember in any case. "Its a bit like a welcome home, then, isn't it, Miss Boffin?" she asked. "Er...is it Mrs. Boffin?" she sputtered, suddenly unsure and wishing she did not have such a distinct lack of manners. "In any case, yes, let's toast! What a wonderful idea, Ea!"

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              Just as Istya began to pet the cat at Tari's side and consider how Tari had forgotten she had used to be in charge here, Ea came bursting through the door as if fearing she was late to the party. So she let the cat run off and then stood back up to greet Ea happily. She adored cats for their individuality and cuteness. But that also meant the cats she found he liked tended to run off on her anyway.

              "I am glad you made it back when you did, Ea, and even so - I am just glad to see you here!" She then stepped back as Ea and Tari got reacquainted, glad to see they were remembering each other enough that Ea had decided it was time for a toast. So she went off behind the bar, and prepared two glasses of the Old Winyard WIne for both Ea and Lily now (plus a glass of fresh water for herself.) She also just grinned happily as Rilla got to know Tari as well.

              "Okay, raise your glasses now, ladies!" she offered, as she raised her own water glass. She began to suspect she may have to explain the water glass to Tari here in a moment, but decided not to worry about it right now. "To Tari returning and to the brewery being reopened!"

              She was anxious to show Tari the old parchments she had come across recently of the original drinks list they had here for the Brewery. But that would have to wait until after the tour. "Okay, who's ready, everyone?! I'm ready to reacquaint you with this much-missed place."

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              Barefooted Balfur bustles down the road. He is only slightly lost. 'Is it 'round here?' he wonders as he looks down some path or road, yet he does not recognise the surroundings. Little wonder, as he has been away for quite some time and now that he is older his memory doesn't seem to work as perfectly as it used to. Yet the dwarf doesn't give up and keeps on searching, whilst starting to hum a song of his own composition.
              'Balfur was a barrel-lord in Khazad-dum of old. There he crafted barrels of silver, steel, and gold. But Balfur was unhappy; his barrels wouldn't fill. You see, there was no brewer left to brew the golden ale."
              As he is rushing down paths and lanes, frantically seeking a semblance of known territory, and yet he cannot help to smile. Was that why he came to the Shire? To learn how to brew? It seems to make sense, but then again his memory is quite hazy.

              At some point he starts to recognise the surroundings. This must be the place, right? He sighs a sigh of relief when he chances upon a familiar looking building. It even has a sign with 'Strawberrystar Brewery' on it. This must be the place!
              Still barefooted, Balfur bustles inside, only to find a collection of hobbits inside. As expected of course, this being the Shire and all. "Uhm... Hi," he says whilst frantically trying to remember whether these people speak Westron. Heck, does he still speak Westron? It's all very confusing. "I heard this place was reopening. Was an apprentice here, I think. Back in the good old times? Could I maybe join your tour?" He says to the woman that has just started toasting to the brewery being reopened (Istya). He thinks he recognises her, but isn't sure. Curse his younger drunkenness!
              Some think to be strong is to be hard like stone. Others know to be strong is to endure like stone.

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              "Is it?" Tari responded to Rilla who thought this might be a bit like a welcome home. She leaned over and whispered, "I don't even remember who half these people are!" Tari reached down inside her purse to pet the cat and muttered to herself about strange hobbits and gatherings. The last thing she remembered she walked over from her smial for a visit to the brewery - specifically for some wine. That was how Tari's memory worked though, it didn't go terribly far back, but she could remember people and places she had seen before.

              It was then she noticed Istya's water glass. She gave it a quick side-eye. She didn't want to ask her about such things. Even a rude old hobbit, like Tari, didn't want to point out or ask too many rude questions. Istya was ready to go on the brewery tour and Tari was ready for it to happen. Perhaps this would jog some old memories of the place. It was starting to seem vaguely familiar. "I'm ready!" Tari eagerly raised her hand and then felt embarrassed for doing such a school-aged hobbit thing. However, attentions were diverted at that moment when a dwarf, Balfur, walked in through the door.
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              Sasparilla Banks

              When Tari leaned over and whispered that she didn't even remember these people, Rilla stifled a chuckle. "What if you just play along? It must be nice to be remembered!" she whispered back with a grin. "You could always make up stories that never really happened."

              Then Istya raised her glass and proclaimed
              "To Tari returning and to the brewery being reopened!"

              Rilla raised her own glass of Strawberry Ale and chimed in, unable to contain her excitement. "To old and new friends and to CATS! May we never live without them." It wasn't clear if she meant friends or cats, but truth be told, she didn't want to live without either and in that moment she couldn't decide if she loved hobbits or cats more.

              It was when Istya announced the tour that Rilla realised her glass was nearly empty, having drained it after the toast. She scurried over to refill it, but when the dwarf (Balfur) entered, she became distracted, having met very few dwarfs in her time, and forgot to turn the tap off so that her glass overflowed and the ale began to drip, drip, drip over the edge of the bar...

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              Just as Istya was about to finish the toast and start the tour, a familiar-looking dwarf entered the room. She knew the face. She just had to think for a minute about the connection. "Balmir? No, Balfur! I think we used to work together - and with Tari too! - back in the day. Hullo! You made it just in time for a tour. Welcome back!"

              She quickly prepared a mug of Strawberry Ale for Balfur, and then returned to the toast. "To the Brewery being back again," she crowed, excited for the change. She listened to the other toasts and grinned. She was glad everyone seemed to be warming up for the big reopening. So she took a moment to take a full gulp of her water in response, and then she started moving everyone into the brewery's kitchens, where about twelve stoves, preparation tables, and adjunct sinks ran across the room in three rows. Cabinets were all around the room on different parts of the wall, probably still full of pots and spoons. A few were broken, but thankfully not too many were. She noticed some stoves and surfaces needed to be cleaned, but thankfully that didn't look so bad either.

              "This is where the Brewery staff does the majority of our brewing work," she said, sweeping her arms across the room. "If you would like to work with us, go ahead and find yourself a station now. And also just reacquaint with what was usually a very busy room!"

              That was when she noticed their original drinks list she had received in Michel Delving was still over at one of the stations. She quickly picked them back up and put them into the skirts of her bulging apron. She made a mental note to share them with everyone later in the day. Thank goodness for Shire-folk archivists!

              Right in that moment, she felt her stomach letting out a cute round of hiccups. She giggled, and patted her stomach to try and reassure her unborn. She must have had her water too fast! So she decided to move around the room in order to give it the chance to get rid of those silly hiccups.

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              Thea tucked a bright golden curl back under her new bonnet and tugged her bodice firmly into place - in the unlikely event it had been out of place to begin with - ready to make her appearance at the Strawberrystar Brewery. She’d heard Finch Tucklewood exclaiming about it excitedly all morning and she would be damned if she let that bird-faced little twit beat her here.

              Granted, the importance of the whole place escaped her, what with her family being from just almost beyond Bree, but she was local now and that’s what mattered. And, being newly local with her worldly upbringing near Bree, Thea fully intended to impress upon her fellows that she was an enviable, experienced woman of refined tastes. She would do so by wearing her very finest - well not very finest, that would be a bit too obvious - clothes made of elven fabric she’d bought from a lovely traveling merchant near her brother’s house. It was very blue.

              So, head held high and shoulders back, Thea pushed inside.

              Oh. Well, there was a great deal of rather... What on earth was all of this for? It was the odd child of a rather well-lit tavern and exceptionally oversized kitchen. Thea felt rather flat footed now that she was inside, meaning that drated Finch was completely wrong and this horrid place was nothing exciting at all. Not one wit!

              Still, there seemed to be something to do up at the counter, what with a quill and some paper, so Thea decided she’d give the whole mess one very last chance before she marched back out the door and told everyone what a terrible little place this was. Though, now that she could see farther in the back, it seemed a whole crowd of people were loitering about in another room just off to the side.

              Decided, Thea filled out her little section of the sheet - she needed proof she was here, after all, just in case this turned out to be something of note - and followed.

              Name: Thea Braggabrook
              Previous rank, if applicable: - (Thea did not snort, but it was a near thing, but she struck a line through it all the same. Most assuredly not.)
              Reason for Tour: I’ve recently come to the area and wish to see what the Strawberrystar has to show against more refined offerings.

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              "Ah! Now, this is a welcome a dearly remember! Balfur exclaims as he reaches for the mug of Strawberry Ale Istya offers him. And the dear hobbit seems to remember him too, though he wonders whether it is through mischief or hard work.
              As he sips the beer and lets it swirl around in his mouth, he eyes the other attendants. One of them has their hand raised in an excited manner (Tari) and though Balfur waves slightly at her, uncertain whether she is actually greeting him. Another seems to have forgotten to turn off the tap as they stare at him (Sasprilla Banks). He feels a bit self-conscious and wonders whether it is his worn-down attire that attracts this sort of attention. He supposes hobbits might not be that familiar with dusty trousers and smudgy shirts. He moves over quietly and whispers: "Hum... you seem to be spilling something." He winks at the hobbit over the brim of his mug and turns back to Istya who explains about the work stations.

              Balfur walks over to one of them and runs his hand across it. In an instant he is transported back to the first time he got here. He can nearly see the marvelous pair of dark gloves he wore back then. He smiles ruefully and looks up from his calloused hand. "It seems I have forgotten more than I would have wished for. I have more recollections of my outfit than of the actual work I used to do here," he laughs. "Unless you need someone to coop. Cooping I can do."
              From the corner of his eyes he sees a... well, an appearance making their appearance. Dressed in fine clothes and with a very decided look in their eyes as they fill in a form. Should he have done that? Balfur edges away to the furthest work station. The one that is just slightly more obscured than the others. Now the dwarf really feels underdressed.

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              Once the hiccups died down, Istya turned back around and noticed a very proud-looking, quite well-dressed hobbit lass enter the Strawberrystar Brewery. Initially, she stiffened at seeing the lass only deign to sign up for the brewery tour. But then she decided this could be a good challenge for herself as this might bring about an even better tour than she had originally planned. So she brightened and let a large smile take over her face in greeting for the hobbit. "Welcome, Thea! Please, come and join us. I was just starting the tour."

              She listened to Balfur's comments about some of his first memories here, and then laughed. "I actually know what you mean, Balfur! During my time away, I sometimes thought more about my own personal stash of raspberry ale back at my own hobbit hole than about the drinks we've brewed here together," she said with a blush. "If it's your outfit choices you remember best, that's where your memories are. And those are certainly some fine gloves, Balfur! I would love it if you would cope along with us here. If business starts to boom again, I will need all the help I can get in the upcoming months."

              She then chose that moment to take out the parchments she had placed in her apron, and then she said to the crowd as she started putting them up on the wall, "By the way, I think this would be a great time to show you all our famous drinks list! It was lost for so long, but then a generous hobbit lad found them a few weeks ago while going through Michel Delving's archives. I did make some recent adjustments to the drinks list, but the additions of drinks comes primarily from what I remember many of our clients would request back then that was not on our menu. So the high majority of these drinks you will recognize if you were here then! I have some great memories of brewing the Christmas Ale for many of the parties around Middle Earth back then. And making our classic strawberry wine was probably one of the drinks most in high demand back then as well. Even Mordorians requested the drink for their events, though I am not sure why."

              She laughed at the thought of it. Maybe orcs liked the drink because it reminded them how much they didn't like hobbits?

              "As you can imagine, this used to be one very busy kitchen! That's why there are so many brewing stations."


              Ales

              Almond Ale
              A dark, creamy ale that complements any rich meat dish. Lightly vanilla-flavored, with the vanilla coming right from the almond.
              Brandywine Ale
              A rich and tart ale brewed with the taste of lavender, chamomile, rosehips and elderberry. Straight from Brandywine's famous pubs.
              Christmas Ale
              A deep bodied, rich red ale that shall warm you up very pleasantly on winter nights, due to its rich honey and strawberry taste. Highly spiced with cinnamon. Goes well with pork, ham and turkey stuffing dishes. First brewed by Samwise Gamgee’s great-gaffer, from the hobs of the Ivy Bush.
              Green Dragon Golden Ale
              A rich ale bright as honey flavored by heather flowers, elderberry and some apple. One of Pippin Took's favorite drinks from the Green Dragon.
              Mocha Delight
              A rich, thick and smooth dark ale with tons of cocoa flavoring. Best to drink on a cold night -- or when you just need chocolate! One of the delights of the Brockenborows.
              Pumpkin Ale
              A rich, thick and spicy amber characterized by its mild pumpkin juice flavoring, hops, and hint of rich molasses. First brewed during the Shire’s first fully celebrated harvest season in the 2nd Age.
              Raspberry Walnut Ale
              A lively, rich, full-bodied amber ale, characterized by its spicy raspberry taste and thick, smooth walnut taste. Best served with ham, pork, or heavy soup dishes.
              Spiced Orange Ale
              A light but savory ale blend of chamomile, coriander and orange peel. Great with fall dishes, such as pumpkin pie and roasted turkey.
              Strawberry Ale
              A light, amber ale with a sweet strawberry taste. Great to savor with light pasta or chicken dishes. This is the Brewery's very first original recipe... as well as the ale that gave the Brewery its name!
              Sunflower Ale
              A favorite in the Eastfarthing due to its tribute to its local farmers' growing of sunflowers. The taste of rosemary and dried lemon peel makes the drinker think of sunflower fields and bright sunny days.

              Wines

              Cherry Apple Wine
              A thick and heady red apple wine, accented with cherry flavoring and some cinnamon shavings. A southern Green Hill Country favorite, often requested at its pubs for wedding anniversaries and birthday celebrations.
              Fallen Leaves Wine
              A flavorful, crisp white wine, that will taste slightly different to you at every sip. Although this wine is primarily characterized by peach and lemon taste,hints of black raspberry and of fresh mint will also emerge from it on occasion. This drink is an adventure all its own.
              Farmer Maggot’s Barley Wine
              Tart and sweet malt wine, with the freshly farmed tastes of pear, orange and lemon. A hint of raisin gives this drink quite a richness!
              Galadriel's Mirror
              A thick, dry and creamy red wine tinged with peppermint and the light flavor of elderberries. Great with steaks and porks.
              Glowing Strawberry Wine
              A warmth-giving, heady amber-red wine, which is thick with honey and spicy on the tongue. The strawberry flavoring makes this drink a delightful surprise for those who enjoy the Brewery’s Strawberry Ale, as it is a different take on the recipe. Great with rich meat or heavy cheese dishes.
              Icy Brandy Wine
              A syrupy sweet, flavorful red dessert wine, best if accompanied with a light ice cream or pie. Tinged with brandy and honey for a medium-bodied taste.
              Old Winyard Wine
              A deep, full-bodied red wine enriched with the strong mixed taste of apples, cherries and strawberries. Originally a favorite of the Dunedain, hobbits took this recipe in and made it their own during the 2nd Age. The Old Winyard is now a Shire classic that may be mixed with cinnamon or bits of basil, based upon request.
              Oranges and Lemons
              A sweet, crisp white wine that will go perfectly with almost any salad or vegetable dish. This wine remains a favorite in much of the Southfarthing.
              Orange Rose Wine
              Another tribute to the tangy taste of oranges, but with a slightly salted raspberry taste to it. A hint of mint with it is highly suggested.
              Strawberry Wine
              Sweet and refreshing drink with strawberries, green grapes, a little bit of lemon, and a dash of honey for taste.
              The Tuckborough Toast
              A thick, tart amber wine, flavored by a triple blend of apricots, walnuts and pears. A recipe favorite of the Took family that likely came from the hobbits’ Wandering Days. Remains a wine favorite among the pubs of Tuckborough.
              White Grape Peach Wine
              A light, crisp amber wine, flavored primarily by peaches and just a wee bit of sugar. A delight any time of the year and with almost any meal. First brewed in Isengard by Radagast the Brown.


              Stouts, Meads, Lemonade and Cider

              Chocolate Stout
              A rich and indulgent drink for chocolate lovers, due to its brewing of deep, dark melted chocolate with light barley and over-ripened hops.
              Maple Mead
              Tannic, medium-bodied, and flavored by oranges and the rich sap of the maple tree. This unique, flavorful honey mead will please all of the senses on cold, fall or wintry nights. This recipe comes from the inns and pubs all over Buckland.
              Lavender Lemonade
              A sweet and sparkling lemonade, first steeped in lavender flavoring before tinged with slight touches of lemon. Perfect to serve chilled over the spring and summer seasons.
              Hot Spiced Cider
              Rich with apple and nutmeg flavoring, this cider is rich and spicy. Perfect to warm up with or for a good, flavorful swish in the mouth.

              Esquire of The Mark
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              After the excitement of seeing everyone arriving, and greeting people, Lily finally took a moment to savour her drink. It was wonderful, full of all the flavours she remembered. it was like brushing cobwebs off old memories. Unfortunately she became so absorbed in enjoying the beverage that she didn't realise when Istya began the tour and lead everyone off out of the room. It was only when she finished her glass and looked around, realising it was quite quiet for a room full of people, and strained her ears to hear voices floating on the air from the direction of the kitchens.

              Leaping to her feet she ran off in that direction, feet remembering the way after many years of working in the brewery before, and arrived in the doorway of the kitchen just as Istya was describing the drinks that had been offered by the brewery. "So sorry, I hope I didn't miss much" she said quietly, trying not to intrude, and noticing with interest the addition of old friend Tari and Balfur the dwarf to the crowd, among others who she did not know. Lily found a spot where she could see Istya properly and leaned against the workstation, then looked more closely at the wooden work bench...there in the wood was a tiny star, scratched in with the tip of a knife over many months. "Hey!" she cried, excitedly, forgetting that she was trying not to make a disturbance, "This is my old work station!"
              Starbreeze ~ Lily Knotwise ~ Itarildë Tinehtelë ~ Peachleaf ~ Isiliyan ~ Aelflaed Goldhawk ~ Dagnead

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              With Istya mentioning all these names of all these wonderful wines and ales and other drinks, Eamila felt her mouth water. She licked her lips twice and tried not to look stupid.
              'It's an amazing list, Istya!', she said. 'My goodness, such creativity and skill there is here in the Brewery! Are we going to taste some of that great drinks? Or are you going to show us the work process first? I must admit that helping out in the Brewery sounds a lot more interesting when you realize how diverse it is. So I hope you are going to tell us more about that too!'
              She closed her eyes for a second and breathed in all the different smells in the kitchen. It was almost magic. Then she opened her eyes again and looked around. It was almost as if she could hear the echo of busy voices and working hobbits from the past.
              'I am absolutely sure that all those working stations will be functioning soon enough', she said. At that moment there was a breeze and a yell nearby and Lily passed her crying out that this was her old work station. Ea laughed.
              'Tell us about it Lily! What did you work on here? Wine or ale or something else?'
              Please state the nature of the medical emergency!

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              Sasparilla Banks

              "Hum... you seem to be spilling something," Balfur told her in a quiet voice with a wink.

              Turning pink to her ears, Rilla grabbed the handle of the tap and turned it off, cringing at the sight of wasted ale dripping off the counter. Grateful no one else had noticed, including Istya, she quietly mopped it up the best she could with a towel and then shot the dwarf a very grateful look. She'd have to offer Istya some coins to make up for the lost ale...especially when she had a wee hobbitling on the way.

              Rilla situated herself at a tap across from the dwarf, who appeared to be trying to shrink away behind the equipment for some odd reason. "Thanks for that back there," she told Balfur. "I've never got to meet many dwarves before, and, well, I'm rather excited to make your acquaintance, good sir! I'm sorry if I was rather rudely staring before. I'm Rilla Banks and I've been told I don't always have the best of manners."

              Her jaw dropped at the list of drinks and the colorful way it was presented. She might have to put her travel plans on hold so she could spend more time here! "Oh where to begin...Can we make them all?" she asked.

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              Barely needing any encouragement, as soon as Ea prompted her for more details on her work station she began an excited rant about her times at the Brewery. "Well when we first established the brewery we had only a very few recipes, and then more were added all the time, so this work station has seen more 'experiments' than anything else. Of course there was the iconic strawberry ale...and I remember when we first tried.,,and later perfected the recipe for the chocolate stout, oh my, that was a treat! I had more than a few mishaps here as well....look, here on the bench, see that burn mark? That's from when I set down a steaming hot pan of stewed fruit for a recipe, but didn't realise a piece of kindling from the fire was stuck to the bottom, burned away like anything until the air ran out. I tried desperately to cover it up but of course everyone saw, and the smell of burning was a big give away.

              And look, here, see how there is a little hollow in the wood? That is where I always rested my spoon after stirring, and over the years it wore away at the wood. And these scratches here? I got too over excited when chopping herbs - like the lavender for the lavender lemonade - and always ended up cutting onto the work surface instead of the chopping board. I....er...I wasn't the neatest or tidiest brewer! I wonder if any of my old utensils are here?
              " she dived down, opening drawers, pulling things out and pushing them back in, making quite a ruckus. On trying to stand up again, she banged her head on the overhanging worktop "Owwww, I deserved that but oowwww" she yelped, proudly clutching a stained wooden spoon. "Look, it's the spoon that stirred the first chocolate stout!" she cried, waving it in the air.
              Starbreeze ~ Lily Knotwise ~ Itarildë Tinehtelë ~ Peachleaf ~ Isiliyan ~ Aelflaed Goldhawk ~ Dagnead

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              "It would be my pleasure, Istya," Balfur answers with a grin, "to cope, coop and even brew beside such admirable folks as have gathered here!" Smiling as he hears others find and claim their old spots, he starts to look around for some cooping wood. If they are going to start brewing again, they really need to have some proper barrels first! "By the by, Istya, are we going to use old barrels and bottles or do you want to have new ones made? Because I do remember some of the skills I picked up in Khazad Dum." He drums with his fingers on the working station, still aware of the rather huffy seeming halfling that just entered in their finest clothes. His own worn down clothes do not seem very appropriate at a festive re-opening, but it is all he has. He spots an old apron hanging near him and decides to put it on; just to cover up most of the patches and tears in his shirt and trousers. The ale-spilling hobbit is standing in front of him when he turns around and introduces herself as Rilla. "Ah, Rilla, it is very nice to meet you too! And don't worry about being rude from time to time," the blonde dwarf chuckles. "I suppose I stick out in this crowd here. Besides, I am not very good at being polite myself. When I first got to Moria, I waltzed into the throne room and started casually conversing with one of the queens as they held court! They were very kind, though, and even showed me to a place I could learn better manners."

              As Istya presents the old list of drinks, his eyes widen. He cannot believe that there were so many different drinks back in the days. "I must have, at least tasted them all... right?" he mutters to himself and shakes his head. He cannot really recall much from those days, but seeing the list he is quite certain that young Balfur would have been 'tasting' more than actually brewing. Well, it is time he proofs to himself and others that he has changed. If only a little. "The mead would probably be the easiest," he says thoughtfully as he ponders over the menu. "Yet I feel that we ought to at least start with the Strawberry Ale, as it is the classic like Lily says." He licks his lips thinking of the beer. "Then again, I do need a bit of a refill, first. Can't go thirsty whilst brewing!"

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              It was such fun to listen to Lily tell stories from the olden days!
              'Oh my, I can certainly imagine how it must have felt to cause a fire like that... but wow, such experiments you had here! No wonder you are so excited to be back!'
              Ea had to make a dive when Lily waved her old spoon around. She laughed out loud. 'You sure make working here sound great! I already have a quite different view on it than I had before!'
              She walked over to an empty work station and gently brushed the wood. This one didn't seem to have been used as much as the other one. She opened the drawer and touched the instruments she found in it. Knives for cutting, spoons for stirring... but some other instruments were new to her. Could she be working here? She had only come to the Tour because she had always wanted to have a look behind the scenes. She just hadn't expected it to be so wonderful! It was almost... magic!
              A soft drumming behind her, made her look up from her dreams. It was Balfur, an impressive looking Dwarf.
              'Nice to meet you, master Dwarf', she said. 'I heard you speak of skills you picked up in Khazad Dum. What was your favorite kind of ale there? Perhaps you can teach us some new flavors!'
              Please state the nature of the medical emergency!

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              (Sorry for the delay in posting! I was going to post last Tuesday, but I went into labor early that morning and gave birth to my daughter eight hours later. Welcome to the world, Alyssa!)

              Istya felt relief when her posting of the original drinks list "saved" what she considered the first part of her tour. She could feel the excitement in the room as everyone either found their original brewing stations back in the day or guessed at the next part of the tour. She considered that a good sign! She also considered what everyone was saying to each other and to her, and decided on the fly how the tour would continue.

              "I wasn't originally going to have my tour goers brew," Istya admitted, "but since I am seeing so much interest in that, I will definitely add it to the tour. We don't have a full storage of all of our drinks here yet, though. That will be a task we can work on a little bit today, but we definitely will need to complete the majority of it on another day."

              With that, she gave everyone a wink, and then she answered Balfur's question. "While we will definitely have our original barrels to use, we would definitely love to have more. Mainly due to all of our shipments we do! So that could be a great task for another day."

              At that, Istya gestured to a smaller room about eight feet in front of them all, which jutted away from the brewing stations and was back toward the front of the building. She then started walking in that direction, letting them know they would be continuing to walk through the building first. "This room may seem of no consequence, at first. Why would a room full of barrels and the rest of our brewing equipment matter to tour goers? But do you see these three sets of pulleys to the left hand side of the room, with drops in the floor? This is where we bring in barrels to the brewery so we can fill them up, as well as where we set them back outside once they are filled. This is basically how we get all of our work to the majority of our customers! Balfur, as I remember, you spent a lot of your time in this room last time we worked together. I didn't as much. So you are free to tell more about this room, if you'd like, and show others how to work the pulleys."

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              Balfur has half forgotten that they are on a tour of the Brewery and not in the midst of working at the brewery. Not that he did a lot of work back in his day. He remembers mainly being locked in a small, dark room with all sorts of levers and gears to get the barrels from one place to the other. He has fond memories of that place, mainly because of the pewter tankard he had hidden on a ledge above, so that he could 'sample' whether the contents of the barrel were still in 'prime condition'. If it was an especially qualitative brew he would have to sample twice. He smiles broadly as he is reminded of those days and turns to yet another hobbit (Eamila Bolger) who introduces themselves to him.
              "Please, call me Balfur, I am no master! he laughs, it's good to make your acquaintance too! As for my favourite type of dwarven brew..."
              He thinks for a while and ponders a bit. Not because he does not know which of all the drinks is his favourite, but rather because he has not had it for such a long time that he has forgotten the flavour.
              "I'd say the Orc Bite was my favourite in the days of yore" he replies slowly, "It was a strong, black ale that, some speculated, was crafted for the dwarves to fight the orcs of the Misty Mountains wearing naught but a towel and armed with naught but a feather" he bends forward conspiringly: "and win..."
              His deep, blue eyes twinkle with sudden excitement and his laugh rumbles from the depths of his belly.
              "I remember doing some wild, wild things under its influence!"

              The tour continues and they are brought to the Room with the Barrels, which Balfur so fondly and yet vaguely remembers. There are no gears or levers, just a couple of pulleys. Still, the dwarf rushes in excitedly.
              "Ah yes! I was just thinking about this place!" he exclaims as he goes in to check on the pulleys and the barrels.
              When the tour guide asks him to tell them about the room and pulleys he blushes behind his ash-blonde beard. Again, he struggles to remember. Possibly because the work was so simple, possibly because he had flushed cheeks and a red nose from spending a lot of time 'quality testing' the outgoing barrels. Yet, he pulls himself together and walks to one of the pulleys.
              "To be honest, it is quite simple, he explains, One person would be up here, hoisting barrels up and lowering them down, either to the place where they would be filled or outside, where they would be transported to the waiting customers! Below, people would tie and untie the barrels. Just like outside." He pats the thick beam of one of the pulleys and laughs:
              "If you want I can give a small demonstration! Could be fun to hoist some of you hobbits through the chutes!"
              He does not expect the halflings to be so adventurous as to give the whole thing a try and starts looking around for a proper barrel to use. All the while he has half an eye open for that lovely tankard. It must still be hidden here somewhere!
              Some think to be strong is to be hard like stone. Others know to be strong is to endure like stone.

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              Rilla Banks

              Oh! It turned out they were not going to attempt to brew anything today on the tour. Though she was excited to try something new, Rilla was rather relieved. It was a lot less work just to drink ale than to make it. She shuffled along with the others into a room Rilla would call the barrelery. A very technical term for a room full of barrels.

              As soon as she saw the pulleys, she had one idea and one only. While she listened patiently to Istya and Balfur's wonderful information, her eyes kept darting to the pulleys.

              When Balfur said "If you want I can give a small demonstration! Could be fun to hoist some of you hobbits through the chutes!", Rilla thought he may have used some kind of dwarf-magic to read her mind. Did dwarves have magic? she wondered.

              Without hesitating, she ran forward. "You can hoist me! I'll go!"

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              When Rilla volunteered herself for the pulley hoisting demonstration in the barrel room, Istya grinned, and brought the pulley hook over to Balfur while the other side of the pulley ran up to the room's ceiling. "I'll admit I used to fantasize about going down that chute by myself on the Brewery's slow days back then. So I am curious to see how you do this, Balfur. I wish we had the time to have everyone - including me! - go through the demonstration!"

              Letting Balfur take over the tour at this time, Istya backed away and began to take note of the room's inventory: twenty four barrels in the far right corner - along with 45 empty fruit baskets - thirty barrels in the closer right corner, almost 100 wine bottles up on the shelves, as well as a full kitchen's amount of pots, brewing spoons, sieves and advanced sets of knives. Yep, the brewery was stocked for a week's worth of work before new barrels would need to be made.

              Istya then glanced through the barrel room's window out to the outdoor gardens, where she saw their wheat fields swaying, the waning berry patches, and a somewhat overgrown herb garden. While there were other rooms about the Brewery, the outside gardens would probably be more interesting to the tour takers than anything else after this. So she hiked up on her right knee a good stack of the empty fruit baskets, and then she began to hand them out to everyone.

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              "You and Aigronding should visit the Shire more often," Matt Bowbrick insisted, guiding Tharmáras Isilherven through the sun-dappled shade of the Woody End. The Hobbit Bounder and the Elven noble were dear friends; Matt's halfling ancestors of Willowbrook were archers sent to the last battle at Fornost centuries ago and made friendships with Tharmáras and the Mordagnirs and their Dúnedain allies which remained intact to this day. The gallant blonde Elf-lord from Forlindon was passing through the Shire on his way to Bree, selling mostly citrus fruits from his prodigious orchard by the Gulf of Lhûn. Leaving his guards with Gildor Inglorion and his Wandering Company tarrying in the Shire near Woodhall, Tharmáras had sent a message to Matt via his dove, Sarnaiwen, asking to escort him to the Starwberrystar Brewery which he had never been to before.

              "I'm married to Nariel and we have children now, Matt," Tharmáras reminded the Fallohide hobbit again for the umpteenth time but not unkindly; gentleness was always his way. "I can't get out, as your folk say, as often as I used to and, when I'm able to, it's usually business or excursions with my wife."

              "Or stabbing someone," Matt added and shared a lopsided grin with Tharmáras.

              "That would fall under business, Matthew." Tharmáras' grin widened. "Agressive negotiations." Tharmáras was Shoremaster, Admiral Telkelion's second in the Lindonese military. He battled Umbarian Corsairs and trespassing ruffians but sometimes his adventures took him to the imperiled eastern lands of the region where Orcs and Trolls, Werewolves and savage Hill-men endangered travellers and Elves and Dúnedain.

              They rode past the forested feet of the verdant Green Hill Country and eventually arrived at the picturesque property of the Strawberrystar Brewery. Tharmáras hitched Thinarth - his hardy grey steed, a Combe Pincheron which pulled one of his carts here - and Matt tied his bay pony to a post also then entered the building. They were given directions to the Barrel Room and came there to find guests being given fruit baskets. Tharmáras hoped he didn't seemed too out of place though he knew Elves did visit the Shire on occasion. His boot shone with a magnificent luster. He wore the finest Lindonese silk, clad in silvery-grey and royal-blue. Matt - taller and slimmer than most halflings, given his Fallohide descent - was barefoot, of course, dressed in breeches with a golden-brown vest worn over a short-sleeved linen shirt. It was Matt who did the initial talking, speaking with Istya first when humble Tharmáras nodded at him.

              "Hullo there! I'm Matt Bowbrick of Willowbottom and this out-of-towner, Tharmáras Isilherven, hails from Lindon. I'm here for the tour and he's come to the Brewery on business."

              "It is always a pleasure for me, journeying the idlyllic fertile land of the Shire," Tharmáras complimented Istya, bowing before her with palm over heart. "The approach of a special date draws nigh, the fourteenth anniversary of my wedding. I'd like to surprise my wife with a couple bottles of your famous Old Winyard Wine to celebrate our union. In token of my appreciation, I present to you a gift: A load of oranges and lemons, grapefruit, lime and pomelos from Lindonese coasts to complement your Shire stores if you so will like."
              "Eriol... 'One who dreams alone.' ” - Tolkien, The Book of Lost Tales I

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              Just as Istya and Balfur were about to hoist Rilla up onto the barrel pulleys as a demonstration of what they could do, Istya noticed an elf and a tall hobbit appear through the Brewery door from around the corner. For some reason, Istya bowed to the elf at hearing Matt's introduction to Tharmáras. She didn't quite know why. She had only ever once bowed to her own elven husband, and that had been in a moment of jesting. So she paused shortly before straightening back up into a standing position and to take in the story of why the two of them had arrived today.

              At hearing it, she was genuinely relieved. This was the Brewery's first order since re-opening, and it really didn't take that long to take place. Which was good! However, she turned a deep red at hearing the gift the elf was presenting to the Brewery. While the brewery did not necessarily use the grapefruit and pomelos in their drinks, they certainly used the oranges, lemons and limes! And she would be willing to invent drinks that required the grapefruit and pomelos, so that was not a problem either.

              "Wow, that is quite the generous gift," she murmured, not too sure of what else to say. After a few seconds, it finally came to her of what she should say. "Thank you. We will definitely accept it. Even more so, I appreciate your order for two to four bottles of our Old Winyard. We will definitely start on that order today. When would you like to have them by?"

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              Rilla Banks

              As Istya brought the pulley over, Rilla began to second-guess herself. She leaned her head back and looked allllll the way up at the ceiling. It was higher than she thought. Would she break a leg if she fell? Would she fall? What if she got caught and had to stay up there forever because no one could get her back and spiders built webs around her and mice nested in her hair and all the while she'd have to smell the delicious scent of brewing ale, never to get a taste! Oh she couldn't take it! Rilla shuddered. She had obviously not thought this idea through.

              When two new customers came in (one of them an elf! she did not want to embarrass herself in front of an elf...), Rilla seized her chance. She tugged on Balfur's sleeve and whispered in his ear. He'd been so very polite to her before. Surely he'd understand. "I'm not so sure I want to go through with this anymore..." Her eyes were wide. "Um...D'you think you could demonstrate um, without a hobbit? Or- or- maybe a braver one than me?"

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              Istya overheard Rilla's request to Balfur that maybe she should not be used as part of the pulley demonstration, and so she laughed understandingly. In effect, she nodded to the elf who gave her a silent reply that anytime soon would be fine, and then she went to the corner of the barrel room where all the barrels were, got one down, and then rolled it over to the pulley in front of everyone.

              "Here, then let me show you what basically happens then," Istya said, willing to give it a shot on her own. "This one doesn't have anything in it, so just imagine how much heavier it would be when the wine or ale is already in there!"

              She lifted the barrel up to her chest, using both arms and hands to keep it close to her. It almost dropped on her feet, as she was not used to doing this part of the job by herself (if at all). But she was soon able to get the barrel on top of the move-able raised square platform just below the pulleys, and then she brought the latch side of the chain to the barrel's lid handle. Once the latch fully gripped the barrel handle, she ensured the barrel lid was secure on the barrel itself before grappling with the other side of the chain and pulling hard a good number of times to get the barrel raised a few feet in the air. She took part of the chain she was handling in her hands and secured it around a large knob jutting out from the wall behind her before moving the platform away from the floor.

              She glanced down past the opening, and noticed their large grassy patch outside where usually the Brewery's transporters met with their wine and ale stock. Just looking down, she got slightly dizzy. So she stepped back, brought the chain off the large knob again, and then slowly lowered the barrel through the opening in the floor and onto that grassy patch below them.

              "Well, that was no easy feat!" she sighed to herself after she was done. "That's why we have folks like Balfur usually run the way of this room. Whew! I am usually in the kitchens and gardens myself."

              Coughing at the thought, she decided that was a good segue to the next part of the tour.

              "Speaking of, let's go ahead and go out to the gardens!" she said, handing everyone their gardening baskets and then taking them past the kitchens and into a small hallway which led everyone outside. "As you can imagine, our vineyards are extensive. We have rows and rows of berries just before you get there, and beyond them we have copses of trees of all different kinds of fruits. Apples, oranges, lemons ... there is a ton to smell outside. We also typically have a greenhouse area for many of our spices, but that's just behind our building here. You should see it on the way out the door here to your left!"

              She ran the recipe for the Old Winyard through her mind once again. Ahh, that's right. Basil first!

              "Let's head to the greenhouse first then to get the basil. Then we can go strawberry picking. There may not be many strawberries out there right now. They are a little out of season. But there may be some left. Then we can go grape picking before we look for apples and cherries."

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              Fuin made her way to the Strawberrystar Brewery, she had been there long ago and had even at one point started learning how to brew, it wasn't something that she was overly fond of mostly as she rarely drank enough to make brewing worth while but she was old and needed things to fill her time. She was shocked and pleased to see a fwe familiar faces as she came in. Perhaps she would have to brush off her books and get back to learning brewing. She also recognized at least one familiar face there, Aigronding and after a while she placed both the current owner of the brewery Istya as well as Tari The elderly hobbit of course was quite changed from what Fuin remembered but then again she was a hobbit not an elf and there was little else that could be expected of that. And then there was the dwarf Balfur and a few other that she swore she knew but wasn't sure anymore it had been far far too long.

              With that she took a quill and filled out the little tour form.
              Name: Fuin
              Previous Rank, if applicable: I believe an Apprentice but I am willing to start from scratch I remember almost nothing.
              Reason for Tour: Curiosity

              With that she stood up and looked about there seemed to be a demonstration of some sort with barrel that looked like it was quite fun and then a call for everyone to head out to the gardens, so she happily followed along she enjoyed picking herbs and fruit.

              OOC @Istya Alassea I have the original smaller icons for the ranks if you want them they are slightly less pixelated I don't have the file to make them larger though I must admit)
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              OOC @Fuin Elda I know those icons are not the best quality. I don't mind them the way they are, but you can definitely post what you have in the Michel Delving House thread. I can look to see how much better they may look and how I may be able to use them. Thank you for thinking of it!

              The Tour
              Just as Istya was leading everyone through the back door out into the Brewery's gardens, she noticed a familiar face over at the entryway bar signing in. She happily waved to @Fuin Elda , and then gestured to one of the extra baskets in Istya's left hand. "Please feel free to join us," she said cheerily. "I would love to re-show you the gardens to let you see what's changed and what hasn't. So come on over!"

              Leading the way, she veered to her immediate left. There, just behind a huge window with green, opened slats, was a well tended, moderate sized and low floor garden about the size of three normal hobbit hole living rooms. Sections of the garden were meant for different herbs, edible plants and even some flowers. So she gestured the way through the wooden gate to lead them into the gardens, which was heralded by stout, fragrant elderberry trees. Past them, she went to the area of the gardens where tons of different plants were set up in four, long and spaced out rows. Wooden plates stood out from the garden in different places to show the brewers what each plant was so that trainees could never get confused. So she stopped in front of the basil plants, and fingered one of the leafy plants to sheave out the leaves to make sure the leaves were healthy enough for picking. Once she found a good section of healthy basil plants, she began to gently pull the leaves off the plant stems and then invited the tour-goers to try the exercise as well.

              "This area is not wide enough for everyone," she admitted, straightening up for a second, "so I definitely would invite you to explore the gardens while you are here if you can't get exactly where you need to be to get the basil. So please feel free to explore!"

              Inside the Brewery - NPCs Milo Brockhouse, Mungo Took and Fardo Took
              Having just arrived from Istya's home, where Milo had been visiting with her husband Eldar, Milo turned up at the front door. He had heard about an urgent matter from Istya's husband, so he washed some mud off of his feet before entering the brewery's halls. He then went into the barrel room to pick up a handful of baskets, shearing scissors and gloves, before going out the back door to temporarily join the tour. He stepped in briefly to pick up some basil leaves from where Istya was standing, waved to everyone on the tour with a nod of his head and a tilt of his hat, and then went on his way.

              He then went away from the tour and headed to the vineyards to pick up a good handful of ripe, red grapes. He ate a few of them himself. They smelled so fresh! And he didn't leave until he had a full basket of the grapes before he left the vineyards and headed to the far end of the property to go among all of the trees. He stayed quiet, picking up the ripest of the low-hanging apples from one of the apple trees. He worked slower here. His favorite scent was apple cinnamon in his own kitchens at home. He was not a huge fan of cherries, and that's where he need to head next.

              Milo whistled a tune through his bottom front teeth, singing about a lass with golden hair from Tuckborough, before finally leaving the apple trees behind. Cherries are much harder to pick than apples. So he pulled out shearing scissors from one of his pockets and used them to get down two good handfuls of cherries from the newer branches on of the trees.

              The tune kept going as he finally went to visit the strawberry patches that were in the middle of the gardens. There weren't many good ones left, so he picked out what he could until his back hurt from all the searching and leaning over. Examining his work, he had gathered almost a basket-ful. He decided that was good enough - the strongest fruit that comes through in an Old Winyard bottle is the apple, not the cherry or strawberry. So he finally called it a day, picking up everything he needed, before heading back towards the brewery buildings and onto the wine press vats. He poured the grapes from his first baskets onto a nearby, outdoor kitchen counter with a sink so that he could wash them up and take off the grape stems with a proper knife. Then he poured all of the washed grapes into the wine vat, and he hiked up his pant legs to wash his feet a final time in a nearby watering hole. He then hopped into the wine press to stomp away on them until his heart was content and pumping fast!

              This was when two other hobbit lads, Mungo and Fardo Took, approached the Brewery's backyard and found Milo stomping out the grapes. They gave out a few big cheers to cheer Milo on, and then they got into grape vat with him. Ever since their moment that late morning together eating food from one of the market stalls, Mungo and Fardo had expected that Milo would need their help. So they sang and danced a few songs in the vat before Fardo brought a barrel from inside the brewery to the vat's spigot not that far from the brewery's back door. The grape juice started to flow, and then Fardo hopped back in to finish out the wine pressing.

              Mungo was the quieter hobbit of the three of them. He was usually shy at social gatherings, not sure of what to say to the pretty lasses that would typically be on the dance floor long before he could muster up the courage to even say hello to them. So he was the first to hop out of the vat to check on the barrel's capacity. Once it hit close to the midway point of the barrel, he let Fardo and Milo know before putting a lid on the barrel and then rolling it back into the brewery and up to one of the kitchen stations for the rest of the drink preparation.

              Fardo whistled and danced his way to one of the brewery's upper rooms to find a good stash of yeast starters - he had to smell each of the stored ones to make sure which ones were still good. When he finally found a good one, he brought it down and started to mix it up with the grape juice. Still his voice started to sing up another song. (He was one of those hobbits who wouldn't get much further into a night at the pub without a date on his arm, a good laugh and a joke to tell!)

              In the meantime, Milo was the one who went around the kitchens to find some good cutting knives. Once he found a couple of good ones, he used a cutting stone to re-sharpen the knives and then gave them a good washing in the sink. Once they were ready to go, that was when he washed the rest of the fruit and then began cutting up the apples. Mungo saw how far behind he was in getting the fruit ready, so he took over on de-pitting and then crushing the cherries, and then later cutting up the strawberries. Milo walked away at this point to cough closer to the front door of the brewery - whew, the smells were strong - before he diced up one of the basil leaves and then started sliding all of these various fruits in with the red grape juice waiting for them.

              "How much of the Old Winyard do we have left in storage?" Milo then asked Fardo, as he began to wheel the beginnings of the wine to the back of the brewery in order to take it upstairs. Fardo was about to say something about going upstairs ahead of him, but then he noticed one of the barrels at the welcoming bar was labeled the Old Winyard from here. He took a drink, and commented, "If this is here - and it tastes good - I am sure there are some ready to go upstairs before we have to go with a younger wine."

              So Fardo dashed upstairs and found the rest of the full Old Winyard barrels. He checked on their consistencies and did the proper sanitary taste tests before he got two empty wine bottles from downstairs and then poured some of the older Old Winyard batches into it. After he yelled out that he had been able to manage to get a good two bottles worth, Milo went back into the barrel room to pick up some labels, an ink bottle, and a good quill. He wrote a carefully written note for the anniversary couple and then awaited Fardo's at the lower end of the steps. Once Milo attached the note on one of the bottles, he gave his friends a solemn thank you on their shoulders before they headed back out the front door and away for the delivery of the two bottles.

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              Fuin for her part quickly grabbed a basket and began looking through the garden helping to pick some basil and looking through the rest of the garden, she had always enjoyed the hobbit gardens, and the brewery was one of the best, quite large simply because of how much produce was required in order to brew the ales and wines. She picked back some sprigs of basil stem and all to make the basil come back even bushier before picking the leaves into the basket on their own. After that she wandered about finding the odd little weed seedling and plucking it out of the way as well as rosemary and other fragrant herbs that could be used in the various brews that would need to be used soon before the became too old or become attacked by bugs because they were no longer young and healthy.

              After a short while she returned closer to Istya to make sure that she didn't miss any part of the tour. She wondered how much fruit was still out in the gardens and orchards still, she didn't believe it would be too many.
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              (OOC Sorry about my absence! My daughter's last month was pretty tough. Her sleeping and eating patterns have been changing dramatically, all thanks to her transition towards real food this week.)

              As Istya watched everyone check out the plants in the garden, she also occasionally gazed out towards the vineyards and barley, hops and strawberry fields. This was always a beautiful sight, and it especially looked great during the year's autumn months just before harvest time. Farmers running low on barley usually dropped by on such days to gather whatever they needed from the brewery's fields before heading back to their own farms. She in fact saw a few hobbits walking the aisles within their maze of fields as she gazed across, and she waved to one of the farmers before she turned back around.

              "I may get some elderberries before we leave here today," she announced for no particular reason, as she went back toward the garden's entrance with the elderberry branches hanging over it. "Ahh, and there's the smell of thyme too! Love this place."

              She took up a few handfuls of the berries before turning back around to everyone checking out the gardens. "Onwards?" she suggested. "We are about to head through the strawberry fields on our way over to the vineyards. This is not really the season for strawberries, so you won't see many healthy strawberries. However, this is the time for planting them. As you will see, the strawberry plants themselves basically look like low-hanging house plants right now. Still pretty cute!"

              So Istya led the way, and took everyone down the third row from the right, past bushes that either had strawberries left or none at all. She picked out the strawberries that still looked healthy on her way down the aisle.

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              Rilla Banks
              Thank the stars, Istya overheard her whispered request and sent a barrel up through the pulley instead of her. Rilla always thought she was a pretty brave hobbit (she was half Brandybuck after all!) But maybe not...

              She followed along with the others and wandered around the garden. Hmm. Which one was basil again? It didn't take long for her to forget which was which and she never had a very green thumb. But it all smelled very nice and edible and tempting. She dug her hands deep into the pockets of her skirt to avoid ruining any of Istya's lovely plants.

              "Strawberries?" she asked, bouncing on her toes when they reached the fields. "Ohh they're my favourite!" she exclaimed. How sad it was not strawberry season. Still, she pulled up her skirts, crouched down onto her knees in a most unladylike fashion (her mother would certainly frown at her) and began searching for a juicy red strawberry. Maybe she'd be lucky and find one last fruit! She pushed aside leaves and vines and searched and searched but did not come up with anything.

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              As expected, Istya only came up with less than a handful of the strawberries. Strawberry planting season wasn't even for another couple of months, either. So she gave out a little sigh as she made the rest of the way to the brewery's fourteen grapevine rows. The first seven were for their red grape varieties and the second seven were for their green grape varieties. Late November through December was typically pruning season for their grapes, so many of the plants looked pretty "hairy" with overgrown weeds and branches. It was a good thing there was a toolshed right next to the vineyards so that everyone could grab gloves, shearing tools and trimming scissors. Istya showed them the toolshed and the various instruments for gardening before taking off down a row of the red grapevines that were growing.

              "You won't see many grapes ready for picking this time of year, though you will see some," she instructed. "So while we're here, let's get to pruning! Yy--yikes! That branch nearly got me in the eye. Okay, I'm taking that nasty thing down."

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              The allotment of strawberries left for those on the tour was very small Fuin had gotten one, and it was small and she decided eating it was fitting, little use of a single strawberry in brewing. It was fantastically sweet though as if to reward her for deciding to eat it. They moved onto the grape vines, there were quite a few of them and many were as tall as Fuin herself which made for a bit of hilarity to her as there were very few dangerous branches near the tops of these vines though Istya was certainly short enough that some of the bushy branches were a danger to her.

              The elleth who did enjoy the odd glass of wine though normally headier Dorwinion varieties was happy to continue learning and helping out at the brewery. She dutifully retreated some pruning sheers though she avoided the gloves, more on that they wouldn't fit her than anything else and that her hands were tough from plenty of other activities so trimming grape vines back so they weren't as hairy as a Forochel Auroch was something the could manage without blistering or hurting.

              She had heard that grapes did best when trimmed back heavily so that the grapes themselves grew plumper when they were full of fruit rather than sending out longer runners.
              "Do you trim the vines as well when they are in fruit back to a few leaves after the bunches of grapes to make for larger juicier fruit?" She asked genuinely curious if they did that here or if that was an elven trick. "Or just now?" She asked as she happily clipped back the upper reaches of the vines that were basically out of the reach of the hobbits unless they wished to get ladders.

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              Rilla Banks
              Despite her efforts, Rilla did not find any edible strawberries. It was the most disappointing thing to happen in her entire life.

              When she was handed shears to help prune the grapevines, she snapped them open and closed a few times just to test them out. "Er, you trust me with these?" Her brow crinkled in confusion. She was not normally allowed near sharp objects.

              Although she was a hobbit, she had very little skill in gardening. Spying that the elf (Fuin) seemed to know what she was on about, Rilla traipsed along behind the elf, pretending to cut (and attempting to just barely cut the ends) of stems that the elf had just done. (The ones she could reach anyway. Which was probably not many.).

              Rilla thought this was very clever of her but not as clever as Istya recruiting them all for free labour! Suppose that's fair with a little one on the way. She did not mind putting the work in for a hobbit who was obviously very smart and also let her try ale for free.


              NPF edit: a few strawberries for Rilla's adorable disappointment

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              After cutting down the big, bushy branch that had gotten in her way, Istya turned to see how everyone else was doing with the vine-trimming. As expected for Rilla's first time, Rilla seemed skeptical of the whole process and only got off small portions of the big branches. Istya could remember her first time, and it was very similar to Rilla's experiences now. She then heard Fuin's question, and she thought about it for a second.

              "The most important thing is trimming off the excess wood when you prune our grape vines," she started out by saying. "So vine trimming is a bit of a misnomer. But there is some level of pruning away of a vineyard's excess leaves, so that's not entirely wrong either. You need to be able to see where the grapes are, and sometimes leaves can easily get in the way of that."

              Istya noticed a good "head of hair" on a nearby, low-hanging part of another red grapevine, and so started trimming away at it slowly so that the would not scatter over the Brewery's guests. She also took time out to correct the posturing of the trimming in everyone's hands. However, over time, she took the guests further on down the vineyard line and closer to the green grape vineyard lines. So much work to do! There were branches hanging out everywhere. This promised for a good green grape crop in the spring, which made her excited. She already began to imagine the next vats of strawberry wine being rolled out of the brewery within the next few years.

              "Let's spend a little bit of time here, and then let's move on to our tree orchards," she instructed, as she pointed westward past the grapevines and toward the back of the brewery. "We grow apples, oranges, lemons, peaches, pears and elderberry fruit. Most trees won't show much fruit right now. But you will definitely be able to see our orange groves already blooming. I don't mind if you take one per guest today. There should be many ready for harvesting."

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              Rilla Banks
              Well, it turned out Rilla did not see a career in viticulture in her future. Her technique was sorely lacking. She didn't mind- better to let someone else do the work and get to drink the end product herself. Perhaps if she knew what one was, how to spell and/or pronounce it, she might consider becoming a sommelier.

              Rilla tagged along as the group moved to the orchards where she listened with rapt attention. Apples, oranges, lemons, there were so many kinds, she could not keep track of all the fruits that grew and most of the trees looked identical to her. They had trunks and branches and were brown. How did Istya do it? Rilla was in awe.

              "Istya...how do you know which tree is which until it grows fruit? They all look the same to me!"

              "I have another question, too, if you don't mind...about the grapes. I was wondering if someone ate a bunch of fermented grapes, would it be possible to get drunk on them? I'm asking, er, for a friend, of course..." She flubbed. Of course, when one asked for a friend, it was code for not wanting to out themselves.

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