Alcohol/Legends

"What say we find a bottle of something borderline toxic, go somewhere private, and then... Y'know... Share our woes." "You're drunk."

- Deena Shan and Luke Skywalker

Alcohol, sometimes referred to as fire-water, referred to a number of beverages that contained ethanol and octane, and had mind-altering effects on many organic species while in a person's bloodstream.

Description
Virtually every inhabited planet in the galaxy produced intoxicating drinks of some kind. Alcoholic beverages were made through processes of distillation, brewing and/or fermentation, and were brewed from corn, wheat, fruit, berries, plants and trees; there was even a drink brewed from solid rock (with the help of powerful bacteria and an unusual planetary atmosphere). Endrolian ground-apple juice wasn't supposed to be alcoholic, but would often ferment during storage. Some types of alcohol were kept in special aging caskets over time, until the right quality was achieved.

Alcoholic beverages included beer, ale, wine, liquor, malt, brandy, rum, champagne, liqueur, cider, and whiskey, both generic and brand-named. A distinction was made between beer (which included fortified beers, lagers and ciders) and stronger alcoholic beverages (like wine and liquor), which were referred to as spirits.

Corellians, in particular, were hard drinkers, as evidenced by a plethora of types of alcohol and mixed drinks. However, the average Corellian didn't seem easily impaired by alcohol; some believed Corellians were extremely adept at holding their liquor, whereas others guessed that they only produced and sold the alcohol to other planets, consuming only moderate amounts themselves. Some people even believed that Corellia wanted to get the entire galaxy drunk and then rob it blind.

The liver was one of the primary organs for processing alcohol, and heavy doses of alcoholic substances could damage it.

Common short-term effects of alcohol included:
 * Slower reaction time.
 * Lowered inhibitions. For example, Rebel Alliance member Deena Shan admitted that she often made a pass on men when drunk. The architect Teela Kaarz became willing to go along with what anyone wanted just for the fun of it when drunk, which had gotten her into trouble more than once.
 * Impaired memory and comprehension. Once, Han Solo was drunk and got lost. The droids C-3PO and R2-D2 pretended that the Hrakian Branox was their owner in order to get aboard a Hrakian starship. Branox was so drunk he never really figured out what was going on.
 * Increased self-confidence and courage, like the way Chadra-Fan pick-pocketed Kabe felt twice as quickly and twice as cleverly with a little juri juice in her.
 * Violence. For example, the cortosis miner Hurst often beat his son, Dessel, while intoxicated.
 * Sexual violence, like when Warlug and Tornik, two of the guards in Jabba's Palace, got drunk, and attempted to rape Yarna d'al' Gargan.
 * Weakened motor skills, which could lead to unsteadiness and a staggering gait.
 * A slurring voice.
 * Large amounts of alcohol could make a person pass out. Kabe would often pass out after drinking too much juri juice, resulting in her adopted father, Muftak, having to carry her home.



Some species reacted differently to alcohol than others. Alcohol had an unusual effect on Tofs; it augmented their strength and stamina and sharpened their mental focus, at the cost of speed and reaction time. Most Tof warriors were drunk on the battlefield. The Zelosians couldn't get drunk on alcohol, but exhibited intoxication when they ingested sugar. Devaronians had a second liver, so therefore it took copious amounts of alcohol to get a Devaronian drunk. The Zeltrons also had two livers, which allowed them to enjoy a larger number of alcoholic beverages than other humanoids. Yuzzem had extremely long hangovers, and alcohol would often provoke a depressed mood in Gands.

Droids couldn't get drunk on alcohol, as they had no metabolism. However, the 5YQ-series protocol droid I-Five discovered that he could program himself to get drunk, resulting in him getting his arm ripped off after provoking a Wookiee who was a sore loser.

Many beings, such as the Gran Ree-Yees and the Mimbanite of Mimban, were addicted to alcoholic beverages. Others, like Han Solo after the death of his friend Chewbacca, drank alcohol to drown their sorrows.

On many worlds, the tariffs on alcohol were high, and alcohol smuggling was not uncommon.

Certain alcohols, such as ethyl alcohol, could also be used as a cleaning solution.