Chapter 9

  The workshop felt different in the early morning light filtering through the ventilation shafts. Quieter than my alcove had been, more spacious, and filled with the potential of empty workbenches waiting to be used.

  I'd been staring at my notebook for an hour, trying to decide what to brew next.

  The Fire-Belch Ale had been a success, but it was a novelty. Entertainment in a bottle. What I needed now was something that could become a staple, something people would buy regularly rather than once for the experience.

  My mind kept drifting back to my previous life. To drinks I'd taken for granted. Coffee from a drive-through window. Orange juice from a carton. And most of all, the fizzy sweetness of a cold Coke on a hot Portland afternoon.

  Carbonation.

  Dwarven ale was naturally carbonated from fermentation, but it was gentle, subtle. Nothing like the aggressive fizz of modern soft drinks. What if I could recreate that? Create something sweet, bubbly, refreshing?

  I pulled out my notebook and started writing.

  Project: Fizzy Drinks

  Goal: Create a carbonated beverage similar to cola/soft drinks from Earth

  Challenges:

  - Achieving high carbonation levels

  - Creating sweetness without fermentation (sugar + yeast = alcohol)

  - Flavour profile (cola, citrus, other?)

  - Preservation without modern bottling

  The carbonation problem was solvable. I'd read enough about brewing in my previous life to know the basics. Fermentation produced CO2, but most of it escaped during the process. To trap it, I needed to bottle at exactly the right moment, with exactly the right amount of residual sugar for the yeast to consume.

  Too little sugar, flat drink. Too much sugar, exploding bottles.

  The sweetness was trickier. If I let yeast ferment all the sugar, I'd end up with alcohol instead of soda. I needed to stop fermentation at the right point, or find a way to sweeten without fermentable sugars.

  I picked up a piece of dried sweetroot, focusing my Ingredient Analysis ability on it.

  INGREDIENT ANALYSIS

  Sweetroot (Dried)

  Primary Property: Natural sweetness (non-fermentable)

  Secondary Properties: Smooth texture, subtle vanilla notes

  Magical Affinity: Low

  Best Used In: Desserts, sweet brews, medicinal tonics

  Pairs Well With: Citrus, mint, cream, honey

  Warning: Excessive consumption may cause mild digestive upset

  Non-fermentable sweetness. Perfect.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  I could create a base liquid using sweetroot for sweetness, add flavouring, then introduce just enough yeast and sugar to carbonate without producing significant alcohol. The timing would be critical, but it was possible.

  The flavour was where things got interesting.

  Cola had been a complex blend. Vanilla, cinnamon, citrus oils, maybe some nutmeg. I didn't have access to cola nuts or the exact spice blend, but I had Ingredient Analysis. I could experiment, find combinations that evoked the same feeling even if the exact flavours were different.

  I spent the next hour pulling ingredients from my storage area, analysing each one.

  Cinnamon bark: warm, spicy, slightly sweet.

  Citrus peel from the markets: bright, acidic, aromatic.

  Vanilla pods (expensive, but I had the budget): rich, creamy, complex.

  Ginger root: sharp, warming, with a bite that could replace some of the cola's edge.

  Black winterberry: dark, slightly bitter, with notes that reminded me of caramel.

  I started sketching combinations.

  Recipe Attempt 1: Dark Fizz

  Base: Sweetroot infusion (strong)

  Flavouring: Cinnamon, vanilla, citrus peel, winterberry

  Carbonation: Light sugar + champagne yeast (stops fermenting early)

  Expected result: Cola-adjacent, dark, sweet, fizzy

  The champagne yeast was key. I'd learned about it from reading in my previous life. Champagne yeast could tolerate higher carbonation levels than ale yeast, and it fermented at cooler temperatures, giving me more control.

  I'd need to source some from the Guild suppliers.

  By midmorning, I'd sketched six different fizzy drink concepts.

  Dark Fizz (cola-style)

  Citrus Sparkle (lemon-lime adjacent)

  Ginger Snap (ginger ale)

  Berry Burst (mixed berry soda)

  Mint Chill (something like Sprite but mintier)

  Root Blend (root beer style using various roots and barks)

  Each one would require different ratios, different carbonation levels, different sweetness balances. The experimentation would take weeks.

  But if even one of them worked, if I could create a refreshing fizzy drink that dwarves actually wanted to buy regularly...

  That was recurring revenue. That was a real business.

  A knock at my workshop door interrupted my planning.

  "It's open!"

  Brakka pushed through, grinning as he looked around. "So this is the famous new brewery. Not bad, Gosdrunli. Definitely beats brewin' in your bedchamber."

  "What brings you here?"

  "Can't I just visit my friend in his fancy new workshop?" He moved closer, eyeing my notebook. "What're you working on? More fire brews?"

  "Something different. Trying to create... fizzy drinks. Sweet, carbonated, refreshing."

  "Fizzy?" Brakka's nose wrinkled. "Like ale, but sweet?"

  "Sort of. Less alcohol, more bubbles. Something you'd drink on a hot day just to cool down."

  "Huh. That's... actually not a bad idea. Mining work gets hot. Most of us just drink water, but something with flavour that's not full-strength ale?" He considered. "Could work."

  "That's what I'm hoping."

  "Need a test subject again?"

  I laughed. "Not yet. I haven't even brewed anything. Just planning."

  "Well, when you do, I'm your dwarf." Brakka headed for the door, then paused. "Oh, almost forgot. Thorek's been asking about you. Wanted to know if you were still showing up for mining duty."

  My stomach sank. I'd been so focused on the brewery that I'd completely forgotten about my mining obligations.

  "What day is today?"

  "Fourthday."

  I'd missed two mining shifts. Thorek was probably furious.

  "I need to go apologize."

  "Probably a good idea. He didn't seem angry though, just curious." Brakka grinned. "Think the old bastard's actually proud of you. Won't admit it, but still."

  After Brakka left, I cleaned up my workspace and headed down to the mines.

  I found Thorek in the shallow tunnels where I'd always worked, examining a copper seam with practiced eyes.

  "Sorry I'm late. Lost track of time."

  He glanced up. "Late? Boy, you haven't shown up for two shifts. That's not late, that's absent."

  "I know. I've been setting up the brewery, and I-"

  "Relax." Thorek straightened, brushing rock dust from his beard. "I'm not angry. Disappointed you didn't send word, but not angry."

  That surprised me. "You're not?"

  "You've got a business to run now. Real work that actually suits you." He gestured at the tunnel. "This? This was always just obligation. You never belonged down here."

  "Contract's still valid until I'm a hundred-twenty."

  "Aye, it is. But the Elders and I had a talk yesterday. Given your brewin' success, they're willing to adjust the terms."

  My heart skipped. "Adjust how?"

  "Three mornings a week instead of five. That gives you more time for your brewery whilst still fulfilling basic obligations." Thorek's expression softened slightly. "You're bringing gold into the clan, boy. That's worth more than copper ore from someone who hates mining."

  Relief flooded through me. Three mornings instead of five meant I could dedicate real time to brewing, to experimenting, to building the business.

  "Thank you. I mean it."

  "Don't thank me. Thank Elder Grimda. She's the one who convinced the council." He picked up his pickaxe. "Now get out of here. You've got fizzy drinks to invent or whatever madness you're planning next."

  I left the mines feeling lighter than I had in weeks.

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