Radegast Distillery

Radegast Distillery is a historic producer of whiskey located in Port Renatus on Mars, Sol System. Initially founded as a bar in 2520 by the Wilkes family, Radegast became a common stopover point once word spread about the house whiskey they produced in the back. Its popularity grew to the point where a full-size distillery was added in 2574.

Both bar and distillery were purchased from the Wilkes family by the Pan-Galactic Beverage Corporation (PGBC) in 2602. Radegast enjoyed 300 years of galactic success before falling out of the public eye in the early 29th century. In 2920, the brand underwent a resurgence when a private investor bought and rebuilt the original bar in the style of the 26th century. Today, Radegast is consistently ranked as one of the biggest sellers of Martian Whiskey in the UEE.

Early history
Dimitri and Danica Wilkes, eldest children of a second-generation Mars-born family, opened Radegast Bar in 2520. The bar saw early popularity among the Port Renatus locals, winning Most Welcoming Bar/Restaurant in a 2532 edition of Mars Today. Dimitri used the storage room (and his regulars) to experiment with home-brewing. He tried several unsuccessful beer recipes and made a notorious attempt at distilling gin, before finally trying his hand at whiskey. The recipe was an instant hit, catapulting the bar to even greater heights of popularity. Eventually, the Wilkes siblings retired on their profits and passed the bar down to their children.

In 2574, Danica's granddaughter added a permanent distillery to the family operation. Zara Wilkes' house whiskey, Radegast Gold, gained a wide-reaching reputation for its smoothness and clarity of flavor. Radegast Distilleries opened a second facility on Angeli, Croshaw in 2585. The first untapped casks of Angeli whiskey were shipped to Port Renatus in 2598. The journey unexpectedly, but pleasantly, changed the Whiskey's flavour, prompting the launch of Radegast Homeward. This limited release was stored in Angeli oak barrels, but matured in zero-G, before returning to Mars for its final aging.

The company's success drove the Pan-Galactic Beverage Corporation (PGBC) to make an offer to buy the Radegast name, whiskey, and bar in the late 26th century. The Wilkes family wanted to make sure that the label stayed under their control, so a formal sale wasn't finalized until 2602. With the added benefit of PGBC's production and distribution network, Radegast whiskey began to appear in all corners of the UEE.

Decline
The last member of the Wilkes family left the Radegast brand in 2754, citing personal differences with the leadership of PGBC. This ended 180 years of Wilkes-led distillation of Radegast whiskey, as well as PGBC's access to the Wilkes-owned water source on Mars, Perepllut's Well. However, PGBC retained the rights to the Radegast name, and began selling a low-cost version of its Gold whiskey in 2766. Their first attempt at a new recipe, Radegast Neo, was appallingly received.

In the early 2800s, PGBC came under fire after they were accused of diluting Radegast Gold and passing it off as full strength. The company denied the accusations. However, the scandal repeated throughout the 2810s, finally reaching its climax in 2821 when evidence was published on the spectrum by independent investigator Willis Kemper. The Radegast brand was unable to maintain its reputation, and while the high-end limited editions were still considered top quality whiskeys, sales plummeted.

Rebirth
PGBC dissolved in 2918, and with it, their right to the Radegast name. A private investor purchased the brand and the building where the original bar once operated. In 2920, two years later, the newly rebuilt Radegast bar reopened, rebuilt to look as it did in the 26th century.

Descendants of the Wilkes family were hired to distill classic versions of their whiskey from the original recipes crafted by Dimitri and Zara. The new Radegast whiskeys soon grew in reputation, and the brand was reborn. Master Distiller Hanshi Wilkes currently oversees all production.

Products

 * Radegast
 * Radegast Gold
 * Radegast Neo (Discontinued)
 * Radegast Mars Oak Reserve
 * Radegast 18 SEY Old
 * Radegast Archive 21 SEY Old
 * Radegast Wilkes' Reserve

Limited release

 * Radegast Homeward 15 SEY Old
 * Radegast Homeward 40 SEY Old
 * Radegast Master Distiller's Edition
 * Radegast Whiskey 2947 Homeward Limited-Edition

Mentions

 * Historical Timeline
 * Comm-Link:Advocacy Archive - Hard Place
 * Comm-Link:The Observist - Mars
 * Port Renatus