The Gods of Alcohol

In Norse mythology, Kvasir was a being born of the saliva of the Æsir and the Vanir, two groups of gods. Extremely wise, Kvasir traveled far and wide, teaching and spreading knowledge. 

In Norse mythology, the Poetic Mead or Mead of Poetry, also known as Mead of Suttungr, is a mythical beverage that whoever "drinks becomes a skald or scholar" to recite any information and solve any question.

In ancient Roman religion and mythology, Liber, also known as Liber Pater (the free father) was a god of viticulture and wine, fertility and freedom. He was a patron deity of Rome's plebeians and was part of their Aventine Triad.

Mbaba Mwana Waresa is a fertility goddess of the Zulu religion. She is a goddess of the rainbow, agriculture, rain and beer.

She is one of the most beloved Goddesses of Southern Africa, largely because she is credited with the invention of beer.

Ninkasi is the Sumerian goddess of brewing and beer and head brewer to the gods themselves. Her name means “the lady who fills the mouth” and her birth was formed of sparkling-fresh water.

The sumerian written language and the associated clay tablets are among the earliest human writings.

In the Yoruba religion, Ogoun is an orisha (deity) and loa (spirit) who presides over iron, hunting, politics and war.

He is the patron of smiths, and is usually displayed with a number of attributes: a machete, rum and tobacco. 

Radegast, is an old god of Slavic mythology, his name can be etymologised as meaning something like “Dear guest”. 

He was proclaimed as the Slavic god of hospitality and as such entered the hypothetical, reconstructed Slavic pantheon of modern days.

Raugupatis is known as the God of fermentation. Raugutiene is Raugupatis partner and she is known as the Goddess of beer.

Silenus was a companion and tutor to the wine god Dionysus. He was the old rustic god of the dance of the wine-press, his name being derived from the words seiô, “to move to and fro,” andlênos, “the wine-trough.” 

He was also the god of drunkenness who rode in the train of Dionysus seated on the back of a donkey.

Soma was a fermented juice drink which was believed to have been consumed by the Hindu gods and their ancient priests, the brahmanas, during rituals. 

Soma is personified by the god of the same name who is also the god of sacrifices and who may, in some texts, be associated with the Moon.

In ancient Celtic religion, Sucellus or Sucellos was the god of agriculture, forests and alcoholic drinks of the Gauls, also part of the Lusitanian mythology. 

He is usually portrayed as a middle-aged bearded man, with a long-handled hammer, or perhaps a beer barrel suspended from a pole.

In Aztec mythology, Tezcatzontecati is the god of pulque, of drunkenness and fertility.

This African goddess of beer was depicted as the ultimate party girl, a female deity depicted with ample breasts, a beer ladle and penchant for lustful dance.

This Chinese god is said to have created the first rice wine. Not much is known about Yi-ti but it is said that he brewed the concoction for an emperor and may of used grapes as well as rice.

The Gods of Alcohol:

• Aegis, Nordic God of the Sea and host of the gods
• Dionysus (Bacchus), Greek God
• Kvasir, Norse Mead of Poetry
• Liber, Roman God
• Mbaba Mwana Waresa, Zulu Goddess, South Africa
• Ninkasi, Sumerian
• Ogoun, Yorùbá religion
• Radegast, Slavic God
• Silenus, Greek
• Soma, Hindu
• Sucellus, Celtic
• Tezcatzontecati, Aztec
• Yasigi, African
• Yi-ti, Chinese