Aldwyne Delights

*“Perfect bliss in every sip.”*

## History

The companies that now make up Aldwyne Delights originally were small side projects established by Viscount Eridanus Aldwyne Idris during his time as a member of Trilliant’s Upper Echelon. Most were established over a hundred years ago on the Aldwyne estates in the core and were very limited in their operations. The beverages ranged from more complex flavours to simpler combinations aiming to cover a large market with little deviation in quality. The beverages produced were immensely popular in circles of lesser nobles and wealthier serfs. Idris would use his expertise from working in Trilliant to create such high quality products.

Following the Expanse being formed and Trilliant’s acquisition of Intaglio Idris began to lobby for the use of Holding Companies in running the Expanse. When they were formerly established he moved his businesses into the newly settled planets. Farms and vineyards were established on Intaglio and manufacturing moved into the Expanse as well. Shipping was centralised to Navette with the purchase of a warehouse and small fleet of starships. Now the Holding Company boasts an ever increasing catalogue of products and has expanded its market share dramatically, particularly amongst serfs and within the Expanse.

## Leadership

The Holding Company is owned and led by CEO Aldwyne Idris (often called “Old Rosenose” or the “Beverage Baron”). Until recently Idris was the Chief Beverage Officer of the Trilliant Interstellar Corporation before gaining permission to establish Aldwyne Delights in the Expanse. He is well known to have an excellent sense of taste, some say he can taste the entire history of a wine in a single sip. As a businessman he is shrewd but generous in his dealings. He values loyalty to his family and businesses highly and follows a strict code by which he runs both.

The Board of Directors includes the heads of the constituent corporations each of whom are Directors in their business’s specialist field. Most of the positions are occupied by Aldwynes, children of his as well as siblings and cousins. However the most influential member and Idris’s favourite is his niece Viscountess Eridanus Aldwyne Gwenelle. She is known to share a similarly developed sense of taste as well as being a creative individual with incredible business acumen.

The only non-Aldwynes are the former Trilliant freemen Inna Alexandersen and Edgardo Petrauskas. Inna is ruthless in how she runs her operations, concerned with efficiency and a brutalistic pursuit of good tasting coffee. Idris considers Inna his close confidant and fixer. Edgardo is more of an artist and spends little time at the high levels of business instead delving into the processes on the ground trying to find new ways to process tea to bring out more of the flavours.

## Corporations and Products

Aldwynes Delights is centred around the Aldwyne Estate in eastern Zaurak where all of its constituent corporations packaging and artisan manufacturing occurs. The Estate is large enough that it is considered a town in its own right and was originally a local Zaurakii freeman’s estate until exposed for corruption by political friends of Idris in the city state. There are numerous corporations covering everything from water, soft drinks, beers, ciders and many other types of beverage however below are listed the most important.

### Aldwyn Delightful Wines ISC

The flagship corporation of the Holding Company and run by Aldwyne Idris himself. Aldwyne Wines is known for its range of red and black wines. Idris has ferociously managed his range of wines and grapes over the entire lifetime of the corporation. A close eye has been kept over processes, flavours and vintages to keep standards high and to protect the Aldwyne reputation.

It uses grape varieties that Idris claims to have created himself. These grape varieties include the bold Ustet, fruity Drasenti (grown on Marquise), robust San Gwaed and the powerful Deguma. Drasenti Eridanii (grown on Marquise) and San Gwaed Eridanii are the black wine grape varieties used. Their most popular wine is The Aldwynii, an Ustet blend, closely followed by Inc Du, a San Gwaed Eridanii blend.

### Aldwyn Delightful Tea ISC

Edgardo Petrauskas leads this company with a focus on creative quality extraction. Edgardo believes that a positive and cultured production environment leads to greater and higher quality yields. This makes the extraction and brewing of this tea a little unorthodox, but oddly effective. Only one new flavor variation is added each year and Edgardo is very meticulous on making sure the flavor it uniquely differs from and adds a new experience to the rest of the catalog.

### Aldwyn Delightful Distilleries ISC

Aldwyne Gwenelle has made the distilleries her own and focuses on providing blends of the purest brandies, whiskies and liqueurs to the Expanse and sector at large. A carefully selected strain of vanissi grass is grown and harvested to provide the vast majority of raw produce for the distilling process. Each year a new set of liqueur flavours are made and the previous year’s flavours are discontinued.

### Aldwyn Delightful Coffee ISC

Inna Alexandersen’s coffee operation is efficient, brutal, and complex. She makes sure that not one bean is misused and that all shipments are on time. This is a struggle as her operation is complex with many layers. The only one who now how it is all run is Inna and Idris. It is rumor that the complexity is done purposefully to fund and operate illegal activities from within the company.

## Governance

Aldwyne Delights has a massive presence on Marquise’s and Intaglio’s agricultural sectors. The first thing they did when they arrived on the planets was create a massive plantations. This was to take advantage of the available land and their economic vulnerability. They also wanted to take advantage of the local plants to add to their catalog of drinks. Their presence has caused an economic boom in agriculture for the Pavisd system by creating many jobs and increasing exports. Due to these benefits the Marquise government does not interfere with their business and has promoted them on a few occasions. On Intaglio city-states have been incentivising the company to expand business to them particularly Zaurak, Istakhr, and Koashan. This has started a political dispute between the cities that Aldwyne Delights are taking advantage for the best deal.

## Goals

The main goal of the company is to increase production without a loss of quality. Each branch takes a meticulous amount of time producing their catalog with high standards, but as their popularity grew their production has not increased as much. This is starting to become a bottleneck that has increased product prices greatly. This hinders Idris Aldwyne’s dream of seeing his products in every home in the Expanse. Because of this he is actively pursuing methods in making that dream a reality even if he would need to marry someone to achieve it.

## Aldwyne Delights Signature Catalog

### Aldwyne Wines

#### The Aldwynii

Do you want to angelic taste victory? Do you want to have the euphoria of success to wash over your body? Then The Aldwynii is precise wine for your regal taste. It is an Ustet grape blend that gives this dark wine a particularly bold taste that is said is only truly be enjoyed by the experienced and successful.

#### Inc Du

The inauguration of any project is deserves a toast apt for the occasion. A beverage that tastes like the adventure before you. Situations like this is what Inc Du was engineered for. A San Gwaed Eridanii black wine blend with robust taste that is signature to other Eridanii wines, but with an herbal flavor mix unique to the San Gwaed grape. Giving you the experience of something similar transitioning into something new and unique.

#### The Last Surprise Rosé

A beverage only for the most daring or unwitting. This wine is made from powerful Deguma grape. Due to the way this grape behaves the wine does not have a uniform taste in a typical bottle. The opening drinks from the top of a bottle will be a soft in taste, but after the halfway mark the taste dramatically intensifies often surprising unwitting patrons. Can you achieve greatness and snatch victory for yourself?

#### Marquise Blues Dessert Wine

Either it is relishing time with your family, business associates, or even by your lonesome there should be consistently a glass Marquise Blues nearby. A deliciously fruity dessert wine that is perfect to finish any meal with. It is made from the luscious Drasenti grape harvested from Marquise. A wine that can help anyone enjoy the here and now.

#### Saltmarsh Wine

We have done the unthinkable and have refined the taste of an entire planet into a bottle. A delicacy made with fermented Intaglio Butterfly Lobster, Grade A meat, and Perfect Intaglio Mega potato. Giving this wine the definitive taste only described as Intaglio. We assure you that even if you have not been there you can at least say you have tasted it.

### Aldwyne Tea

#### Deep Chai Tea

Imagine the deepest thing you can think of: what is it? The ocean? A black hole? Space itself? It’s all wrong: the deepest thing there is, is our human souls. Our chai said to be so deep, that you can taste your very soul in every sip.

#### Sensual Earl Grey

We all, at times, get that feeling. When we need something… special. And for everything that’s special, there’s a tea to make it even more special. Aldwyne Delights’ Sensual Earl Grey heightens your senses and sharpens your mind to the problems in front of you and the hearts of the people around you.

#### Cliente Ginger Tea

Every day, we take in so many impurities: chemicals, gasses, bad vibes. At the end of the day, and even at its beginning, you need something to bring you back to your natural state. Aldwyne Delights’ Cliente Ginger Tea cleanses your body of impurities without neglecting to give your taste buds a kick of a ride.

#### Peaceful Peppermint Tea

Bright sunshine, its warm light nourishing green leaves. Clear water, falling on the soil, satiating the strong roots in their bed of earth. The wind rustling your hair, as a smile welcomes you, and carries your luggage. Aldwyne Delight’s Peaceful Peppermint Tea is the blissful taste of a vacation in every sip. Whether remembering your happiest moments, or looking forward to that special trip you’re saving up for, Peaceful Peppermint Tea is travelling along with you.

#### Luminous White Tea

Once, there was darkness. Then, light came into the darkness. It is a story as old as time, and as common as the human soul. Remember the light, with Aldwyne Delights’ Luminous White Tea. Luminous White Tea is a naturally sweet white tea that has a soft glow to it when freshly brewed, don’t ask where the glow comes from, the mystery is part of the taste. Whether you’re having a dark moment, or a light one, Luminous White Tea will refresh your body and clear your mind.

### Aldwyne Distilleries

#### Golden Apple Cider

You are worth it. You are important. You are valuable. You deserve this. You should treat yourself to Golden Apple Cider. This hard cider looks like liquid gold because it is made from fermented Trilliant Apples (TM) grown on Intaglio. This drink is sweet with a hint of bitterness accompanied by a very strong sparkling taste. The drink worthy of you.

#### Expanse Rum

The taste of a unity that no one can break. A taste of a strong future just waiting to happen. The taste of Expanse Rum. This is a spiced dark rum is made from distilled Intaglio Cake Coral with a cocktail of spices from various Expanse planets giving its signature taste of greatness on the horizon.

#### Paradise Whisky

Paradise Whisky gives you the elegant feeling of being a carefree Sky Whale high in the clouds with no worries or enemies weighing you down. This whisky is made from Marquise Oracle Rye and is normally distilled twice before blending in a bit of honey giving it a strong, but slightly sweet taste of majesticness.

#### Warp Fuel

This is not for those living on the edge, but for those who are the edge. A drink for the extremes of the extreme. Do you think you have enough glory and pride to handle Warp Fuel. A high octane count beverage flavored on more ‘primitive’ worlds. Made from distilled fossil fuels, ethol, and combat stims. Shaken over ice and garnished with dehydrated lemons. Beware the rush!

#### Sebastian Tequila

Perseverance is the key to achievement. Like the sea weathers rock into sand you learn from your failures and wither your problems until they become sand beneath you. Sebastian Tequila is a drink with a delicious soft shell Intaglio Cricket Crab in it (crabs sold with the bottle) giving its unique taste of the triumphant sea.

### Aldwyne Coffe

#### Dark Frost Roast

It’s raining. It’s night. There’s a knock on the door. You only have time to grab a single cup before opening. What would you want that cup to be? There’s only one answer: Aldwyne Delights Dark Frost Roast. The unique beans that make up Dark Frost Roast are notoriously sensitive to heat and for this reason all packaging is thermally insulated. Though you can drink it hot, if you absolutely must bring the heat, the only proper method of enjoying Dark Frost Roast is as a cold brew where the dark mint flavor can be experienced to the fullest.

#### Killer Burst Roast

There’s an old Earth saying: “float like a sky whale, sting like a space marine.” Success, at anything, comes from knowing when it’s time to stalk, and when it’s time to go in for the kill. Killer Burst Roast is for any moment, whether in the command room or in the boardroom or in the bedroom, when it’s time to strike! Killer Burst Roast is an incredibly strong coffee on its own and is recommended to be made into a latte where the strength can be diluted to suit the moment or an espresso to provide you with all the energy you’ll need for that decisive day.

#### Night Ghost Blend

People think: important matters are decided in the light of day. But you know better: if it truly matters, it’s happening at night. Night Ghost Blend is the coffee for people who know the importance of pulling all-nighters on all nights. Night Ghost Blend incorporates a unique long lasting caffeine variant, a proprietary discovery of Aldwyne Delights. Night Ghost Blend lingers in your body thrice as long as ordinary coffee, great for keeping you awake and alert all night long. It is recommended to enjoy Night Ghost Blend iced or in a frappe topped with whipped cream, because if you’re working into the morning, you deserve a treat!

#### Lost Fire Blend

We’re tough. We’re strong. But we all have moments when that fire just goes out. That’s when we need a kick in the rear, a match in the haystack, to get back out there and find what we’re looking for. Lost Fire Blend is the coffee for those moments, and any moment where you need a push. Lost Fire Blend has a bold spicy flavor that will give you a quick wake up and clear your sinuses while it’s at it. It’s recommended to enjoy Lost Fire Blend black or with cream in a macchiato.

#### Eternal Slumber Blend

Sometimes, the mission is done, the work is over, and we just want to rest before all hell breaks loose again. Others may think you never sleep, but you know, you’re just smart enough not to let them see you sleeping. Eternal Slumber Blend is the coffee for those moments of respite in the rat’s race. Eternal Slumber Blend contains no caffeine, making it perfect for a relaxing evening after dinner. Many of our customers in particular enjoy Eternal Slumber Blend as a dessert coffee in a mocha or as a marocchino.