Does anyone know, short of the books or Tolkien guides, a comprehensive list or website that lists Middle-Earth cultural items?

Such as all the different pipe weeds, ales, etc. It would be fantastic to have such a resource for the game.

Hello. This is nearer to your request I can find. Maybe another TOR fan has something generic and broad.

There was a couple of threads - though you'll need to go back to about page 12 to find them - that listed the various Pipe Weeds and Ales/wines/spirits that the online MMO LOTRO has.

They may help to some degree as well.

Check out LotRO Wiki for the Pipe-weed. I know they have an entry for that specifically - along with entries for the individual types (or they did, pipe-weed was changed a couple months ago in the game and they may have reorganized things).

I'm not sure exactly how the beverages are arranged although their is undoubtedly an entry. My guess is you would have to look up Ale and possibly Alcohol. That might steer you to the other entries. (Their are two different drinking groups within the game The Inn League and the Ale Association but I haven't done them and cannot recall what spirits the League promotes.)

LotRO is a potential source for almost any Middle-earth information because Turbine is doing detailed research. They are constrained by licensing issues as well so there are some things that they cannot touch (Silmarillion, HoME, etc). Some of the ideas they have come up with initially seem rather far fetched. Re-reading Tolkien shows that their ideas are not complete fabrications, although they might stretch things.

(Anything in caps in the first two paragraphs - besides the start of a sentence - should be a searchable term found in the wiki.)

Thank you for the replies. The LOTRO Wiki seems to be a good source and definitely something I can work with.

It is always good to have things such as this fleshed out. It always brings a nice sense of realism and flair to the game.

Most real world beer and ale styles are probably available somewhere in Middle Earth. Brewing styles are local things, not only would each region have particular styles but each inn and ale house likely has a particular house brew. Also some brews carried by season.

Pipe weed seems to be mostly know in and from the Shire and Breeland.

But probably well distributed throughout the North by the Dwarves and the Rangers. At the very least it is well known between the Blue Mountains and Bree, plus in Rivendell and the Lonely Mountain. As the reign of Dáin continues, it undoubtedly spreads among the Bardings. Toward the end of the Third Age it begins to appear in Isengard, and perhaps in Dunland, too. With the beginning of the Fourth Age I wouldn't be surprised to see it spread throughout all the regions shown on the Lord of the Rings map.

Indeed. Thorin is a smoker as is Gandalf. Merry and Pippen certainly did their part to spread the custom. The weed at Isengard is from the Shire, and Bill Ferny's half-goblin friend is in Bree so there may be more of a trading connection than is commonly realized.

I would certainly agree that in the early Fourth Age the custom probably spreads over most. Of Middle Earth, either grown or imported.

Iirc Pippen causes a stir in Mina's Tirith so the custom is not familiar there, also Theoden King was anxious to sit down with Merry and discuss pipe weed and other matters of herbology.

Quick note on something I vaguely recall: I believe one of the more popular strains of pipe-weed comes from Rohan/Gondor. So the plant might be known (possibly as an aromatic) in the area.

So essentially, the Green Dragon, Prancing Pony, etc would have their own house brews...

Pipe weed does seem to have spread quite far and wide and I agree that during the 4th age it could become even more widespread.

Long Bottom leaves and Old Toby are two pipe weed brands