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Best-selling author George R R Martin will open a medieval-themed bar, called Milk of the Poppy, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, this month. The name is inspired by a popular medicinal drink from his fantasy series, A Song of Ice and Fire.
The bar will be designed by creative director Al LaFleur, who described it as a "medieval apothecary meets craft cocktail bar." It is set to publicly open on March 21 but has already hosted some private events. The property includes a 1,200-square-foot lounge with a capacity of 55 people and a garden area with a capacity of 30 people.
In George R R Martin's popular fantasy series, Milk of the Poppy is a medicinal drink that works as a painkiller or anesthetic. Maesters across the fictional world of Westeros make it using crushed poppy flowers. It is called milk due to its white color. The drink is also featured in the classic HBO series, Game of Thrones, based on Martin's books.
Fans took to X to react to the news, with many joking about Martin being involved in multiple projects and yet delaying the release of the next book in the Song of Ice and Fire series. For those uninformed, the next book in the series, titled Winds of Winter, has been in the works since 2010. One X user joked:
"Dude will do anything besides finish a f**king book."
"I don’t want the new book. Open more restaurants," another user quipped.
"Knowing Martin, you’ll order a drink and wait 10 years for it to be served," a fan jibed.
"Dude just finish your books cmon," another person remarked.
Fans continued to joke about George R R Martin's delay in finishing his next book:
"Def seems easier than finishing the series," a user commented.
"Bro doing 99 side quest and never finishing his books," a fan chimed in.
Some fans left references to various aspects of Martin's book series:
"Finally, a place where ‘Winter is Coming’ applies to my drink! Can’t wait to sip on a ‘Red Wedding’—just hope it doesn’t end badly for me too," a fan wrote.
"It’s going to have a daily special called Winds of Winter. You order it, it never arrives but you keep getting recipes for the other drinks," another netizen opined.
"I am 13 years late" - George R R Martin claims he may never end up finishing Winds of Winter
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in December last year, George R R Martin made an honest admission about the status of The Winds of Winter. The best-selling author claimed that he is still unsure when he might finish it and it could be never.
"Unfortunately, I am 13 years late. Every time I say that, I’m [like], ‘How could I be 13 years late?’ I don’t know, it happens a day at a time. But that’s still a priority. A lot of people are already writing obituaries for me. [They’re saying] ‘Oh, he’ll never be finished.’ Maybe they’re right. I don’t know. I’m alive right now! I seem pretty vital!," Martin said.
George R R Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series comprises five books, namely A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast of Crows, and A Dance With Dragons. The author announced but is yet to publish the last two books of the series - The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring.
The fantasy series was adapted into the iconic HBO TV series, Game of Thrones (2011-2019). The series featured eight seasons but concluded before George R R Martin could write his final two books in the series.
The ending of the series was the brainchild of showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, although George R R Martin also featured as one of the writers alongside the duo. However, the final season left fans overwhelmingly unsatisfied, with many demanding a better conclusion from Martin's end through his upcoming books. The finale received an average of 4.0 rating on IMDb, despite the show's overall average rating being 9.2.
A prequel series, House of the Dragon, premiered in 2022 with two seasons so far. It is also based on George R R Martin's characters from the original series, particularly the Targaryens. It was based on Martin's 2018 novel Fire and Blood that served as a prequel to the Song of Ice and Fire series.
