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History? Cures a wound, leaves the bitterness that caused it. The Twin Mothers were always about lessons.Ulysses

Bitter drink is a makeshift healing consumable item in Fallout: New Vegas.

Characteristics[]

Originating from Twin Mothers,[1] bitter drink is a useful healing drink primarily carried by legionaries and is regularly consumed by wounded soldiers on the Legion's long forced marches. The drink is known for its bitterness, so much so that it needs to be drunk in one shot; the stomach rejects the concoction after a second gulp. It derives its name from curing the wounds but leaving the "bitter" pain from them.[2] The recipe (and some of its history) is given to the Courier at the end of Lonesome Road by Ulysses if he lives and can be found in the loot crate at the canyon wreckage if he is dead.

Bitter drink can be crafted at a campfire with a Survival skill of 15 and having received the recipe. It requires one broc flower, one xander root and one empty Sunset Sarsaparilla bottle. It is roughly as strong as healing powder, but does not carry the usual side-effects that come from the use thereof - making it a highly effective means for replenishing health outside of combat. At any given level of Medicine skill, bitter drink restores slightly more hit points than stimpaks, although the time required for the full effect is much longer.

Bitter drink counts as a chem, rather than a drink. Despite the fact that it requires Survival skill to craft, its effectiveness is governed by the Medicine skill.

Medicine skill effect[]

SkillEffect
10+2 Hit Point for 18s
20+2 Hit Point for 18s
30+3 Hit Point for 18s
40+3 Hit Point for 18s
50+4 Hit Point for 18s
60+4 Hit Point for 18s
70+4 Hit Point for 18s
80+5 Hit Point for 18s
90+5 Hit Point for 18s
100+6 Hit Point for 18s

Crafting[]

This item can be crafted by the Courier.

Creation requirements

Materials:Requirements:Produces:
Range
Completion of Lonesome Road
Level
Bitter drink (1)

Locations[]

Notes[]

  • The healing from bitter drinks counts as healing from a stimpak, thus contributing to the challenge and achievement/trophy Stim-ply Amazing.
  • The hot-key icon for the bitter drink is the same one used for chems, rather than the one used for drinks or food. This may be an oversight, as bitter drinks are not treated as a chem (for example, it is not prohibited by the Legion).
  • Before a patch, the healing effect of the bitter drink was greater.
  • Even though it uses an empty Sunset Sarsaparilla bottle to craft it, the world model and Pip-Boy icon of the item is a clay jug with decorative paint around the bottom.

Gallery[]

References[]

  1. Chris Avellone's Twitter
  2. The Courier: "Any recipes you can teach?"
    Ulysses: "Depends what history has to say about them. There's a lot the land can provide... if you know the road that led to it. Mojave's got ways of healing most ills - if not, some tribe's usually found a way you didn't expect. Like Healing Powders. Tribes back West only use Xander and Broc flower. There's a way the Twin Mothers in the East used to brew it, though. Called it Bitter Drink, mixed up the Xander and Broc in a bottle, added some kick to it so your head doesn't get all clouded."
    The Courier: "What's the history of it?"
    Ulysses: "History? Cures a wound, leaves the bitterness that caused it. The Twin Mothers were always about lessons. Caesar taught them the last one, though, so that's it for them. Recipe still exists, Legion uses it on forced marches with wounded soldiers. Wouldn't have made it through Crimson River Trail a few years back without it - losing so much blood early on, was a Cazador feast. Enough Xander root and Broc flower along the trail though, the Legion was able to keep pace and get where they were going."
    The Courier: "Can you share the recipe with me?"
    Ulysses: "Can do that and one better... just enough around to mix some. Here - might make the Twin Mothers' history live a little longer, you carrying it. When you drink it, down it all in one shot, or your stomach's not going to want to keep going after the second drink."
    (Ulysses' dialogue)
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