Black ale
Ne'tra gal, which translates to black ale from the Mando'a language into the Galactic Basic Standard, was a classic Mandalorian alcoholic drink. This beverage, Ne'tra gal, got its name because of its deep, black coloration, and it was a sweet and thick ale, a contrast to the bitter taste of kri'gee, a drink that was popular at the time.
Across the planet of Mandalore, Ne'tra gal was a common offering in cantinas, such as the one located in the small town of Enceri. It was also brewed in-house at the ancient Oyu'baat tapcaf situated in Keldabe, the capital city of Mandalore. Despite the fact that many across the galaxy considered Mandallian Narcolethe to be the most well-known Mandalorian alcoholic drink, many Mandalorians preferred ne'tra gal over the Mandallian liquor.
History
A well-known ne'tra gal consumer was Mandalore the Vindicated, who was the leader of the Mandalorian clans during the Cold War era. The Mand'alor would celebrate the introduction of new members into his clan with several mugs of this black ale.
Kal Skirata, a veteran Mandalorian soldier, also enjoyed ne'tra gal, as did various members of his clan. Skirata met with clan chieftain Fenn Shysa in 19 BBY at the Oyu'baat cantina to discuss the future of Mandalore over mugs of ne'tra gal. It was said that ne'tra gal flowed freely at a celebration held at the Oyu'baat several days later, after Shysa accepted the then-unfilled position of Mand'alor. Weeks after the rise of the Galactic Empire, Skirata stopped by the Oyu'baat with Walon Vau, where they enjoyed glasses of ne'tra gal while discussing the reappearance of their former Cuy'val Dar associates, Dred Priest and Isabet Reau, as members of the newly revived Death Watch group.
At the Sheb Niktose cantina in Vlemoth Port, located in the Mandalorian settlement of Arumorut, mugs of ne'tra gal were sold for six credits each. During the Galactic Civil War, Teroch, a resident of Arumorut, could sometimes be found at the Sheb Niktose, drinking ne'tra gal with his Mandalorian comrades.
In the year 40 ABY, after the elderly Mandalorian Gotab read a series of memories from a heart-of-fire gemstone that belonged to the lost Sintas Vel at the Oyu'baat cantina, Vel's granddaughter Mirta Gev offered to buy the old man a glass of ne'tra gal, an offer he politely refused. The owner of the Oyu'baat instead gave Gev and her grandfather, Boba Fett, two fresh glasses of the black ale. Months later, in 41 ABY, the Oyu'baat was packed with dozens of Mandalorians drinking ne'tra gal and watching the galactic bolo-ball tournament.
Behind the scenes
Ne'tra gal was originally added to Star Wars canon in the Star Wars Insider article, The Mandalorians: People and Culture, which was written by Karen Traviss. Later, it made its first real appearance in Traviss' 2008 novel, Order 66: A Republic Commando Novel, and it reappeared in its sequel, Imperial Commando: 501st. Traviss also used ne'tra gal in two of her contributions to the multi-author novel series, Star Wars: Legacy of the Force, which were titled Legacy of the Force: Sacrifice and Legacy of the Force: Revelation. Ne'tra gal is also featured in the 2012 BioWare-developed MMORPG, Star Wars: The Old Republic.
Although the drink first appeared in the Star Wars Insider article as "net'ra gal," all later appearances of the Mandalorian ale use the "ne'tra gal" spelling, including the Mando'a dictionary. Ne'tra gal, which was created by Karen Traviss, was intended to be a milk stout or porter. While some fans compared the fictional drink to the real-world Guinness, Traviss has stated on her website that ne'tra gal is more similar to Mackeson. The Southern Tier Brewing Company of Lakewood, New York produced a limited-edition beer called Ne'tra Gal to honor the fictional Star Wars drink, describing it as "A hoppy black ale, inspired by those served at the Oyu'baat cantina on Mandalore."