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 recipe (and some of its history) is given to you at the end of Lonesome Road by Ulysses if he's still alive and is found in the loot crate at the Canyon wreckage if he's dead.
Bitter drink can be crafted at a campfire with a Survival skill of 15 and having received the recipe. It requires 1 broc flower, 1 xander root and 1 empty Sunset Sarsaparilla bottle. It is roughly twice 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 your health outside of combat (assuming a high Survival skill, if allowed to heal its full amount over time, it can heal more than a stimpak).
Only a few healing items actually recover more HP over time, and all of those are items that are crafted or are otherwise uncommon sights, making bitter drink somewhat unique. Bitter drink counts as a chem, rather than a drink.
Bitter drinks are good for when you combat poisonous creatures and lack an antivenom. The HP regeneration from a bitter drink can offset a poison effect's ongoing damage, ergo increasing your chances of survival and freeing up resources for that critical emergency healing only stimpaks can provide.
Survival Skill effect
| Skill | Effect |
|---|---|
| 10 | +4 Hit Point for 18s |
| 20 | +5 Hit Point for 18s |
| 30 | +6 Hit Point for 18s |
| 40 | +7 Hit Point for 18s |
| 50 | +8 Hit Point for 18s |
| 60 | +8 Hit Point for 18s |
| 70 | +9 Hit Point for 18s |
| 80 | +10 Hit Point for 18s |
| 90 | +11 Hit Point for 18s |
| 100 | +12 Hit Point for 18s |
Crafting
This item can be crafted by the player.
Creation requirements
| Materials: | Requirements: | Produces: | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
broc flower (1) xander root (1) |  | Survival: 15 Completion of Lonesome Road |  | Bitter drink (1) |
Locations
- These can be found on Legionary assassins and Recruit Legionaries.
- Ulysses will teach you their history, and give you a few if you spare him. He will also leave a few in the footlocker after Lonesome Road.
Notes
- When using bitter drinks it can register as taking a stimpak, thus this item can help towards the challenge and achievement/trophy Stim-ply Amazing.
- The hot-key icon for bitter drink of is the same one used for chems, rather than the one used for drinks or food. This may be an oversight as Bitter drink is not treated as a chem, e.g. it is not prohibited by the Legion.
- A recent patch has lowered the healing effect of the bitter drink, as with a 100 Survival skill it will only heal 6(18s).
- 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.