I'm not sure if Neil Gaiman counts as a Fantasy author but In American Gods this is kind of referenced in a tongue and cheek way where it's insisted upon that t

I'm not sure if Neil Gaiman counts as a Fantasy author but In American Gods this is kind of referenced in a tongue and cheek way where it's insisted upon that they must share a drink of Mead before setting out on their journey 'because mead is traditional for this sort of thing'. Though that also harkens back to mythology which is a large part of the novel.