Dr. Breen's Private Reserve
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- "Here. Let me buy you a drink."
- ― Alyx Vance[src]
Dr. Breen's Private Reserve, stylized as "Dr>Breens Private Reserve" or simply ">B", is a brand of drink manufactured by the Combine, named after Earth's Administrator Wallace Breen and used as a propaganda tool. The particular imagery on the vending machines and the blue coloration of cans may imply the drink is the water distributed by the Combine, affecting the health of Citizens.
Contents
Overview[edit]
Similar to the ones seen in Half-Life and its expansions, the vending machines for this drink dispense blue cans with ">B" written on them when interacted with, although they are merely props and don't replenish the player's health. The first vending machine is seen at the very start of Half-Life 2 in the City 17 Trainstation, right after the turnstile; another one was apparently converted to open itself with a specific code and hides the entrance to Kleiner's Lab.
After departing with Barney in an interrogation room, a Metrocop purposefully knocks over a ">B" can with his Stun Baton and makes the player throw it in the trash while saying the words "Pick up that can", then laughing "All right. You can go" when the order has been followed. The player also has the option of throwing the can at the cop, leave it there and step back or throw it past the cop. Either way, the cop will chase and hit the player. This was made to show the player how to pick up objects with the "Use" key, as well as how to throw them.
In Episode Two, in the Station 21 garage where Rebels are fixing cars near the Combine Autogun, a red ">B" can can be seen lying next to a car being repaired. This hints that other types of the drink are made, and the Rebel near the can either did not drink it or drank it regardless of the possible effects on his health. Later, both red and yellow cans can be seen on tables near a Lambda cache under a nearby tree.
Behind the scenes[edit]
The original vending machine prop was brush-based, used the generic "Cold Drinks" signage, and was referenced from the real-life model Vendo 427. It can be often found in several WC map pack maps, such as City 17 Trainstation, Ravenholm or Borealis maps. In the E3 map e3_phystown, this vending machine spits out a copious amount of yellow "T Dog" cans when damaged. Two early can models bearing the brand "T Dog", a yellow and a red one, can be found in the Half-Life 2 leak files, the first model, similar to the current one and featured in the Half-Life 2 leak, is a Pepsi machine;
The font used in the ">B" brand logos is Impact, the same font used for the Metrocop armband or the Black Mesa badge.
While the red and yellow ">B" variants are first seen in Episode Two, they have been informally featured as unused content since Half-Life 2.
">B" is featured at the end of the first Two Bots, One Wrench video, in a sequence during which the masculine robot takes a ">B" machine as a lubricant machine and drinks a can, after which the feminine robot reads on the machine "Breen's Private Reserve..." and adds "...of urine!", causing the other robot to spit all his drink.[1]
Gallery[edit]
Pre-release[edit]
One of the original brush vending machines from Half-Life.
The original brush vending machine.
The early Pepsi vending machine model.
Yellow T Dog soda can.
Red T Dog soda can.
Real world vending machine similar to one of the brush renditions.
Retail[edit]
Blue soda can.
The red soda can from Episode Two (originally unused content in Half-Life 2).
The yellow soda can from Episode Two (ditto).
Vending machine face artwork.
Blue can ">B" logo.
Red can ">B" logo.
Yellow can ">B" logo.
A vending machine near the food hall.
Ditto, at the prison.
"Pick up that can".
">B" cans on a City 17 roof.
A blue ">B" can near Kleiner in his lab.
A scene of carnage in the Hospital, in which a Combine Soldier was apparently crushed by a ">B" vending machine.
Red ">B" can near a Rebel at Station 21.
Yellow cans at Station 21.
Red cans among bottles at Station 21.
List of appearances[edit]
Main games[edit]
- Half-Life 2 (First appearance)
- Half-Life 2: Episode One
- Half-Life 2: Episode Two
