Situated on the north bank of the Mirar River, One-Eyed Jax has a reputation as a haven for pirates, smugglers, and mercenaries—a reputation shared by the entire town of Luskan. Despite that reputation and a seemingly ramshackle appearance, the Jax is one of the safer places for visitors to Luskan. The bar does not brook trouble, and anyone interfering with business is liable to be thrown into the icy-cold waters of the Mirar. Salt winds sometimes howl through the walls, but under the tattered import labels that paper those walls is a surprisingly robust oak-beamed building. Nothing here is exactly as it appears.
The drinks at the One-Eyed Jax change depending on what can be acquired through fair means or foul. The mixed drinks are made from the types of bottles one would find getting dusty at the back of other bars—and that the owners of other bars might not notice going missing!
Golden Way
Though Luskan sits at the remote and frigid far north of the Sword Coast, it is a city with a long reach. Its thriving harbor and busy rivers and roads connect it to towns and settlements across the Shining Sea, beyond the sands of Anauroch, and as far away as Kara-Tur. Outsiders say Luskan sits at the edge of the world, but residents of Luskan say that they have the whole of the world on their doorstep.
That Luskan worldliness is evident in the work of tiefling dressmaker Iono Spooner, who sources fabric from all across Toril to create extraordinary costumes for the Luskan traveling carnival, the Sea Maiden's Faire. The carnival brings home beautiful silks, sturdy bamboo fibers, exotic dyes, and rare animal hides, and Iono transforms them all with his clever eye and deft fingers. Iono rarely ventures beyond the walls of his workshop, let alone the walls of his city, but he has been known to make it to the Jax, where he always orders a Golden Way. The drink is named for the largest trade route connecting West to East, and it is an apt celebration of the treasures of trade with flavors not typically native to frigid Luskan!
The Bag
The Bag is a celebration drink for the successful plunderer; it's what a flashy pirate or highway robber orders when they've come into money and want to show off. A thief secures the bag and then a thief enjoys the Bag. This rich, indulgent, creamy drink could send a person to sleep, but the strong coffee in it is meant to counteract those effects, ensuring that the thief is not relieved of his bag before he can enjoy it.
The owner of the One-Eyed Jax, the flamboyant drow swashbuckler Jarlaxle "Jax" Baenre, has a love for the pompous swagger of this drink. It matches his own personality. Jax used charm and wit to place himself in a position of power in Luskan and has found a sort of rhythm in its chaos. He plays the city like a lute. Jax keeps close watch on criminal activities in Luskan through his mercenary band of drow outsiders, the Bregan D'aerthe, and he always knows when and where the power is shifting. Some thieves don't want to signal a successful job by ordering the Bag, so Jax will sometimes send the drink to their table just to make sure they know that they have been noticed.
Noble Pretender
Many con artists and swindlers pass through Luskan. Those who chance their hand in the wrong venue or move on the wrong mark often don't make it out of the town. One story tells of a man named Gannis Redthumb, a self-proclaimed fugitive aristocrat from Damara seeking safe passage from his persecutors. He plied the patrons of the One-Eyed Jax with fancy drinks and told his new friends that he was carrying magic pits and seeds for winter peaches and strawberries that could grow in bitter snow and feed the hungry through the dead months. Gannis found many potential buyers for his magic fruit—he hooked their interest over strong drinks that loosened their purse strings. Unfortunately for him, the One-Eyed Jax shares some customers with the 6 in Waterdeep. One day, a quiet kenku arrived in town and perched unnoticed in the shadows of the bar. The next day, Gannis was pulled out of the bay in a fishing net.
A drink inspired by Gannis Redthumb's misadventure is still served at the Jax, a reminder to all patrons that the games they play beyond these doors are not tolerated inside them.
Elfharrow Kiss
An Elfharrow kiss is not as sweet as it sounds. Elfharrow is a barren desert in Southwest Faerûn; it's hot, dry, and hostile to many forms of life. The lush forest that once filled this land died out when the climate changed, leaving behind a near-dead terrain inhabited by a few tribal communities that fiercely defend their limited resources from intruders. Unwelcome visitors might be greeted by an arrow in the forehead before they even know that they are not alone. That is an Elfharrow kiss.
The bitter smoky cocktail named for that cold welcome is a bit of a history lesson in a glass, with elderflower representing the region's flourishing past and mezcal from desert agave plants representing the prickly present.
Tymora's Coins
If the Bag is enjoyed by brigands celebrating good fortune after a job, Tymora's Coin is meant to solicit good fortune before a job, usually by a crew of brigands working together. SCAG, the god of luck, is a mercurial and kind figure who is as likely to smile upon a rogue as a paladin so long as they refrain from violence and target the greedy.
The titular coin is Tymora's symbol because sometimes one's fate feels as random as flipping one. The anise and lavender in the punch both carry a blessing for luck, and the lemon wheels represent Tymora's symbol. The number of "coins" that spill from the pitcher into each person's drink represents how much luck the goddess is granting each member of the crew. This can lead to some nervousness if one member of the crew gets no lemons at all.
We leave the reader to speculate what it says about the nature of thieves that the traditional drink before a job is enjoyed by a group and the traditional drink after a job serves only one or two.
Greengrass
When a cold winter ends, and the snow thaws and the icy rivers crack and flow once more, the sun beats down and the first buds of new growth unfurl from the warming soil. It is then people's thoughts often turn to the future, to possibility, and to fertility. Across Faerûn, the coming of spring is marked with a festival called Greengrass. Offerings are made to the gods in hope of a fertile season, and people come together to dance and drink. Spring comes harder and slower to Luskan than in many places, and that makes this bright, verdant herbal cocktail all the more vital. The Greengrass perfectly captures the spirit and mood of the festival all year round.
Greengrass is very popular with those who feel an intense connection to nature, especially the members of the wide-ranging Emerald Enclave, a collective of druids and rangers with agents everywhere. Someone ordering a Greengrass cocktail may be a member of the Enclave signaling their arrival in town to possible friends—or enemies.
Scrap and Oil
On a bountiful day, the One-Eyed Jax has fish a-plenty to fry and serve its guests. In leaner times, the bar sometimes turns to other methods to feed the hungry. According to rumor, "scrap and oil" was originally made using food waste plundered from the alleys behind Luskan's more respectable establishments or from the scraps that wealthy homes set aside to feed their pigs. The cook at the Jax believed that his drunken customers would eat anything placed in front of them if it came battered and deep fried with a dipping sauce, and he was absolutely correct. In fact, the dish proved so popular that it was added to the menu.
Supposedly the bar now uses its own fresh leftovers to create these tasty fritters, and if you believe that, there's a man in the back room of the bar who would like to sell you a magic chicken.