Everyone knows the Yawning Portal, at least by reputation. A true adventurer's inn, it takes its name from the threatening dark well at the center of the main floor that offers access to the dungeons of the Undermountain. Many brave souls have ventured into the well on a quest; a smaller number have returned to recuperate in the Yawning Portal's warm and comfortable rooms.
An emboldening tankard of beer, mead, or cider before departure is standard for many adventurers, and many more tankards are enjoyed if they make it back. Some have said that if every drop of beer ever served at the Yawning Portal were to be poured down the well, it would drown the whole of the Undermountain!
Shadowdark
During a night of joyous debauchery at the Yawning Portal, it is sometimes easy to forget that unspeakable horror and terrible danger lurk just a stumble away. This frothy concoction called Shadowdark is a reminder of sorts: blood red and stormy, edged with bitterness and a rich cherry sourness. The flesh of mashed cherries swirl in its depths like a promise of devastation, and the final chewy swallow is a moment of sweet release.
If that all sounds a little theatrical, well, you should know that this drink did not come to the Yawning Portal from the dangerous and often brutal worlds of duergar and drow. This drink came from dramatic surface-dwellers, who have a romantic and largely inaccurate conception of the Undermountain as a place of sexy mystery and miserable poetry. It is on the menu at the Yawning Portal because gloomy younger patrons drink a lot of it.
Pieglass
The Pieglass is an indulgent, dessert-like drink that commemorates the first successful venture into the Undermountain by Durnan the Wanderer and his friend Mirt the Merciless. Durnan and Mirt were young men when they discovered the entrance to the labyrinths beneath Mount Waterdeep created by the mad mage Halaster Blackcloak. They returned from that expedition weighed down with riches, and Durnan's girlfriend, Mhaere, baked a pumpkin pie to celebrate. Mhaere also made Durnan promise that he would stop chasing danger when they had money enough to start a family. In exchange, while his adventures continued, she swore she would always be there to welcome him home with her pie.
Durnan kept his word, and Mhaere kept hers. Together, they built the Yawning Portal over the gateway to the Undermountain. Though Mhaere would not offer just anyone her pie, she did agree to let Durnan add a drink to the menu in her honor.
Bitter Black
For those who return from the Undermountain, a Pieglass may be raised. For those that do not, there is the Bitter Black. This blend of stout, syrup, and dark coffee is as bitter and black as its name and as bitter and black as the mood of those who leave friends or loved ones behind beneath the mountain. There is a cruel uncertainty when no members of an adventuring party return through the portal: Could they still be alive? Have they found some other way out? There is an equally cruel certainty when only some of a party return with news that they saw their friends devoured by spiders, drowned in the Slitherswamp, or torn to pieces by goblin werebats.
There is no dollop of ice cream in a pint glass for the tired and traumatized survivors of such an experience. They have stared into the bitter black, and all they can hope to do is to take strength from it.
Cherry Mead
Travelers and adventurers often stop by the Yawning Portal to seek the wisdom of those who have walked the paths before them. A veteran adventurer can sometimes make a steady living just by setting up at a table by the well and waiting for admirers to stop by with a few coins of gold or an offer of a warm meal and a tall drink.
Volo Geddarm, renowned scholar of monsters and magic and author of many guides to the lands and cultures of Faerûn, is one of those veterans at the Yawning Portal. All he asks in exchange for his words of wisdom is that adventurers bring a pitcher of Volo's favorite cherry mead to the table—and something for themselves. Volo is a gregarious and loquacious drinking companion, and he can polish off a whole pitcher in short order, which makes him even more talkative. This sweet and fragrant drink is the lubricant to learn everything you need to from Volo Geddarm. You might bring some coin as well. Volo often has copies of his books for sale just under the table.
Tavern Punch
This refreshing summer punch was designed by Durnan with a very specific customer in mind: the customer who does not want to come inside the Yawning Portal. These people might want to visit and perhaps look inside. They may even take a Yawning Portal beermat to show their friends back home, but the idea of sitting in a room with a giant hole in the middle that leads to near-certain death does not relax them. The possibility of seeing someone emerge from the portal screaming in pain with their arm ripped off or weeping over the death of their best friend does not put them in a drinking mood. And the chance—slim as it is—of a powerful lich lord emerging from the portal in a cloud of death does not sound to them like a fun night out. It takes all sorts to make a city.
For those customers, a table can be set up in front of the tavern in the warm sunshine. They can order a pitcher of this delicious drink and can imagine, just for a moment, what it might be like to live in a world without any dragons.
Bee Well
The path from the Yawning Portal to the Undermountain is not one only reserved for adventurers. Sometimes things from the Undermountain try to come up, as was the case when a swarm of giant bees buzzed out of the shadows seemingly ready to slaughter the patrons. The patrons drew swords to defend themselves before the halfling druid Blossom Snobeedle stepped forward and calmed both sides of the potential conflict.
Snobeedle, an elder member of the wilderness protectors known as the Emerald Enclave, recognized that the creatures were acting in distress and not anger. By accident or mischief, something had transformed ordinary bees into these daunting giants. Blossom did not have power enough to turn them all back, so she ventured into the Undermountain herself, sought out the queen of the hive, and transformed her back to her normal size. The other bees of the hive magically followed suit, instantly ending the threat to Waterdeep.
Blossom Snobeedle found the bees a new home at the Snobeedle Orchard and Meadery in Undercliff, just beyond the city walls. The mead from the meadery became the key ingredient in a Bee Well, a delicious cocktail that combines the beauty and bounty of nature with a sour sting.
Illuskan Mulled Cider
The tough Northlanders of Luskan have endured many long, bitter winters; some winters have even frozen the wide Mirar River solid and trapped the fine ships that are the heart and engine of the City of Sails.
Illuskan mulled cider is sold on many street corners across the city, often simmering for hours in large iron pots over coal braziers, and the five gangs that dominate the city each have their own preferred vendors and recipes. The folks at Ship Kurth enjoy a fragrant cider with plenty of ginger and cardamom, the Ship Baram gang go heavy on the oranges, and the Ship Suljack folk add more maple syrup to their cider than most people can stand. All five Ships agree that Illuskan mulled cider can only be made from the region's own hardy orchard stock. When word spread that the Yawning Portal proprietor, Durnan, was selling "Illuskan mulled cider" made with Waterdhavian apples, they sent an envoy to advise him of his mistake. The Kurth recipe is now the standard at the Yawning Portal.
Luiric Rarebit
Rarebit is a simple but delicious tavern treat for hardworking adventurers originating among the halflings of Luiren. Any proud halfling will tell you that they eat and drink very good bread, cheese, and beer because "simple" is not the same as "unsophisticated." Delicious rarebit can be made from cheap ingredients and leftover bits of cheese, which is good news for Ogawane Hinkille, the halfling chef at the Yawning Portal, who allegedly makes his rarebit from whatever scraps he can salvage from the tavern floor. (This is not recommended for the home cook.)