Nonalcoholic Refreshments from The Hissing Stones in Baldur's Gate

Lathander's Bounty

SCAG the Morninglord, god of the rising sun, the new day, hope, and fresh beginnings, gives his name to this bright and enlivening fruit drink that is the perfect way to start the morning, especially after a grim night.

Golden, handsome, and eternally fresh-faced, SCAG is a favorite god among the athletically inclined. Lathander's bounty is nothing so crass as riches or fame, but the healthy and invigorating natural bounty of fresh bright peaches and sweet sunny mangos that are emblematic of Lathander's radiant aspect. Paladins in service to SCAG will often stop at the Hissing Stones to exercise and take the waters. This is the drink they almost always order. The less athletically inclined also sometimes order it in the desperate hope that it will give them abs and lustrous golden hair. Who knows, maybe one day it will!

Kinship Shrub

Kinship Shrub is an elven festival offering that has been adopted enthusiastically by other species that hold elven elegance and refinement in high regard. After all, elves do not need to eat or drink, so the drinks that they do indulge in must be something special. Kinship Shrub is said to cleanse the palate very effectively before a great meal. What many fail to realize is exactly whose palate the drink is intended to cleanse. The shrub was devised by a particularly snobbish elf who loathed the smell of humans. When forced to sit down and break bread with them at a great peacemaking banquet, he invented this drink to lessen the assault on his senses.

The drink became popular at such feasts among both elves and humans: Elves shared the creator's delicate sensitivities, and humans thought they were being offered something ceremonial. Of course, it found a place on the menu of the Hissing Stones, where feasts are rare but difficult diplomatic conversations are commonplace.

Baldurian Tonic

The great adventurer Minsc the Mighty and his companion animal, Boo, a miniature giant space hamster, are hailed as heroes across the Sword Coast for the many times they saved people from horrifying threats. In recognition of their great deeds, they are gifted food, drink, and other pleasures wherever they go—something that the naïve Minsc assumes is an everyday experience for everyone.

When Minsc came to the Hissing Stones early in the fifteenth century, Merilyn Allaryr gave him the venue's specialty on the house, a restorative Baldurian tonic. Minsc did not get even one sip of the sweet, zesty drink before a cry from the streets called him back into action. He did not return, and within days, Minsc and Boo were lost and feared dead. Merilyn kept Minsc's drink untouched on the bar, and with a touch of magic, the tonic did not lose a single bubble over the ensuing decades. None were allowed to disturb it. Merilyn believed that Minsc would return, and she wanted the drink to be there for him when he did.

Almost seventy years later, the prediction proved true. The petrification spell that had turned Minsc and Boo into statues was finally lifted. Minsc stepped back into the Hissing Stones and found his drink there waiting for him. It is not clear if he knew how long he had been gone.

Mintwater

Merilyn Allaryr may well have brought Mintwater to Baldur's Gate and possibly to Faerûn. A moon elf with many centuries of wandering and learning under her belt, Merilyn developed a fondness for mint on her travels and catalogued hundreds of varieties of the herb, noting different properties, uses, and flavors. By some reports, her office at the Stones is lined with jars of dried mint leaves and terrariums of living mint plants, and she has a tome that records many hundreds of recipes for Mintwater.

As far as Merilyn is concerned, there is actually no such thing as Mintwater because it is too simple a name for such a complex idea. Every recipe has its own charms and idiosyncrasies. There was a time when anyone ordering Mintwater at the Stones was met by an overly enthusiastic Merilyn and her giant tome. After several minutes of anguished browsing, patrons would usually order something else or just leave. Merilyn was eventually persuaded to leave the customers alone, and as with every other venue that serves Mintwater, the Stones now offers just one recipe. Unless, of course, you ask to see the book.

Chessentan Tea

The people of distant Chessenta have a reputation for intensity. Many great fighters and athletes come from the region, as do many great thinkers and artists. Whatever their calling, Chessentans live life with the fiery passion you might expect of people from a land once ruled by a dragon. In fact, it's home to spellcasters and cultists who would like to see it ruled by a dragon again. Some believe—and some hope—that dragons walk among the people of Chessenta in human form, scheming to reestablish their power.

Hibiscus tea is nearly universally popular in Chessenta, where the hardy flower grows wild in the mountains. A folk tradition emerged of adding hot pepper to the tea when a stranger came to town. If the stranger did not notice the intense heat of the tea, they might be a dragon in disguise.

One cannot be sure that this was ever an effective strategy, as there is no evidence that all dragons share a similar relationship with spice. The point is redundant, however, as people soon developed a taste for increasingly spicy hibiscus tea, and everyone started drinking it that way.

Restoration

In the heat of battle, a spell or potion of restoration can be vital in lifting a curse, undoing petrification, or just getting someone back on their feet after a tough bout. When a potion of restoration is hard to find, a pitcher of coconut water, lemons, and honey can really hit the spot.

Restoration punch was created by a healer exhausted by her reckless adventuring party's endless demand for potions. She mixed together this alcohol-free refresher and served it to the party as a "potion of really minor restoration" with instructions to rest so that the magic could take effect. The fake potion became a popular trick among healers. Now the drink is a go-to at places like the Hissing Stones. Most people realize that the potion isn't real—but they also believe that maybe it might be.

Mourning Cup

There were two silent monks who lived centuries ago at a temple near Baldur's Gate and they shared a loving bond of devotion as great as any offered to the gods. The story goes that when one of the pair lay on the threshold of death, the other gestured for the reaper to sit and take tea. The monk prepared a syrup of rosemary, the herb of remembrance. He brewed two cups of green tea and set them on the doorstep on a chilly morning to slowly steep and develop flavor. The monk used this time to cherish the last hours of his beloved friend's life and to set firm in his memory all that he loved about him. He and the reaper drank together in quiet contemplation, enjoying the sweetness of honey, the savor of rosemary, and the vivacity of green tea. This drink is now served at the Hissing Stones and always enjoyed in silent remembrance.

Tearoom Cookies

The Hissing Stones offers a range of relaxation and restoration techniques from various traditions across the continents, from meditation to mud baths. One technique that seems to arise in almost all cultures is enjoying a quiet cup of tea and some cookies.

The legendary kenku monk Whey-Shu brought the recipe for these cookies to Baldur's Gate. Raised in a monastery after goblins destroyed her flock, Whey-Shu devoted her life to the Way of the Shadow, finding strength in silence and power in subtle action. These tearoom cookies are appropriately delicate in texture and flavor. They do not overwhelm the senses.