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.