"FOOOOLS!", rattles a voice emanating from the bowels of a black treasure chest that you stumbled upon. It just so happens that you have a key that opens the lock, so, why not open it? Be warned, for should you find yourself doing this, your fate may involve contortions and abilities previously considered impossible for a three-dimensional being such as yourself. Imagine flipping upside down, in the fourth-dimension... 

Yea... sounds pretty awesome! And oddly terrifying...

The Legend

The legend of the four heroes can be heard from Grifty who sits atop the far left building in the main square of Rogueport. Legend has it that a Toad from Petal Meadows, a Goomba from Boggly Woods, a Koopa, and a Boo teamed up to seal the Shadow Queen 1000 years ago. They did so by using the power of the Crystal Stars, which they kept in their possession after the demon had been sealed. If they ever were to let go of the stars, they would be locked away for all time within a Black Chest where they stood. The Koopa from that time collapsed in a cave on Keelhaul Key, and the Boo near the Creepy Steeple in Twilight Town. 

Inspiration

When workshopping this cocktail, I wanted something that could pull inspiration from the heroes whose souls (?) comprise the demon that resides within the black chest. It felt right to take an ingredient inspired by each hero. 

Tea

The Toad from Petal Meadows is represented by the hot tea base of this drink. An item exclusive to this area's town, Petalburg, it can be made into Koopa Tea in-game, paralleling the use of tea leaves in real life.

Honey Syrup

Boggly Woods has one food item found in it, and that's honey syrup. With the Great Tree I figured we could do something that comes from a tree like Maple Syrup, but that's another item in the game, and it doesn't appear in Boggly Woods. 

Lime Juice

Before realizing that you can't find limes on Keelhaul Key, I figured I'd use limes as in "Key Limes". Although not executed in this recipe, mangoes and coconuts can be found exclusively in this location. 

Absinthe

Twilight Town and the Creepy Steeple were a tough one. The thought did occur to me, that ringing the bell turns the townsfolk into pigs. So maybe we do a bacon-syrup or smoke the cocktail? I opted for the less boisterous approach and went with absinthe (because, like, hallucinations and mystical properties and whatnot). 

Bitter Amaro

Finally, the demon or curse that lives in the chest struck me as bitter and spiteful. I went for the bitterest Amaro that I have in my bar collection: a local bottle of Vigo Amaro. 

Flavor Analysis

The honey syrup and lime juice balance out the sourness to allow for the more complex flavors of the remaining ingredients to sort of float comfortably. The tea and Vigo Amaro both impart a bitterness that is very earthy and vegetal. As the drink evolves, the taste of licorice lingers from the absinthe. I'll add that the charcoal dust can be left out if you don't care much about the color. It also adds additional bitterness that makes your mouth kinda dry.

The Face

Although it'd be awesome if glass mugs came with this face, alas it is not to be so. But, if you'd like to make a glass of your own, here's a file with the face on it that you can use to template one yourself!