Harry Potter Butterbeer Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Did J.K. Rowling approve Butterbeer? ›

The version sold at The Wizarding World was tasted and approved by Rowling herself. Visitors to the park see a large wooden barrel that bears the word "BUTTERBEER" as soon as they enter, and they can buy it from a street cart and inside The Three Broomsticks restaurant and Hog's Head pub.

A simple brown sugar and butter syrup gets topped with cream soda and a dollop of cream in this wildly popular drink. Next time you are having a Harry Potter movie marathon, book club meeting, or even a Halloween party, pull out all the stops with this sweet drink that even Harry, Ron, and Hermione would approve of.

Regular Butterbeer

Start with the creamy foam. Combine heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, and 1 tbsp of butterscotch in a mixing bowl. Whisk the cream until the mixture starts to thicken.

The Universal Studios Orlando's butterbeer recipe is still top secret, but according to the books, it is made out of butterscotch, sugar, and water.

↑ In the film version of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, however, Hermione Granger appears to act slightly tipsy after a visit to the Three Broomsticks Inn where she was shown drinking some; this can be seen just before the discovery of Katie Bell.

It was served at numerous locations in the wizarding world and had a very slight alcoholic content.

After drinking at the bar, Hermoine is shown to be tipsy, putting her arms around her male companions. Some criticized the film for portraying alcohol use as a way to deal with stress and sorrow.

This is a reality. But its origin dates back much further than J.K. Rowling's films. Butterbeer, or “Buttered beere” as it was described in 1594, has existed for many centuries. At the time of the Tudors, beer was already a typical and commonly consumed drink.

Although the original stories depicted Butterbeer ™ as being served cold in bottles and hot in "foaming tankards," Universal Orlando Resort serves it three different ways, along with a flavored ice cream, for Harry Potter ™ fans craving the wizarding beverage.

In all of its various manifestations, Butterbeer is an interesting interplay between the flavors of cream soda and butterscotch, with a sweet, frothy topping usually firmly in place.

Can you buy Butterbeer to take home? ›

Calling all Potterheads! You don't have to make a trip to Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley to get your hands on some delicious Butterbeer. Flying Cauldron's butterscotch cream soda, previously only available in a glass bottle option, is now sold in new 16-ounce aluminum cans for on-the-go magic.

In the books, Butterbeer is described as having a very slight alcoholic content. Of course, in the parks and in pretty much all homemade recipes it's made alcohol-free. Butterbeer was also a real drink in England called “Buttered Beer” in the 1500s. It was made from beer, sugar, eggs, nutmeg, and cloves.

Butterbeer had a slight alcoholic content and although was safe for children to drink, it could affect creatures (such as house-elves) if consumed in to high a quantity. Harry enjoyed his first Butterbeer in Hogsmeade.

Our Complete Guide to Butterbeer at Universal Orlando

Author J.K. Rowling said that she imagined it tastes “a little bit like less-sickly butterscotch.” Despite its name, Butterbeer at Universal does not have any alcohol in it, so tadpoles and frog parents alike can enjoy it!

Madam Rosmerta serves her butterbeer warm in the books, so you can always order yours hot and let it cool down a bit for the best Harry Potter dining experience. But, as for the best butterbeer at Universal overall, we are going to say the frozen Universal butterbeer wins out!

J.K. Rowling did not base butterbeer on a real drink (although there were historical drinks called buttered beer or ale), she simply made it up for the books. When Rowling was asked by Bon Appétit magazine in 2002 what it tastes like, she said: “I made it up. I imagine it to taste a bit like less sickly butterscotch.

Royalty Payments

Every time you purchase a Butterbeer, licensed product, on-ride photograph, or even a bottle of Gillywater from one of the Wizarding World lands at a Universal Park around the world, a percentage of that sale will go directly to the rights holders (Warner Bros. and J.K. Rowling).

Butterbeer in the Harry Potter series implies a low alcohol content, as seen through subtle hints and the reactions of characters like Hermione and Winky. At Universal Studios, Butterbeer is non-alcoholic to create an inclusive experience for fans of all ages, prioritizing accessibility and family-friendliness.