One of the top reasons to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is to try the Butterbeer. Seriously, the list is usually house robes, wand, and Butterbeer. While the beverage is very easy to find, there’s more to it than just a sugary drink. Did you know it is recognized as a food rather than a drink? Do you know where to get every version of Butterbeer? Or how about the brain behind the recipe?
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Here are 10 things you didn’t know about Butterbeer at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
10 No Beer in the Butter
To clarify: Butterbeer does not contain alcohol. As irresponsible as the canon wizarding world seems to generally be, they don’t actually give alcohol to school children. Because even in Hogsmeade, giving alcohol to kids is super illegal.
Universal obviously adheres to the same rules. Anything labeled as Butterbeer is non-alcoholic. Just because of the “beer” part of the name, they have to put non-alcoholic before it. And that’s a major downer for adults who want to try some boozy Butterbeer. Hogwarts students come first! Really makes you understand why Snape was so grumpy all of the time.
9 Putting the Beer in the Butter
That being said, there’s a great way around this. You’ll never hear or see it advertised by anyone in the park due to both brand integrity and legal reasons, but you can DIY your own adult version of Butterbeer.
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For this, you need to get your Butterbeer from either The Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley or The Hog’s Head Pub in Hogsmeade. Yes, they sell Butterbeer in the same place as the alcohol. Order a Butterbeer and a shot of Fireball Cinnamon Whisky and mix them together. Rumor has it that this works best with the hot Butterbeer.
8 It’s Hot & It’s Cold
Yes, there is a hot version that will warm you up from the inside out! And no, it’s not a seasonal item anymore...for Hollywood. Sorry, Orlando. Hot Butterbeer is on tap at the indoor restaurant locations in the Wizarding World. Smart move, right?
For those scorching, disgustingly humid, and sunny days, there’s a cold Butterbeer to cool you down and quench your thirst. Fizzy, sweet, and frothy - cold Butterbeer is one of the most accessible Butterbeers since you can grab it from one of the red Butterbeer carts. It’s also the most popular, so they’re prepped in advance to help the line move along. Please don’t accidentally take those without paying. That’s theft. Yes, this has happened. No, that’s not an excuse to do it.
7 It’s Solid & Frozen
But wait, there’s more! The frozen Butterbeer option can also be found at the carts, so remember to specify which one you want. There’s a difference. The frozen Butterbeer has a slushie consistency and will definitely give you brain freeze if you drink it too fast.
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So what happens when you don’t want to drink Butterbeer? Universal apparently thought of that. Also throughout the land, you can find Butterbeer fudge, Butterbeer ice cream, and Butterbeer potted cream. Do not underestimate the power of Butterbeer. The latter helped open Orlando’s Diagon Alley and as a result, has not been ported over to Hollywood. Yet.
6 A Butterbeer Float!
Sorry for all the Disney Parks fans, but it’s not a parade float. Seriously, what do we have to do to get a Harry Potter parade? (Though rumor has it that the land may be operating during Halloween Horror Nights. No confirmation yet.)
We don’t know what genius thought of this first, but you can DIY a Butterbeer float. Just plop your Butterbeer ice cream into your cold Butterbeer (the only soda option) and enjoy! Bonus points if the froth ends up acting like a butterscotch whipped cream.
5 What Does It Taste Like?
Honestly? It depends on what kind of Butterbeer you get. The base of all Butterbeers is butterscotch, so you always have that sweetness to count on. The differences really lie in the secondary flavors: Cream soda and shortbread cookies.
The hot Butterbeer is the closest to that pure butterscotch taste, but it’s honestly the last thing you want in the middle of the summer, be it in Orlando or Hollywood. Cold Butterbeer is really the only one with the cream soda taste since the frozen version isn’t carbonated. But the frozen one has more of the shortbread taste. Honestly, though, the Butterbeer fudge is a block of sugar. Prepare yourself for that.
4 Too Sweet?
You like butterscotch but don’t like an overwhelmingly sweet taste? Or do you crave that teeth-rotting goodness? Fear not, there’s literally a Butterbeer for everyone. Here are all the Butterbeer types ranked in order of sweetness, from least to greatest: Potted cream, hot, ice cream, cold, frozen, and fudge. Simply pick your poison and enjoy a Butterbear.
3 Butterbeer Merch
Yeah, there’s actually merchandise for a fictional drink. We really shouldn’t be surprised, but it’s kind of impressive that people buy it. Obviously, there’s the souvenir mug available to purchase. As far as sturdiness goes, it’s a decently hefty mug despite being made of plastic. And it counts as a refillable cup, so you can get discounted soda refills using it. But it’s technically not dishwasher or microwave safe, probably because of the sticker design.
If you’re still looking for more of a Butterbeer fix because you love it that much, a t-shirt exists! Like, an actual graphic t-shirt. It’s an olive color with the Butterbeer logo (the same as the mug’s) front and center. Due to brand integrity, this is usually found outside of the Wizarding World and at one of the general Universal stores.
2 Fantastic Butterbeer & Where To Find It
Now that you’ve got the basics, here is where to find every version of Butterbeer. Cold and frozen Butterbeer can be found at the red Butterbeer carts, which may or may not have a shorter line than the indoor locations. First up, the restaurants!
Both the Three Broomsticks and the Leaky Cauldron carry cold, frozen, hot, ice cream, and potted cream. Unfortunately, the potted cream still isn’t available in Hollywood. The Hog’s Head Pub has the three liquid versions as well as the red street carts. Except in Hollywood. You need to go inside for the hot Butterbeer.
Honeydukes and Sugarplum’s Sweet Shop are the only locations with Butterbeer fudge. Both the Fountain of Fair Fortune and the Hopping Pot in Diagon Alley carry cold, frozen, hot, and Butterbeer ice cream. Last but not least, Florean Fortescue’s Ice-Cream Parlor has Butterbeer ice cream.
1 Compliments to the Chef
The genius behind Universal’s Butterbeer recipe is none other than Chef Steven Jayson. Chef Jayson is Universal’s corporate executive chef and also doubles as Vice President of the Orlando resort. J.K. Rowling had final say over the Hogsmeade menu and Butterbeer was happily approved. The recipe remains a secret, though others have tried to recreate it themselves with varying degrees of success.
Apparently, the team took health concerns and calorie counts very seriously. According to Chef Jayson, a 12 oz. cup of Butterbeer has fewer calories that 12 oz. of soda. That doesn’t mean it’s healthy, but it’s definitely a vice you can live with.