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UPDATE: I’ve tweaked this recipe based on more research done at Universal. Be sure to take a look at our updated Butterbeer recipe to see the new ingredient!
I’ve been a huge Harry Potter
So we were very excited when we had the opportunity this summer to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios. We stood in line forever in the sunscreen-melting heat to get inside. We were not alone, either. See the throngs of fans crowded into the streets of Hogsmeade? We had a great time exploring the Three Broomsticks, Hogwarts, Honeydukes and the train station.
As fun as it was that day, it was also hot. VERY hot. One of our favorite things turned out to be the mugs of cold Butterbeer (a popular drink in the book) that could be had in souvenir mugs for a small fortune. But we paid that fortune, over and over again, just to get more of this delicious and refreshing drink. They did a fantastic job of coming up with a recipe that tastes just like you would imagine it would. Here’s a couple of pictures of the Butterbeer truck at the park. They served the drink two ways — frozen or regular — and despite the name, they were not beer at all, but a delicious, non-alcoholic drink with what we thought was a cream soda base.
On that hot afternoon, I preferred the frozen version (a slushie consistency) but I liked the regular drink a little bit better overall. Here’s our friend, Scot enjoying his third (or perhaps fifth?) Butterbeer. They were so addicting!
The mugs were really cute as well. We drank so much we had plenty to give away to friends and family and felt a little silly lugging around the giant bag of them. However, Scot said he much prefers drinking out of a glass than a plastic mug. He looked in the shops for a glass version of the Butterbeer mug but couldn’t find one. This seems like a huge marketing oversight by Universal. Hmmm… perhaps I could make one to go with the Butterbeer recipe that I knew I just HAD to duplicate at home!
But how would I make the mug? First, I had Chica create a Butterbeer logo for me. Then we got some stencils made with the logo, so we could etch the design onto glass mugs. Glass etching is really easy, and I’ll show you how I did it, and I’ll even share our Butterbeer recipe so you can make your own at home. You will love it!
BUTTERBEER MUGS
I picked out some really pretty glass mugs
WANT A STENCIL? You can now buy Butterbeer stencils in our store! Remember that each stencil can only be used once, so be sure to buy enough for all your mugs.
Start by thoroughly cleaning your mugs with rubbing alcohol. Then decide which side of the mug you would like the stencil to appear. Chica and I actually had a rather lengthy discussion about this. She wanted the stencil to be placed so that the words would face you when you were drinking the Butterbeer. I wanted to place it so the words were facing outwards as I drank the Butterbeer. We thought about doing it on both sides but thought it might look funny. However, one of our readers sent us a picture of having it on both sides and it turned out great. Our solution, at the time, was to do one each way so that we both won. There is no right choice here, just personal preference.
Now VERY carefully remove the white backing from your stencil. If any blue sticks to the white, press it together again and peel more slowly, until it all comes off and you are left with a blue stencil in one hand and a clean piece of white paper in the other.
Carefully position your stencil where you want it over your mug. Once it starts to stick down, it is REALLY hard to move. I mean it’s pretty much impossible, so don’t do like I did and not realize how close you are to the mug before it is too late! Lesson learned. After you have it positioned, gently press it down, smoothing out all the air bubbles and wrinkles. With a stencil this small, I could just use my fingertips for this process, but you mind want to use a stiff card or bone folder to help you.
When the stencil is smooth, remove the clear layer of transfer tape from the top of the stencil, making sure all the blue sticks to your mug this time. Now is the time for the etching cream.
Once the allotted time has passed, rinse the cream off with hot water. Remove the blue sticky stencil. We used a small knife to get the tiny parts off the glass.
Glass etching always turns out way cooler than I think it will. I am so pleased with the design and the stencil quality, and therefore with the end result! This mug is just begging to be filled with some Butterbeer now!
But wait, there’s more! Because the new stencils we had made (which are available in our store) come with all the cut pieces still in place, you can easily peel away the ones you want to create positive or negative designs.
Huh? What? Well, take a look at the two pictures below to see what I mean.
See how the mug on the left has the letters peeled away and the area surrounding it still masked with the stencil? By contrast, the one on the right has the letters still there, and the area around them peeled away. These will give you two totally different end results because the etching cream will be exposed to different areas.
It’s easy to do, too. Just put the whole stencil in place, then use an X-ACTO knife to peel away the parts you want to etch.
We really like the look of the design with the clear letters and the area around them etched.
For those of you who might like the idea of a Butterbeer mug but don’t want to mess around with stencils and etching, we have an alternative for you. We’re put our Butterbeer design on mugs (and shirts and more) at CafePress and Zazzle, where you can purchase your own and save the crafting for another day.
Now that you’ve got the mugs, it’s time to move on to the best part… the recipe!
BUTTERBEER RECIPE
The ingredients are simple. You will need the following to make two drinks:
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- 24 oz of your favorite cream soda
- 2 tsp vanilla butter and nut flavoring
Start by measuring your heavy whipping cream into a bowl.
Next, add your powdered sugar. Begin to whisk briskly.
I quickly tired of whisking briskly and asked Chica if she had a container I could shake it in. She had this perfect little squeeze bottle that allowed me to quickly shake to the right consistency and then dispense the cream onto the top of my drink. What is the right consistency? Good question. You want it to thicken slightly, but still be loose. I shook this until when I squirted a little out of the bottle, it stayed in a nice circle on my finger tip. It only takes 10-20 seconds of vigorous shaking. You could also use a stand mixer or stick with the whisk and bowl if you need an arm workout.
Once your cream topping is ready, add your vanilla butter and nut flavoring (buy it from our store!) to your cream soda and stir gently so you don’t get rid of all the carbonation in the soda.
CAN’T FIND THE FLAVORING? This flavoring is critical to the rich taste of the finished drink. If you’re having a hard time find it locally, you can now buy it in our store!
Pour your flavored cream soda into your Butterbeer mugs (if you made them) or into any chilled glass. Gently squirt on the whipping cream mixture so that it floats on top (or spoon it on if you don’t have a squirt bottle) in a layer about a half inch thick.
Trust us, it tastes even better than it looks! We would love to hear feedback from others who have tried the original Butterbeer at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Try our recipe and see how you think it compares!
NOTE: I did some more research on a recent trip to the parks and there is flavoring in the cream and very little flavor in the drink. I actually think our version of the soda tastes better than what they served at Universal but I did like their cream better. It even had a slightly bubbly consistency to it that I am currently working on reproducing. I will make sure and add tweaks to my recipe as soon as I can!
Oh, and if you’re looking for an alcoholic version of this drink, stir a couple tablespoons (to taste) of Dekuyper Butterscotch (a.k.a. Butterscotch Schnapps) in to the soda before you top it with cream. The result is fantastic!
In case you’re looking to share this recipe with others or put it in your recipe box, I made a nice downloadable recipe card for you.
BUTTERBEER GIFT BOX
If you’ve got a friend who is a huge Harry Potter fan, we think a Butterbeer set would make a great gift. You can easily fill a basket with a couple of mugs (made with our stencil and tutorial), a bottle of the special flavoring (available in our store), a couple bottles of cream soda,
In fact, we assembled just such a gift box to be used as a door prize for a private screening of the new Harry Potter movie in L.A. Don’t you love how it looks packaged in a decorative trunk? I know quite a few people who will get one of these for Christmas!
BUTTERBEER DISPENSER
And, if you are wanting to throw a party and serve lots of Butterbeer, consider making your own barrel!
UPDATE: Hot Butterbeer recipe
But wait
! Are you like many Harry Potter fans who think that Butterbeer should be served warm? Then check out the hot Butterbeer recipe that we developed. It’s so yummy we can hardly resist it. We’ve even figured out just the right thing to add to it if you want an alcoholic version. This is now Jo’s favorite winter time drink. Be sure and read the comments below for some more ideas on how to make Butterbeer.
115 comments so far:
Awesome, awesome idea for the mug – and thanks SO MUCH for the recipe, too. It’ll be quite awhile before I can go to Universal Studios for the real deal, so these two ideas will be fantastic substitutes!
So nice to hear that another adult is willing to admit to loving Harry Potter. I can’t wait to try this recipe. I know what lots of friends are getting for Christmas this year–Harry Potter baskets with mugs, cream soda, the recipe, and some of those H. P. jelly beans Border’s was selling. I’m off to buy the stencil. Thanks.
What a wonderful Christmas gift idea, Baye!
Thanks! I was at Universal last week and flew back to NY yesterday. I really miss the Butterbeer and can’t wait to try your recipe. It’s Ramadan this month, so guess what we’ll be drinking at sunset?
Sarah, please come back and let us know if you think we got it close! Happy Ramadan!
Fantastic! Have been wanting to try this but cannot see me getting to universal for a couple of years
Pretty sure in the books, Butterbeer is supposed to be warm o.O
One major problem — Butterbeer of the books/movies has booze in it. They don’t make a big deal of this fact, but if you pay attention, there are plenty of references that prove this.
Nice that there’s a kid-friendly one at the parks, but they should think of the adults as well! :O)
Hi Leah and Remus. Our recipe is modeled after the specific J.K. Rowling-approved drink that is served at Universal Studios. That drink is served cold and is non-alcoholic.
There are lots of interpretations of how Butterbeer should be, based on the books and the many other recipes over the years, but our version is modeled after the one served at the park, which we totally love!
@Remus If you’re making it at home, a shot of vanilla liqueur would solve the problem pretty well – in fact, I think Kahlua has the right kind of flavors.
We just got back form several days at the parks and I was really upset that the lines for both Olivander’s and all the places that serve Butterbeer were really long (It was like 101 degrees outside) So I never got to try it myself- but I am really looking forward to trying the etching AND the recipe, thanks!
I can see that this recipe would be great for when its hot out, but when I think of butterbeer I think of ‘a hot mug of butterbeer’. I don’t remember it being served cold in any of the books. But I’m afraid that cream soda probably won’t taste very good warmed up.
So do you have another awesome recipe for hot butterbeer? If you do I’d love to see it.
Monica, we will work on a version of warm butterbeer for the winter and we are still trying to perfect the frozen kind they also offered. We will share both recipes with everyone as soon as we come up with them!
Jeff, so sorry you didn’t get to try the butterbeer at the park! What did you think of the Hogwarts Castle ride? Let us know how you like the recipe!
Just got back from Universal and bought Butterbeer to make the wait at Ollivanders wand shop easier. I hit the spot,
ButterBeer at 8:00 AM!(we had early entry to park) It was so good and so cold. It made the wait worth it. My daughter and I cant wait to make your Beer. H.P ride made me a bit sick but the Beer made it better! LOL
We went to the park a couple weeks after opening and couldn’t do much because my grop didn’t wanna deal with the people
but we did get the butterbeer and it was amazing! I have already hunted down the recipe for pumpkin juice too. They were probably the best things I got to do in the park that day. I am planning to go back down when things settle down though.
Monica: I have a recipe for Butterbeer that I just LOVE.
1 pint vanilla ice cream
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 qt apple cider
1 tsp vanilla
Mix ice cream, sugar, and spices together. Re-freeze the mixture. Scoop out into a glass. Pour hot cider over it.
Some recipes call for butter and butterscotch extract. The butter makes it chunky and disgusting and I have never been able to find butterscotch extract. I also found this recipe, but have yet to try it: http://www.sporkorfoon.com/spork_or_a_foon/2010/07/butter-beer.html
For a while, a hot butterbeer was run by Borders bookstore. One cold night I asked if I could order one and the manager said no, even though they had the recipe still. I found out from a more helpful employee that it was a milk steamer with caramel and hazelnut shots, and let me tell you it really does taste just like I’d imagine butterbeer to taste, so even if you can’t make it at home you can buy it at your local starbucks if you give them that recipe.
well while its disappointing that the butterbeer is NA I got to say it still sounds good and harry potter rocks
Good recipe, just made it. Tastes good but seems like there was a taste of butterscotch missing.
Michael, thanks for trying our recipe and letting us know what you thought. If you still have some supplies handy, add a bit more of the extract for a stronger flavor.
This is really great, thanks! But, in the books, Butterbeer was hot. Is there any way to make it like that, or would one just have to warm it?
WOW totally awesome!!! Not only to that you visited the set (only slightly jealous) but that you made the cups and the butterbeer! Will deffinately be trynig the recipe! Thanks a lot!
For alcoholic butter beer, cream soda with a shot or two of butterscotch schnapps in it is delicious. Being in college, we also sometimes ramp it up further with an extra shot of rum. It’s quite nice!
If you want an alcoholic version you could always try a butter beer recipe from medieval Britain (1500’s) – http://historicalfoods.com/68/butter-beer-recipe/ – Like the Harry Potter version it’s usually served warm, though the taste is more like christmas spices (think eggnog!).
Butterbeer was never hot in the books…people are maybe confused because in the books they often FELT warm after drinking it, which I assumed is cause it was supposed to contain alcohol.
Anyways, I just tried the official butterbeer at Universal studios (the frozen kind) and hoooo boy was it ever good! And we didn’t wait in line at all, the butter beer stand just happened to have no one at it. In fact, there was very little waits for anything.. we walked into all the stores, waited 30 minutes for the Forbidden Journey ride and 15 minutes for the other two. We asked a cast member and they said that if you go first thing in the morning you will wait 1.5 hours to get into the area of the park, and huuugggee waits for everything. If you wait a few hours it’s fine. So that’s some advise for anyone who is visiting!
I might try this recipe, but to me the foam tasted very strongly of butterscotch… it doesn’t look like it will in this recipe?
Angela, thanks for sharing the tip on when to visit the park! Please try our recipe and let us know how you think it compares. We thought the butterscotch flavoring was coming from the soda part and not the cream topping. We would appreciate your feedback.
I can’t wait to try this recipe, but I think I will do half cream soda and half root beer. The non-frozen version at the WWoHP definitely had a bit of a root beer tang to it. I, for one, was glad that it wasn’t butterscotch flavored, as I hate the taste of it, nor is it spicy. If you want something spicy, try the Pumpkin Juice! I know some of you think it tasted butterscotch-y, but I didn’t think so at all. More caramel, in my opinion.
And for those of you who have mentioned it, Butterbeer is served both hot AND cold in the books!
I live in Orlando, and tried this recipe. It’s tasty, but not very close to what it tastes like at Universal Studios. I did enjoy it very much nonetheless.
Adrian, thanks for trying our version. Could you tell us why you think it is different?
Those of you who think Butterbeer should be served warm should check out the new hot Butterbeer recipe we developed. It’s fantastic! (We also figured out just what to add to it to make a great alcoholic version)
Thanks for the recipe! Went to the park yesterday (I live here in Orlando) The butterbeers were great, and the lines were not long at all, only 30 minutes for the Forbidden Journey! Getting my ingredients today! Thanks!
Gena, we’re so glad the lines are more under control at the park now. Please let us know what you think of our recipe
I tried the butterbeer at the park, then came home and found this recipe the same day. Made it for my wife after her spa day, and the three of use who went agreed that this tasted just like the one at the park. We followed the recipe to a t. Not sure why one would think it’s not the same? VERY big hit, and we’ve had a few repeats. Saving my money for Universal souvenirs next time.
Sean, so glad you enjoyed it! And, you are an awesome husband for making your wife Butterbeer after a hard day at the spa! : )
Tried it this morning, i used three separate flavorings though, an almond, butter, and vanilla. May not taste like urs but i quite enjoyed it. Thanks for the idea, made a big mug this morning and boy im full. Have a few harry potter fans coming over in a couple weeks gonna make them a few glasses. Thanks again.
Hey, now that’s a tasty breakfast, Robert!
One of our readers, Aaron, bought some of our stencils and used them to make Butterbeer mugs for his wife. He was kind enough to share photos with us, which I’ve posted in our Flickr group here and here so you could all see them. Great job, Aaron!
I went to the WWOHP and i was so lucky because it opened when i was on holiday! We didn’t wait in the line because it was so long but the second Monday after it opened we went back again and got in! Now here’s a tip…If the que is long go on single rider and there is a slight chance you will get on with your family. Me and my sister waited in line for 20mins and even got on together! Tried the butterbeer there and it was cool. I’m going to try yours next. Thanks. Annie, Glasgow, Scotland!
I’m really eager to try your recipe, but it can’t be perfect just yet. Last month, my fiancé and I had the privilege to speak with one of the supervisors at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter as we sat down for a meal. The only details regarding the recipe that she would spill is that it, per Rowling, is non-dairy. I’m not sure how such an incredible Butterbeer taste can be summoned while keeping it non-dairy, but she assured that it was a fact.
Ricky, I have heard that comment about it being non-dairy from another source. The best we can figure is that they are using a non-dairy formulated mixture to make the “foam” on top that tastes just like heavy whipping cream. We aren’t sure, of course. Please let us know what you think of our recipe once you try it!
Just made a batch of Butter beer. I used IBC creamsoda in its own 12 oz. bottle go figure.anyways it turned out alright, but it may need a pinch of butterscotch to get it just right.While making it I was thinking about the trouble you were having with the frozen butterbeer and it hit me! make the normal butterbeer recipe then pour it into an empty ice tray (doing it right now as I write)the 12 oz. fill up one ice tray, this way you have no water contamination with the drink when you go to blend it up in the blender.Once it is blended pour half in one glass and then the other top with the sugary head and let me know what you think. thanks for the recipe
Thanks for the recipe! I don’t think I’ll ever be able to go to the park, but now I can have the butterbeer! I’ve made it twice now, and it’s very delicious. Although, I thought that it tasted too much like cream soda. I guess I’ll add more vanilla butter & nut flavoring.
thanks for the recipe. sounds yummy, cant wait to try it out. could u by any chance suggest an alternative to vanilla butter & nut flavouring cuz im having a hard time finding one in uk. cheers.
Andy, we haven’t tried any alternatives but we do sell the flavoring in our store and we will ship to the UK. Just drop us an email. We will try to think of an alternate flavoring to add.
Thanks for the recipe and the mug idea. I’m eager to try it. We just returned from WWOHP. The lines where not bad at all. I do wish I knew about the mug before I spent the $10 on the park one. I am also eager to make the barrel as our Girl Scout troop is doing a Harry Potter fund raiser and I think that would be a great touch. Thanks again.
Ricky, I was told at the Three Broomsticks that the drink itself is non-dairy but the topping has dairy products in it. My sister asked because she’s vegan, and was very disappointed she couldn’t have any..
Just tried the recipe, and it is spot on from what I remember when I was at the park on October 3rd. FWIW, I used IBC cream soda, as it had the right color
, and I also just put the vanilla butter and nut flavoring in the glass first (half portion, since I was just making one serving to try it out), and poured the cream soda over top — that seemed to provide sufficient mixing.
I would also suggest to people that you should make sure the topping isn’t *too* thick — you should be getting some of the cream in each sip you take, and on my first attempt, it was a bit too solid and just floated on top (I was doing the hand shake in a condiment bottle
Brian, so glad you liked it! I have also shaken it a little too long and it ended up too thick. Oops! You should try the hot Butterbeer recipe as well. Nothing like the park but it is so good!
I would like to try your delicious recipe, just I don’t know what cream soda is. Could you explain,
Vida, Slovenia
Hi Vida. Cream soda is a carbonated soft drink that’s sort of similar to root beer, but with a vanilla flavor. It’s usually a golden amber color. Some popular brands are IBC and A&W. Hope that helps!
Just tried the cold recipe. It was pretty good, but it seemed to be missing something. Also the carbonation seemed to throw it off a bit for me. I haven’t been to the park yet so I can’t say whether this is spot on to what they serve, but I did try heating this recipe and it made it somewhat more enjoyable. I also added the butterscotch topping listed for the warm recipe for a little more flavor. Thanks for the recipe, and can’t wait to see when you get the frozen one down pat!
We were just @ universal. I got a pigmy puff and named him Arnold, just like Ginny did. a little while ago I had a butterbear and I loved it. anyways I’m looking forward to trying your reciepe!
I read the previous comments and we live in Orlando. We drank the butterbeer there and the creamy topping is indeed butterscotch flavored. I didn’t notice anything in the bottom except for what tasted like cream soda, possibly with a bit of butterscotch flavoring as well, but when they dispense it, it appears to be plain soda to which they add the butterscotch topping. I am going to try your recipe with just one modification (butterscotch in the topping as well) Will let you know how it turns out.
I love your creativity, but you’re quite off on the Butterbeer recipe! I haven’t made yours but having tasted the real one, I know what tastes right and wrong and theres a bit of chemistry you’re missing as well. I came up with a great recipe I need to post to my blog soon.
Jessica, when you do try ours let us know what you think!
I have been scouring the internet for a good butterbeer recipe and came across a link to your site while sifting through comments on the Food Network site. I was intrigued and decided to try it. I could not find the extract locally, so my wife purchased it from you. I must say, you’ve earned an “Exceeds Expectations”! I’ve found that adding 1tbs of Butterscotch Kisses Cocoa Mix (acquired from Tastefully Simple) will definitely improve your grade to “Outstanding”. Very close to WWoHP!
Thanks for the great score, Albus!
I love that you are out and proud HP fans…my girlfriends and I are pre-gaming 7.1 midnight showing with butterbeer tonight!
This is awesome I can now enjoy my favorite part of my vacation. But i do have a question. I want to make this for a Christmas party and i’m having multiple people (around 10-12 people) and i was wondering how you would measure out the ingredients to serve 12 people. I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks a bunch!!!
Kerilynn, you can just multiply the ingredient numbers by 6 to get the right amount since the recipe makes 2, 12 ounce servings. We hope you have a great Christmas party!
My mom & I are planning on making your recipe within the next few days. I was wondering, do you guys sell Bernie & Blotts Every flavored Beans?
I really wanna try them!! haha
We don’t sell the beans, Ashley, but I’ve had them before and they are a hoot! I’ve seen them around town at candy stores, so you might want to check where you live. You can also find them here on Amazon. Enjoy the Butterbeer!
I followed this tutorial for making a gift set and it worked great! If you are interested, read about my experiences here: http://amityoriginals.blogspot.com/2010/11/butterbeer.html
Thanks for the great idea!
I can’t wait to try this! I have tried Universal’s frozen, and it was delicious! In case this wasn’t posted yet…Universal does have an alcoholic version at the Hogs Head Pub, which I didn’t discover until I left. Hopefully I’ll get to go again soon, but it won’t be until next year.
When I tried the recipe it seemed just a little bit lacking. I combined the drizzled butterscotch from the hot recipe with the rest of the cold recipe and it was, in my book, perfect. Despite what is served in the books, the warm is my favorite . . . good job on both!
We’ll have to try the butterscotch out on the cold as well.
Hey there Jo and Chica (and everyone reading the talkback)-
My wife and I thought it would be fun to serve Butterbeer to everyone over the holidays. I’ve read…gosh, countless recipes and the simplicity of this one appealed to me, not because it’s super easy to follow/create, but the ingredients seemed to make the most “sense”.
I ordered the vanilla and butter nut flavoring, and did everything as instructed. In the end, I ended up adding the butterscotch cocoa as Albus suggested for non-alcoholic versions and butterscotch schnapps for adult versions. Both are out of this world tasty. I highly recommend using this recipe, without a doubt, and including the “extra” butterscotch flavoring if you so desire it.
Thanks for an awesome recipe- I can’t wait to serve it to my nieces and nephews, they are going to be so excited.
Best,
Christopher
Christopher, thanks for the feedback about the recipe in general and about the suggestions Albus made. I haven’t had a chance to try out the butterscotch cocoa yet. I must admit, I am partial to the version with the butterscotch schnapps!
nice one. i’m so excited to try it. thank you so much for sharing the recipe guys!
I would like to try your delicious recipe, just I don’t know what cream soda is, nor that being locally available here in the local market.
I made this today, and I must say it came out superbly. I went to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in November and had Butterbeer though. By my comparison, it’s close, close enough to make again and be more than content. The cream is slightly off, but it’s still delicious. The dirnk itself tastes really close, if not pin-point perfect! You guys did a great job re-creating this recipe, and thank you for it greatly!
Thanks for your comments, Ryan. We’re glad you love our recipe! We hope to make it back to The Wizarding World next summer so we can try the original again and maybe fine-tune our recipe
Chica and Jo have done it! My family and I went to the WWoHP about a month after it opened and wanted to give our official seal of approval to your recipe. This is fantastic, and it truly is the flavor we have been trying to find ever since. Regardless of what others may say, this is exactly like the butterbeer we spent a small fortune on at the park. So if you can’t make it there, rest assured that Chica and Jo have nailed it, and you will be able to experience this tasty beverage as it was meant to be. Thanks again you guys – finding your site (credit to my wife) was a great surprise just in time for Christmas.
Sean, thanks so much for your great feedback. I am planning a trip back there in February and I am going to be paying really close attention this time in case we can do any fine tuning. Merry Christmas!
Reader Matt R. used our Butterbeer stencils to make great gift baskets for his friends and shared a photo with us. Check it out in our Flickr group!
It doesn’t look worth it :/
This recipe is great! Me and my girlfriend went to wwohp this summer past when they were doing a soft opening and got to try butterbeer chilled and frozen. I have to say this recipe is really close if not dead on. I altered the recipe slightly, because it was a little too sweet, though. I used 11 oz of cream soda, 1 oz of butterscotch schnapps, 1oz of water, and 1 and 1/2 tsp of butter and nut flavoring. I made her a gift basket like yours with shredded black and green construction paper for her favorite house, slytherin. She loved it. Thanks again!
So I tried this out tonight. We went to WWHP over Christmas Break and I’ve been anxious to try to make my own butterbeer. While the flavoring in this is good, I feel it’s still missing some of the saltyness, and thickness that you get in the drink there. What I think I’m going to do, is take another recipe where they make a syrup base to mix in with the cream soda and put in the extract here rather than rum exract that the other site suggests. I hope that helps with the thickness consistency.
The other site also suggests adding some of the flavored syrup into the whipped cream- I think this would help too since my first taste of the whipped topping was slightly salty.
any idea how much of the etching cream you would need in order to put 4 stencils onto some glasses? the link is to a 10 oz container, but they also sell 4 oz ones that are much cheaper.
I was at WWHP with my family on 28 Dec. It was pretty chilly in the park that night but we got in the long line for Butterbeer anyway (how can you not?). Despite taking our core temperatures down even further, we all loved it. I just got done making this for my family this evening. I followed your recipe exactly except that I made the frosting a little too stiff. We all think that this recipe is on the money!
Parker, the smaller bottle should work just find for 4 stencils!
At first, I wasn’t really sure of this recipe. But today, I made it for my husband and I, and we both agree that it tastes like the real thing! Thanks for sharing!
If you want a true butter beer go buy boddingtons beer and butterscotch shnapps. Put the shnapps in the freezer for an hour to get the bottle nice and cold. Pour 1 ounce in a large glass (20 ounces or more) then pour in your can of boddingtons. The nitro widget in the can makes the beer nice and creamy and mixes the shnapps automatically. Then put in your Harry potter and the half blood prince DVD and enjoy some butter beer with Harry and the gang. You can use other beers as well like light lagers and ales but it won’t have the nitro creamy flavor. Enjoy!
Hello again. I don’t believe that cream soda can be bought in Europe. Am i right? All I can get is soda with lemon, orange, and other fruit and cola flavouring.Do you have any other alternatives? My son is just beginning to read Harry Potter and became a great fun of him.But I think I won’t be able to make butter beer for him. Thanks for help.
Vida, I noticed that Amazon.co.uk sells cream soda. Can you order from there?
I was there a few days ago and had both the frozen and draft butterbeer. As for the draft recipe, I thought you got the soda part dead on. However, I definitely think there was butterscotch flavoring in the foam. I think your recipe would be virtually identical if you added maybe some butterscotch syrup to the cream on top.
I just made this recipe, and it is awesome. I added some of the vanilla butter and nut flavoring to the “foam” part, along with some butterscotch. It gave it a pretty good kick.
Great recipe!
Nicole and Me 2, thanks for the feedback! I am going to be paying close attention to the foam when we go back next month!
My friends and I are big Harry Potter fans. We would have book release parties and made our own butterbeer by adding a shot of Butterscotch Schnapps to a bottle of beer.
We got our Flavoring in the mail yesterday!!! Wahoo! Me and my 13yr old son made the cold Butterbeer last night and the warm tonight. We loved them both. Im leaning towards the cold(and its easier to make!) and he likes the warm. I even got my Very picky 2yr old little man to try it too and he drank about half of both! Thanks so much for these great ideas! I’ve seen some other things on the site and I cant wait to try them! Greetings from COLD NW Indiana!
Cheryl, I think you’ve just inspired me to go make a mug full of warm Butterbeer. It’s pretty cold here, too!
I really like this idea. I feel silly asking though, but what is the big difference between the negative and positive etches? I mean I may need a visual …. just saying. For some reason I’m having a hard time envisioning the difference.
Also, is there a creative way to etch both sides of the glass and make sure the two are even. I may need a visual on that as well if you know how to do it… or even very simply instructions. I swear I’m bound to mess it up.
I would like to do both sides of the glass, just as a reader had suggested.
Fantastic creativity y’all!!
Also, I saw photos from the Flickr thing, which told me that it can be done- no I just gotta figure out how to line those suckers up. And I noticed that the Hot Butterbeer makes one serving. How many does this make. Fantastic website ladies! I had no idea how much you all did!!! Good luck with the website and book! I will definitely keep checking for all the neat ideas and crafts you ladies have to share- just such wonderful ideas! I am simply amazed. From the Halloween to Harry Potter, it is clear that the both of you are gifted. Best of luck.
Hi Sara, and thanks for your lovely comments about us and our site! I’m glad you liked our recipes. The cold Butterbeer recipe makes two drinks.
My suggestion for lining up two stencils on the same glass would be to apply one, and then add a piece of masking tape to the glass, just under the stencil, and wrapping all the way around in a straight line to the other side of the glass. Then you can apply the second stencil so that it lines up with the tape just like the first one did.
As for the difference between positive and negative, let me try to explain. For both approaches, you would apply the entire stencil to the piece. For a “positive” image, you would peel away the parts of the stencil that constitute the design. In this case, that would be the letters and the swirly lines around them. The peeled stencil would look like this. The finished glass would then have the letters and the swirly part etched, like this. For a “negative” image, you would leave the letters on the glass and peel away the background, like this. The finished glass would then have the letters clear, and the area around them etched, like this. There are more variations you could do, too, such as leaving the swirly part intact and etching the entire glass. Hope that helps!
Just tried your cold recipe last night. I thought it was absolutely incredible!! Just got back from Orlando about 2 weeks ago and I think its spot on. My wife thinks we need to try a touch of butterscotch so I am going to buy some extract and do a drop or 2 in the cream. Great Work!
One thing to note: Definately use a good brand of cream soda. I tried it again tonight with the store brand cream soda and it definately was not as good. The first night I used a more expensive brand (similar to IBC) and tasted much better.
Just got back yesterday and LOVED Universal’s Hogsmead….My son is really looking forward to making frozen butterbeer..it’s all he talks about! One note, and if I’m rehashing, sorry…I didn’t read all of the posts…if you buy the collectors mug, you can use it for refills at a reduced price.
Lines were long, but we did manage to visit everything except Olivander’s. When my husband commented to a worker on the small size for the crowds, he was told that the author wanted to maintain the English feel. He was also told by more than one worker that expansion is in the works!!
Michele, can’t wait to see how they expand. I was actually surprised they hadn’t made a Gringotts with a trolley roller coaster inside. So, Universal, if you are out there and want Jo’s humble opinion on how to design your park, that’s my two cents worth!
YOU ARE BRILLIANT! Cant wait to make this!!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE butterbeer!!
Oh…and Butter Beer is Non Dairy…..they also do not serve soda/cola in that section of the park(per Rowlings request)….
This is, by far, the best Butterbeer recipe on the internet – and I’ve tried quite a few.
The vanilla butter and nut flavoring really makes the drink taste like the real butterbeer at Universal!
I remember the whipped cream tasting a little like marshmallow cream. Do you think they mixed a little of that in with the whipped cream? I’d love for you to try that combination and tell us if it works out.
Thank you so much.
I like your cold butterbeer recipe much better than the hot butterbeer recipe.
Jennifer, thanks! The whipped topping seemed to fizz a bit on my tongue and I made note of that our last trip there. We are working on a variation to make the topping more like that. I will try adding some marshmallow cream and see how it goes. Thanks!
Looking forward to trying the Butterbeer receipe.
I paid a small fortune for six souvenier tankards of delicious Butterbeer but were able to refil them for about $3 and use them in the rest of the Universal parks for 79c coke products.
Just a note, we got to the park early (saw the opening!!) and walked straight on to the Hogwarts ride twice without any lines!
Gimmee4, thanks for the tip on reusing the tankards. Had no idea you could do that!
We just came back from Florida and I tried to recreate the Butterbeer. I thought it tasted like melted vanilla ice cream with butter extract in it. (You can find butter extract anywhere they sell cake decorating supplies or through Wilton.) It has been a couple weeks since our visit and I am interested to see what a local would say about the melted ice cream on top. I am definitely going to try the whipped cream next time. My boys loved the Butterbeer.
Hi,
I just stumbled upon ur website and I loved the idea of butterbeer mugs and the recipe…The thing is I live in India and would like to get the stuff from your store? Do u do an international delivery in any case??
plssss do let me knw…
Thanks!!
Hi Kamrunissa, and welcome to our site! We do ship internationally. Please send us an e-mail at intlsales@chicaandjo.com with a list of the items you want to purchase, and we’ll send you a quote for shipping cost to India.
I found this great craft project via StumbleUpon several months ago and I must say I was really intrigued with the idea of home glass-etching. Those mugs look phenomenal. I was wondering what material it is that you make your stencils out of. I do something similar with t-shirts and freezer paper, but I wasn’t sure what that sticky material was that adhered to the glasses for etching. Can you find it at craft stores or is it something special?
Hi Em! We have not explored the idea of creating our own etching stencils at home, so I’m not sure what to recommend. Something like adhesive vinyl might work, but I don’t know if it would hold up to the chemicals in the etching cream. We get our Butterbeer stencils custom made for us from a company that specializes in etching stencils. Email us if you’d like more information on how to contact them.
Hi Chica & Jo! My husband Sean left a comment for you just before Christmas about how spot-on your ButterBeer recipe is compared to the WWoHP version. You responded to him saying y’all were going back in February & were planning on seeing if you could find any tweaks to make to your version. We were just wondering if you had any as of yet? I saw the comment where you mentioned a slight fizz in the cream & would try to duplicate it & another comment from someone mentioning a slight marshmallow flavor? Anyway, if you have any tweaks, we’d love to hear them but if you’re still in the process of figuring it out, please take your time! We understand you just can’t rush perfection like your first recipe! Thanks for everything!
Lindy, hey! We did go back and there is a slight fizz to the cream but I haven’t perfected how to do it yet. I am trying and will let you guys know as soon as I come up with it.
Hello!
I’m having a sleepover tomorow night (with a fellow Potterhead) and this is definitely going on our list as a to-do. Thanks for the recipe!
Hey guys!
Great recipe! I love it a lot! I have made a couple of variations of this exact recipe using imitation butter extract and pure almond extract and it tasted great.
^^ Lindy’s question about the fizz. I think I may have the answer. After spooning the layer of foam on top, serve and have the drinker give it a quick stir. That fizzes for a couple of seconds and expands the foam while turning the color of the drink to what looks like the Butterbeer in the HP movies.
=D Hope that helps
Hey guys! I have a solution for the fizz that I will be posting later this week!
nice recipe,i like it.