Butterbeer

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Cocktail History

Butterbeer is the iconic drink served at The Three Broomsticks Inn in Hogsmeade from the Harry Potter series. This boozy version of Butterbeer, based on the recipe served at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, Florida, was created by author Cassandra Reeder and published in her book The Geeky Bartender Drinks: Real-Life Recipes for Fantasy Cocktails Drinks. It pairs spiced rum with dry stout beer, milk, butter, baking spices, and whipped cream to up the alcohol content of the beloved beverage.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Dry Stout: This is a type of beer made with roasted malted barley, hops, water, and yeast, which are brewed and fermented to develop a dark, roasted flavor.

Spiced Rum: This is a type of rum made with fermented sugarcane byproducts and yeast, which are distilled and then infused with added spices to develop a warm, spiced flavor.

Evaporated Milk: This is an unsweetened condensed cow’s milk. I used Prairie Farms Evaporated Milk.

Butter: This is a dairy product made by churning cream to separate the fat to develop a smooth texture and rich, creamy flavor.

Vanilla Extract: This is a concentrated flavoring made by macerating vanilla beans in alcohol and water to develop a sweet, aromatic flavor.

Brown Sugar: This is a sweetener made with refined sugar and molasses that has a soft, moist texture and rich, caramel-like flavor.

Whole Cloves: This is a spice made from the flower buds from the clove tree, which are dried for their strong, slightly sweet-spicy flavor.

Whole Allspice Berries: This is a spice made from the berries from the allspice tree, which are dried for their warm, spiced flavor.

Cinnamon Stick: This is a spice made from dried and rolled bark of the cinnamon tree that has a warm, sweet-spicy flavor.

Whipped Cream: This is a dairy topping made with cream and sugar, which are whipped into a light, airy texture.

Nutmeg: This is a spice made from the seeds of the nutmeg tree, which are dried and grated for their warm, aromatic flavor.

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Chef’s Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. I used the OXO Good Grips 8-Inch Chef’s Knife.

Saucepan: This is used to warm the ingredients. I used the Cuisinart 3-Quart Stainless Steel Saucepan with Cover.

Spoon: This is used to stir the ingredients. I used the OXO Good Grips Silicone Spoon.

Ladle: This is used to transfer the drink to cups. I used the OXO Good Grips Silicone Everyday Ladle.

Grater: This is used to grate spices or citrus peel. I used the OXO Good Grips Grater.

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Bright red-pink hue with an ombré effect

• Aroma: Nutmeg, cream, malt, and spices

• Taste: Sweet yet slightly bitter stout beer flavor mixed with frothy cream, warm rum, and loads of baking spices

• Finish: Hint of vanilla, spices, and more malty beer

Kendall’s Take: “I have yet to visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter to try their famous Butterbeer, but I can’t imagine it’s much different from this incredibly decadent boozy version. I found it to be rich, warm, and exceptionally flavorful and would absolutely make another batch for friends for a movie marathon even though I’m not big on heavy stout beers.”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Geeky Bartender Drinks: Real-Life Recipes for Fantasy Cocktails by Cassandra Reeder.