The Magic Behind Real-Life Butterbeer

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal’s Islands of Adventure just sold its millionth butterbeer, which creates a nice segue into two burning questions about the Hogsmeade brew of choice: Does it contain butter? Does it contain beer?

No on both counts.

Having a son who’s ragingly allergic to dairy, I shook down several WWoHP staffers on several different occasions about the dairy content, and they all professed that the potion was dairy-free. We ordered ours – one frozen, one regular – but I got a little concerned when the butterbeer slingers (the patient souls seen in the clip above) topped the concoction with a creamy foam. They assured me that the foam was also dairy-free, and judging by the fact that we didn’t wind up in the Wizarding Emergency Room for a magical encounter with the Epi-Pen, they were right.

On to more fun topics: What does butterbeer taste like? Not beery at all, but more like a sophisticated take on cream soda. Butterscotch can be oversweet and cloying, but butterbeer is not. I’d recommend trying both the frozen and the regular kind, as they taste a bit different. If it’s early in the day, though, pass on the souvenir mug, as it’s a drag to carry it around all day.

Another wizarding potable worth trying is Pumpkin Juice: It’s for sale in souvenir bottles the shops of Hogsmeade as well as in cups the The Three Broomsticks and the Hog’s Head pub, where–in case you were disappointed at the non-alcoholic nature of butterbeer–you’ll also find Potter-inspired cocktails, beer and wine. In the books, pumpkin juice never sounded all that appealing to me, but Universal’s version is a treat: made of apple juice with pumpkin and apricot puree and spices reminiscent of pumpkin pie, it’s refreshing and less soda-sweet than butterbeer.

Stay tuned for a look at the shops and attractions of Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley. More questions about the Wizarding World of Harry Potter? Post them in our forum, and if I don’t have the answers, I’ll find ’em.

And be sure to check out Matt Blum’s review of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter over at GeekDad!