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Harry Potter Butterbeer Recipe

November 15, 2021 by Heather Smoke Leave a Comment

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Calling all Harry Potter fans for a sweet glass of homemade butterbeer! This festive drink is made with spiced rum, butterscotch schnapps and cream soda, topped with whipped cream and a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg. It’s sweet, warming, and perfect for a Christmas celebration or Harry Potter themed party. Be sure to read through the post for a non-alcoholic version, too!

Looking for more Christmas inspiration? You’ll love this hot chocolate cake with homemade marshmallows, baked gingerbread doughnuts, and no churn chocolate peppermint ice cream.

A glass of butter beer topped with whipped cream, with lights twinkling in the background.

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What is Butterbeer?

Butterbeer is a popular drink in the wizarding world of Harry Potter, described in the books as tasting “a little bit like less sickly butterscotch”. It has a slight alcoholic content, and students of Hogwarts would frequently order it when visiting the Three Broomsticks Inn in the town of Hogsmeade. It was served cold in bottles, or hot in foaming tankards.

In the books, butterbeer is made of just butterscotch, sugar and water. Since no one really knows exactly what butterbeer tastes like, there are quite a few variations of the recipe to be found, but most contain a combination of spiced rum, butterscotch schnapps and cream soda. It’s a very sweet drink!

Butter beer being poured into a foaming glass in a dark and moody scene.

See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.

Ingredients

  • Whipped Cream or Vanilla Ice Cream
  • Dark Spiced Rum
  • Butterscotch Schnapps or Liqueur
  • Cream Soda
  • Nutmeg

TIP: For a non-alcoholic version, replace the rum and butterscotch schnapps with butterscotch syrup or sauce.

A moody scene with a glass of butter beer next to Harry Potter glasses on a silver tray.

Instructions

  • Spoon vanilla ice cream or lightly sweetened whipped cream into two glasses.
  • Pour the rum and butterscotch schnapps over the cream.
  • Slowly pour in the cream soda, waiting for the fizz to setting down before adding more.
  • Sprinkle the top with nutmeg and serve.
A dark and moody scene with a glass of butter beer, candles, and a silver tea pot.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there supposed to be beer in butterbeer?

No, butterbeer doesn’t contain any beer. Sort of like how ginger beer doesn’t contain beer.

Should butterbeer be cloudy or clear?

I’ve made it two ways to show you both options.

  • Filling the glasses with the ice cream or whipped cream first will give you more of a yellow-colored, foamy glass of butter beer that’s a bit more traditional.
  • For a clear drink, combine the rum, butterscotch schnapps and cream soda first, then add whipped cream on top.

How can I make this non-alcoholic?

For a non-alcoholic version, replace the rum and butterscotch schnapps with butterscotch syrup or sauce.

A glass of butter beer topped with whipped cream, with lights twinkling in the background.

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A glass of butterbeer topped with whipped cream, with lights twinkling in the background.

Harry Potter Butterbeer

Heather Smoke
Butterbeer is a sweet, festive drink featured in Harry Potter, made with rum and butterscotch schnapps.

All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.

5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 mins
Total Time 5 mins
Course Drinks
Cuisine American, British
Servings2

Ingredients
 

  • vanilla ice cream or whipped cream
  • 3 oz dark spiced rum
  • 2 oz butterscotch schnapps or liqueur
  • 1 bottle cream soda
  • 1 pinch nutmeg

Instructions
 

  • Spoon vanilla ice cream or lightly sweetened whipped cream into two glasses.
  • Pour the rum and butterscotch schnapps over the cream.
  • Slowly pour in the cream soda, waiting for the fizz to setting down before adding more.
  • Sprinkle the top with nutmeg and serve.

Notes

  • Filling the glasses with the ice cream or whipped cream first will give you more of a yellow-colored, foamy glass of butterbeer that’s a bit more traditional.
  • For a clear drink (as photographed in today’s post) combine the rum, butterscotch schnapps and cream soda first, then add whipped cream on top.
  • For a non-alcoholic version, replace the rum and butterscotch schnapps with 1 tablespoon of butterscotch syrup or sauce.
Keyword Butter Beer, Christmas, Harry Potter
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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Filed Under: Christmas and Thanksgiving, Drinks

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I'm Heather, and welcome to my Colorado kitchen, where you will find high-altitude tested recipes for beautifully photographed cakes, baked goods and sweets. I believe that the kitchen is the heart of a home, and everyone is welcome in mine. So stay a while, sip a cup of coffee, and bake something delicious with me!

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