Harry Potter Boozy Frozen Butterbeer

Step into summer at Hogsmeade with a magical mug of frozen butterbeer! This icy vanilla and butterscotch cocktail is delicious and easy to make at home in the blender.

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Harry Potter Frozen Butterbeer recipe

Summer vacations are officially upon us! Exploring the world through drinks, especially the fictional world, is a great way to try new flavors.

You guys have loved my Boozy Butterbeer I shared for Halloween last fall, so I thought I’d take us on a virtual trip to Harry Potter World in Orlando (or Hollywood!) for a summery treat of frozen butterbeer. The original cold butterbeer is great, but frozen is better on a hot summer day!

It’s might be a favorite thing, right up there with Boozy Dole Whip (my take on the tropical theme park treat), but this one is for the Harry Potter fans specifically.

What is butterbeer?

In the Harry Potter series, the characters often enjoy a glass of butterbeer at their local pubs and on special occasions.

In their third year at Hogwarts, students are allowed to visit the neighboring town of Hogsmeade on certain weekends, and they’d often grab a mug of butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks Inn or the Hog’s Head Inn in Hogsmeade. Or perhaps at the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley when they’re picking up their schoolbooks at the end of summer.

Butterbeer was also served at events like the Yule Ball and weddings such as Bill & Fleur’s.

But what IS it? Well, its flavor is butterscotch and the books indicate it was somewhat alcoholic to humans but more so to magical creatures like house-elves — who might end up with hiccups!

The author described it as “a little bit like less-sickly butterscotch,” so probably a bit less candy-like.

At the Universal Studios theme parks’ Wizarding World of Harry Potter, you can sample butterbeer for yourself. When I visited Universal Studios Orlando, I found their concoction to be a super sweet, bubbly version of cream soda.

That’s why I had to make my own version of this delicious treat! That, and their recipe is top-secret.

(I also have a hot butterbeer recipe that’s similar to a hot buttered rum. Served warm, it’s perfect for the holiday season. I love the hot version in the winter months when cozying up under a blanket with an HP book or Harry Potter marathon!)

Ingredients

This recipe for frozen butterbeer is far less sweet and much boozier than the regular butterbeer you can get at the parks.

Though they offer both a regular butterbeer and a frozen variety, Universal Studios’ butterbeer does not contain alcohol at all. But this homemade butterbeer recipe is boozy, so definitely only serve it to those of age. (No aging spells allowed.)

Ice

Ice is key to making any frozen cocktail! Make a fresh batch from your freezer or pick up a bag from the store if you plan to make a big batch of these.

Some recipes call for making cream soda ice cubes. Frozen soda is a method I use in my Cheerwine bourbon slushies and my frozen Moscow mules, and you can absolutely do that here if you’d like a stronger cream soda flavor. I am not big on cream soda, so using regular ice works just as well.

If you want to try this method, simply pour a bottle of cream soda into one or two clean, empty ice cube trays and freeze until solid, about 3 to 4 hours.

Butterscotch schnapps

Look for butterscotch schnapps in the liqueur section of your liquor store. This is a butterscotch-flavored liqueur that tastes just like real butterscotch, which is a blend of butter and brown sugar.

The most famous brand is is Buttershots by De Kuyper, which is made from Jamaican rum and neutral spirits and flavored with vanilla and butterscotch.

Vanilla vodka

You can use any brand here, or you can make your own. I used Absolut Vanilia for mine.

Feel free to use regular vodka if that’s all you have too! The cream soda and butterscotch schnapps will still provide some vanilla flavor.

Cream soda

Cream soda is a sweet soft drink that’s flavored with vanilla and has a light golden brown color. You’ll want this to be chilled in your fridge for maximum refreshment.

Whipped cream

Whipped cream might sound weird on a frozen drink, but no more weird than a frappuccino!

You can use store-bought whipped cream from a can, but to me, homemade whipped cream makes a huge big difference. I used brown sugar to give it more of a butterscotch flavor.

If you’re in a boozy mood, you can replace the Irish cream with butterscotch schnapps in this Baileys whipped cream.

If you’re up for a challenge, you could top your cocktail with butterbeer ice cream. (Heck, do this anyway and enjoy it during an HP movie night.)

Butterscotch sauce

Make your own butterscotch sauce for the best, most flavorful results.

However, feel free to pick up butterscotch topping from the grocery store. It’s usually with the ice cream sundae toppings.

Caramel sauce will work too, but it does taste a bit different than butterscotch sauce.

How to Make Frozen Butterbeer with Alcohol

Here’s what to do to make this easy frozen cocktail:

1. Get out your blender, and fill the pitcher with the ice, butterscotch schnapps, vanilla vodka and cream soda.
2. Pulse the blender a few times, then blend on high until smooth.
3. Divide between two pint glasses. Top with whipped cream and a drizzle of butterscotch sauce.

Then go out and enjoy a game of Quidditch. Or don’t, and just drink this and pretend you’re at the theme park! Personally, I like to sip it on the porch while I re-read one of the Harry Potter books. Again.

More Harry Potter Cocktails

Serve up some magical drinks alongside Chocolate Frogs and Treacle Tarts for a perfect Potter party.

Amortentia is a fun cocktail inspired by Potions Class you can make to dazzle your muggle friends!

The Unicorn Blood cocktail looks absolutely frightful and I really hope you don’t live near an enchanted forest.

If you’ve always wanted to try Harry Potter pumpkin juice, this grown-up version made with whiskey is worth it.

Let me know if you try this butterbeer at your next Harry Potter party! It’s the perfect drink for a group of fans.