Here’s how Universal developed the heavenly flavors of Butterbeer for Harry Potter land
Given that the Harry Potter franchise is basically every millennial’s favorite, people are constantly clamoring for more details about its universe. We may never know why Hedwig had to die. But we now know how Universal developed the heavenly flavors of Butterbeer for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. And that is good enough for now.
Turns out, it takes a lot to create a drink that’s synonymous with a childhood classic. The Muggle creators of Butterbeer did not wave a magic wand. Instead, they spent a long time developing the flavors and concept of the drink we’ve fallen in love with.
When Universal announced that they would be building the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, everyone just about died of excitement. Not only were they freaking out over the rides, they wanted an immersive experience into their favorite childhood novel. And what better way of doing that, than with Butterbeer?!
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Universal Orlando’s Ric Florell, alongside executive chef Steve Jayson, started workshopping the idea back in 2007. He told People:
"We looked at where butterbeer shows up and if you read the books, it always shows up around a comfortable time — around camaraderie and parties and events. So it’s always kind of a warm and good feeling.
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Florell and Jayson came up with the motto “smooth like shortbread and reminiscent of butterscotch.” The rest was just finding the right combination of flavors. Once they had that figured out, they flew over to Scotland and allowed J.K. Rowling herself to taste the concoction. According to them:
“[She was] very happy and pleased with what we created. She said, ‘I didn’t really know what it would taste like but I guess this would be it! This is wonderful.’
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If you are looking to try Butterbeer for yourself but can’t make it to Orlando, check out a DIY recipe you can try at home.
