Butterbeer! (Done right).
Edit Dec 24th 2009 - This recipe has been deemed not right, the most recent version of our Butterbeer recipe can be found here
Introduction
You can type in “butterbeer recipes” into Google and you’ll find no shortage of strange concoctions inspired by J.K. Rowling’s (rather quite brilliant) series about an angst-ridden adolescent boy with a strange scar on his forehead. However, several weeks ago, a mate and I were discussing these recipes that were online and in our humble opinions none of them were quite right. Almost all of them called for the use of cream or club soda, however, this was utterly ludicrous. Simply take into account the following and hopefully you’ll see why:
Butterbeer has two essential properties. First, it is a drink with an alcoholic content that is low enough not to get students drunk, but still it is capable of getting a house elf drunk. From this one could conclude that clearly the base liquid that should be used is Root Beer as one would assume it has this property. However, bear in mind that this is a British book, and Root Beer is not a British drink. Secondly, Butterbeer tastes good cold and warm – therefore, recipes that list one set of ingredients for cold Butterbeer and a different set for warm Butterbeer have completely missed the point of Butterbeer. Therefore, what could be the mysterious liquid we could use as a base for Butterbeer?
Apple Cider.
Apple Cider shares all these properties, and Cider is a distinctly British drink. Now, all we have to do is turn our muggle-brands of Apple Cider into Butterbeer. Therefore, if you care to journey with me I shall show you how a couple of muggles have come up with their own version of Butterbeer.
The Recipe
Ingredients:
Apple Cider
Butterscotch Syrup (we used Smuckers Toppings - Butterscotch flavoured)
Cream (we used Half-and-Half)
Strongbow Cider
Concering the amounts/measurements: you’ll need to figure those out on your own through trial and error. The pictures and descriptions below come from our fourth Butterbeer Night.
Directions:
First, pour in some Apple Cider depending on how much Butterbeer you wish to make.
Second, add the Strongbow depending on how alcoholic you wish to make the Butterbeer.
Third, start adding the Butterscotch to make it taste like Butterbeer.
Fourth, pour in the cream just to get the mixture to the colour you imagine Butterbeer to be.
Fifth, whisk until well mixed.
Sixth, taste.
Seventh, add whatever more ingredients you feel necessary to get it to taste like Butterbeer. (We felt it needed more Butterscotch).
Repeat steps until you get the desired result. Then pour it into glasses and toast to your success!
Ta-da! You may be a Muggle, but now you can make a mean Butterbeer. The only thing we couldn’t figure out is how to get it to have a head like a beer. I figure if we pumped it through a keg or something like that it’d form a head. Either that, or it’s just magic.
With only a few more weeks till the release of the Half-Blood Prince, enjoy!
Introduction
You can type in “butterbeer recipes” into Google and you’ll find no shortage of strange concoctions inspired by J.K. Rowling’s (rather quite brilliant) series about an angst-ridden adolescent boy with a strange scar on his forehead. However, several weeks ago, a mate and I were discussing these recipes that were online and in our humble opinions none of them were quite right. Almost all of them called for the use of cream or club soda, however, this was utterly ludicrous. Simply take into account the following and hopefully you’ll see why:
Butterbeer has two essential properties. First, it is a drink with an alcoholic content that is low enough not to get students drunk, but still it is capable of getting a house elf drunk. From this one could conclude that clearly the base liquid that should be used is Root Beer as one would assume it has this property. However, bear in mind that this is a British book, and Root Beer is not a British drink. Secondly, Butterbeer tastes good cold and warm – therefore, recipes that list one set of ingredients for cold Butterbeer and a different set for warm Butterbeer have completely missed the point of Butterbeer. Therefore, what could be the mysterious liquid we could use as a base for Butterbeer?
Apple Cider shares all these properties, and Cider is a distinctly British drink. Now, all we have to do is turn our muggle-brands of Apple Cider into Butterbeer. Therefore, if you care to journey with me I shall show you how a couple of muggles have come up with their own version of Butterbeer.
The Recipe
Ingredients:
Apple Cider
Butterscotch Syrup (we used Smuckers Toppings - Butterscotch flavoured)
Cream (we used Half-and-Half)
Strongbow Cider
Directions:
First, pour in some Apple Cider depending on how much Butterbeer you wish to make.
Second, add the Strongbow depending on how alcoholic you wish to make the Butterbeer.
Third, start adding the Butterscotch to make it taste like Butterbeer.
Fourth, pour in the cream just to get the mixture to the colour you imagine Butterbeer to be.
Fifth, whisk until well mixed.
Sixth, taste.
Seventh, add whatever more ingredients you feel necessary to get it to taste like Butterbeer. (We felt it needed more Butterscotch).
Repeat steps until you get the desired result. Then pour it into glasses and toast to your success!
Ta-da! You may be a Muggle, but now you can make a mean Butterbeer. The only thing we couldn’t figure out is how to get it to have a head like a beer. I figure if we pumped it through a keg or something like that it’d form a head. Either that, or it’s just magic.
With only a few more weeks till the release of the Half-Blood Prince, enjoy!
The only way you can get that to have a head is if you somehow managed to carbonate it. Thus you either need to force carbonate it with a sodastream or something or do it the old fashioned way and get it to ferment in a confined space. The butterscotch is an interesting idea, I might try mixing something up myself and ferment it like I would beer.
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"I might try mixing something up myself and ferment it like I would beer."
Have you done this? What sort of yeast you think it might take? Thanks!
RC
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Cider is carbonated
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Dunno about you, but I've never had carbonated cider.
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Sounds delish!
Could you add the Strongbow at the very end w/minimal stirring to preserve the bubblies?
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if you steam the concoction(warm) with a steam wand, it'll get a great, thick foam on top. cold, you could probably plunge it through a coffee maker or something.
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I used whipping cream, that gave it a great froth, especially when you mix it in the blender. Btw amazing recipie.
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What about the following:
Add 1 cup water to pot and boil. Add whole bag of "Butterscotch sweets" and try and dissolve as much as possible, add water in needed, till you are left with a thick syrup. For a alcoholic twist, one could try pouring it into a mix of Kill Kenny beer and Irish creamer? Wouldn’t that work?
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it all sounds good and all but where do i get the Strongbow Cider when im under age??? i have been craving butter beer ever since ive read the books sooo please help!
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You don't have to use the Strongbow. We only added it because we are over age and wanted it to have some alcoholic content. It should taste fine without the Strongbow.
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I found that if u take Canfield's cream soda (the clear stuff) and add butterscotch sauce, then Amaretto it makes it fizzy and tastes like candy.
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Here's an article on how to carbonate: http://www.wikihow.com/Carbonate-a-Beverage. The yeast method requires a warm place so would not be good with the cream but the dry ice sounds promising. This would make it bubbly like soda but not provide a head like beer. Perhaps the addition of some malt would help with that, I'm not sure though.
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By all means I'm sure it is a lovely drink but I'm not sure about the thought process that lead to it? That cider must be the base because its low alcohol content? Why couldn't there just have been less of a stronger alcohol in there? A dash of whisky or a little beer in the original mixture isn't going to get a teenager drunk easily.
Secondly why could Butterbeer not have been an American (or anything) drink that found popularity in Britain like Mcdonalds or coca-cola?
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"Secondly why could Butterbeer not have been an American (or anything) drink that found popularity in Britain like Mcdonalds or coca-cola?"
maybe you haven't noticed but the HP series is pretty much anti technology and disgusting cocoa cola/mcdonalds (how could you compare the two? - the three broomsticks is not a chain) and pretty much old school. Rowling trys to play butterbeer off as having a long homey history . I don't think the natives in north America in the 1500s would have made a drink like this. your comment is wrong in so many ways.
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wow. this one is perfect for the summer. I like mixing fruits to make me fruit juices when I like to chill and relax at home. I like this recipe of yours. I will try this and prepare for my husband this coming Valentines. Thank you.
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@Lenti: Because you forget that the wizarding world of Britain is almost in a time-bubble (think of how the depression didn't affect soviet Russia), with both physical isolation (maintaining limited contact with other locales) and a magically gifted community with a lack of need for technological advances, the consequence of which has been to retard the community technologically. So your theory of import is particularly unlikely, as is the theory of such a mixed concoction.
While this line of logic is very well thought out, it imparts just as much of an anachronism-like fallacy as Lenti's theory. Considering practices haven't changed to incorporate bunsen burners into potions class, I find it unlikely that much revolutionary advancement has been made to brewing processes, either. And so we must assume that it was done as everything else is done in the wizarding world - that is, the relatively old-fashioned way. This means that you're going to have a concoction mixed almost to its entirety before being fermented. As you pointed out, alcohol content is specific, so fermentation was likely interrupted after the point of a carbonated beverage and before alcohol content could climb too high. However, your assumption that only cider has this property is misguided if the fermentation process is considered, and the previous assumption of old-fashioned brewing is taken as truth. Also, beyond the fermentation process, in keeping with old-fashioned brewing, very little would be added after fermentation, exceptions being added spices and sweeteners - but not entire contributors to the drink!
So here's my proposal: Begin with a base of butterscotch and dulche de leche (boiled sweetened-condensed milk), vanilla extract, and water. Activate yeast and ferment following simple procedure. Interrupt fermentation after a small amount of alcohol is produced and the beverage is sufficiently carbonated. Do this by placing the bottle in the refrigerator, throwing the yeast into hibernation again and causing it to settle. Siphon off the top, and poor out the settled sludge. Add additional flavor if you'd like, such as cocoa powder, root beer extract, more vanilla, butterscotch or sweetener, cinamon, etc... however you think it should taste. Serve hot or cold with any garnish you desire. (If you've let it get a higher alcohol content [up to 40 proof if you ferment properly] you'll probably want to age it to get it to a better flavor and let any added spices soak into the drink.) Thoughts?
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For the froth on the top I think I'm going to try to use Bailey's caramel flavoured and use a steam wand
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Well, a tip for the cold butterbeer instead of adding cream, you could add vanilla flavored ice cream. That will give the creamy and the cold part of the cold butterbeer.
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I used whipping cream, that gave it a great froth, especially when you mix it in the blender. Btw amazing recipie.
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Fruit juices are delicious, and great for maintaining optimum health, this looks like a great recipe
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This is hilarious, and strangely sounds kind of good. You are correct NOT to use Root Beer, as it has a specialized un-beerlike taste, and btw it has NO alcoholic content as you erroneously assumed (from the name perhaps?) It is just soda. The apple cider is a great idea!
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yeah, it looks like beer and very delicious.I can make it like that?
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Bars - yes it does have a minor alcohol content which is stated in book four. After Harry says to Dobby "Butter beer can't get you drunk" and Dobby replies "It will not get a human drunk but it's very intoxicating to a house-elf" so we are to assume an entire batch probably has quite literally a single pinch of alcoholic content.
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