Raise a Butterbeer to toast the arrival of spring

Happy Vernal Equinox! As the days get warmer and longer in the northern hemisphere, our thoughts wander outside, onto the castle grounds and over to the Quidditch pitch. For some of us, our thoughts may range into the Forbidden Forest or down to our friend Hagrid’s hut. On weekend mornings we can carry a stack of toast outside to munch in the still weak but strengthening early spring sunlight and toss pieces onto the lake for the giant squid to pick out of the water languidly. Once in awhile, you can even walk down the road in the fragrant spring air into Hogsmeade village for a festive Butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks.

(Did you know that there are ASMR videos of Hogwarts in the spring if you need a little magical escapism? We were unaware of this until one popped up on a Google search and now we are enjoying the break from real life and all its troubles and worries.)

Much like cider, Butterbeer can be enjoyed hot or cold, to soothe and comfort on a cold day or refresh on a hot one. It is available in bottles or draft style, in which case your bartender can pull you a pint with a head on it (remember Hermione’s Butterbeer foam moustache?), like a beer. In the magical world, Butterbeer has a touch of alcohol in it, but not enough to inebriate a human or make it off-limits to young teens. Its Muggle incarnation, sold at Wizarding World theme parks, is alcohol-free.

Remember Harry’s first encounter with Butterbeer? He snuck into Hogsmeade via the secret tunnel and into the Three Broomsticks with Hermione and Ron. Later, when Lupin offered him a bottle, he tried unconvincingly to pretend he was not familiar with it.

Have you tried it yet? It has been available at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando since it opened in 2010. You can also buy it as the Studio Tour in London, and all of the other official Wizarding World experiences around the world. In fact, Wizarding World has devoted this spring to a celebration of the butterscotch and shortbread-scented beverage. For starters, there is a cute Butterbeer pin to add to your collection. It is available in the Harry Potter shop in the UK as of March 15 and will be coming across the pond forthwith.

In addition, there will be Butterbeer-flavoured treats, including ice lollies and caramels. On Friday, March 29, Florian Fortesque’s Ice Cream Parlour will open at Universal Studios Hollywood with, you guessed it, Butterbeer ice cream on the menu, along with Banana, Chocolate, Mint, Orange, Vanilla, Toffee Nut, Granny Smith Apple, Pistachio and Toffee Apple soft-serve flavours.

The most exciting new entry in the Butterbeer treats category is coming to the Studio Tour in London. You could already purchase your Butterbeer in a souvenir tankard there, but now you will be able to get Butterbeer ice cream in a souvenir dish, as well as Butterbeer lattes, Butterbeer pancakes, Butterbeer blondies, Butterbeer cupcakes, and I cannot type anymore as I have collapsed into a sugar haze just thinking about these delicious-sounding treats. Can you apparate across the ocean? If I could, I would be on my way now, looking forward to Butterbeer pancakes and latte for tomorrow’s breakfast.

But we are not left out on this side of the pond: Harry Potter New York is featuring Butterbeer muffins. You can also get Butterbeer ice cream, and the beverage itself in bottle or draft form. For American wizards, the bottled version offers a choice of the traditional British bottle or a MACUSA version.

That is not all: A Butterbeer truck will be driving around the U.S., popping up much like the Knightbus, except instead of hot chocolate you can get a Butterbeer and themed merch.