Last Summer I had the chance to visit Universal Studios Islands of Adventure. This was my first visit and I went expressly because I wanted to visit the Wizarding World of Happy Potter. I have been a huge fan since the first book was published. I even got my mom and several girls from the Yoga Center on into the saga.
I was not interested in any other part of the park… I left my dear friend Aniette and her kids behind so I could enter and enjoy every bit of nook and cranny of the Harry Potter section of the park. It was literally magical to enter into Hogsmeade and seeing the Hogwarts castle from afar.
And right at the entrance of Hogsmeade is the Butter Beer and Pumpkin Juice cart. We HAD to try these beverages and check out for ourselves what Harry, Ron, Hermione and the rest of the students at Hogwarts loved so much about these.
Butter Beer is served on “tap” in either frozen or over ice versions. We wanted the over ice because we were told we would enjoy its flavors more and we would get more ButterBeer for our money. Pumpkin Juice is sold in prepackaged bottles right off the cart.
The Butterbeer tasted like cream soda with a thick layer of whipped cream on top. It was sweet, bubbly, refreshing, and very worth the time we stood in line to buy it. The pumpkin juice tasted like a very sweet mulled apple cider with spicy punches of cloves and cinnamon. Maybe too sweet and spicy for my taste.
I very much preferred Butter Beer over the Pumpkin Juice. I wish I had had a few extra Butter Beers instead of shelling what I paid for the fancy bottle of the Pumpkin Juice.
Have you had the chance to try them both??? What are your thoughts?? Which one is your favorite??
KarmaFree Cooking 
Hubby and I tried the Butter Beer—both the frozen and over-ice versions—and I must report our favorite was the latter (the frozen version was not as flavorful, in our opinion).
Yes, Butter Beer tastes delightfully close to cream soda, which was quite surprising when I had my first sip. I was expecting some sort of butterscotch-y flavor… I guess I had taken the beverage’s name too literally, hahahaha. No complaint from me, though… I adore cream soda—and now Butter Beer!