One of the best snacks available at both Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Orlando is the Butterbeer drink at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter! If you're a fan of the Harry Potter franchise, you know that Butterbeer is a frequently enjoyed beverage amongst the wizarding community served at various pubs including The Three Broomsticks Inn in Hogsmeade. When Universal Studios built The Wizarding World of Harry Potter lands, they not only brought this iconic beverage to the parks, but they also made different variations of the drink including cold, hot, frozen, as well as a vegan-friendly cold and frozen Butterbeer. Universal Studios also offers Butterbeer-flavored fudge, potted cream, and ice cream! Butterbeer has become so popular at the Universal Studios parks that they recently celebrated the first-ever Butterbeer season at both Universal Studios Hollywood and Orlando. The Butterbeer season gave guests the opportunity to try even more variations of Butterbeer products including popsicles and caramel treats.
Although the flavor isn't intricately described in the books, it was vaguely described as having a slight butterscotch taste and is served hot or cold. The Universal Studios Butterbeer drinks all definitely have a butterscotch flavor without it being too overwhelming. Many have also compared the Butterbeer flavor to cream soda and shortbread- both of which are delicious! All of the Butterbeer drinks and treats are nonalcoholic, however there are plenty of locations throughout the Wizarding World of Harry Potter that do sell a variety of alcoholic drinks for guests over 21 years old.
In addition to Butterbeer, guests can find other Harry Potter-inspired drinks throughout the parks including Pumpkin Juice, Fishy Green Ale, and Otter's Fizzy Orange Juice! There is no shortage of unique and delicious Harry Potter-inspired treats throughout both Universal Studios parks.
We visit the Universal Studios Hollywood and Orlando theme parks monthly and love enjoying all the Butterbeer-inspired treats. In this article we will discuss the various types of Butterbeer at Universal Studios, where to find them, what they taste like, and our favorite Butterbeer variations!
Planning a Disneyland Vacation?
Get exclusive access to prices on hotel & tickets just for Mickey Visit subscribers. Don't miss our travel hacks newsletter!
What Does Butterbeer Taste Like?
There are various types of Butterbeer served at both Universal Studios Hollywood and Orlando, all of which are delicious! All of the Butterbeer snacks are rich, sweet, and have a caramel and butterscotch flavor. Butterbeer drinks are usually topped with sweet cold foam, however you are able request it without the topping. You can also purchase a souvenir mug to enjoy your next cup of Butterbeer (unfortunately, Butterbeer refills are not discounted using the souvenir mug).
The various Butterbeer drinks and treats you can find at Universal Studios include:
- Cold Butterbeer is my personal favorite variation of Butterbeer, mainly because the weather is usually too warm for a hot drink. I also think the consistency of the cold Butterbeer tastes the best paired with the cold foam and rich butterscotch flavor. It also has some fizz to it which is a bit unique but delicious! There is also a vegan-friendly version of the cold Butterbeer which I have tried and personally cannot tell the difference! Just another reason why I love the cold Butterbeer at Universal Studios.
- Hot Butterbeer is another great version of Butterbeer that most closely replicates the drink from the Harry Potter books. There is nothing like enjoying a hot Butterbeer while walking around the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, especially when the weather is a little chilly! I would probably enjoy this drink a lot more if I visited the parks during colder months.
- Frozen Butterbeer is another delicious version of Butterbeer, however I typically don't order this variation mainly because I personally don't think the flavors don't stand out as much. As a Harry Potter fan I also feel like it doesn't feel true to the series by drinking a frozen version of Butterbeer. On the plus side, Universal also offers a vegan-friendly version of the frozen Butterbeer that does not include dairy products!
- Butterbeer Ice Cream is a perfect treat for any visit to Universal Studios! The soft serve ice cream consistency allows it to have the same sweet and creamy taste of a Butterbeer. It is a great option if you prefer a colder dessert. Butterbeer ice cream is by far my favorite Butterbeer treat at Universal Studios! It can be served in a cup or waffle cone – and I highly recommend the waffle cone.
- Butterbeer Fudge is delicious, however, it is probably something I wouldn't purchase every visit. It has a butterscotch, caramel, and vanilla flavor that makes it a delicious treat, however you can't really compare it to getting a Butterbeer drink or ice cream. If you enjoy fudge, it's a great option, but not really a true standout on it's own when it comes to experience the Harry Potter Butterbeer flavor.
- Butterbeer Potted Cream is a creamy dessert served in a jar topped with whipped cream. The cream can be eaten with a spoon and has the classic Butterbeer flavor of butterscotch and salted caramel. Similar to the fudge, it's a great dessert especially if you enjoy these flavors, but doesn't quite feel the same as a classic Butterbeer drink. It's definitely tasty, but not quite on our “must try” list.
Universal Studios Discount Tickets
Our favorite Universal Studios and Disney-approved re-seller, Get Away Today, offers the best Universal Studios discount tickets around! In addition to great discount prices, their customer service and easy support is absolutely fantastic. They have an entire department dedicated to making sure every order has a wonderful experience and they are on-call to help you during your vacation if you need them.
Buying tickets from Get Away Today is easy and convenient since all their tickets are sent electronically. You can take their vouchers and head straight to the gate without needing to wait in any ticket booth lines. They also offer layaway plans so you can pay off your vacation over time.
When you are ready to plan your next trip to Universal Studios Hollywood or Universal Studios Florida and enjoy a delicious Butterbeer, be sure to take advantage of all the great deals and convenient customer service at Get Away Today!
Where to Find Butterbeer – Universal Studios Orlando
There are two theme parks within the Universal Studios Orlando Resort: Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure, both of which have their own separate Harry Potter lands. Universal Studios Florida is home to Diagon Alley, and Islands of Adventure is home to Hogsmeade Village. Both lands have different Harry Potter attractions and restaurants, however, both serve delicious Butterbeer.
Guests are only able to experience both Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade on the same day by purchasing a Universal park-to-park ticket, or by purchasing two single day park tickets for both parks. Be sure to check out our full guide to Universal Studios Orlando tickets, including ways to save money on Universal tickets.
For the ultimate Harry Potter experience, we highly recommend purchasing the park-to-park ticket in order to ride the Hogwarts Express train which takes guests directly between the two Harry Potter lands at Universal Studios Orlando. The journey to and from each land is a different experience! Guests are not able to ride the Hogwarts Express train if they do not have a park-to-park ticket.
Butterbeer in Diagon Alley – Universal Studios Florida Park
The following dining locations serve Butterbeer treats throughout Diagon Alley, located at the Universal Studios Florida park:
- The Leaky Cauldron is a quick-service restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The Leaky Cauldron serves hot, cold, frozen, and vegan-friendly cold and frozen Butterbeer as well as Butterbeer ice cream and potted cream.
- The Fountain of Fair Fortune serves cold and frozen Butterbeer as well as Butterbeer ice cream.
- The Hopping Pot is a walk-up counter service restaurant serving a variety of drinks and snacks including hot, cold, and frozen Butterbeer drinks as well as Butterbeer ice cream.
- Sugarplum's Sweets Shop is the only location in Diagon Alley that sells Butterbeer fudge. They also offer a large variety of Harry Potter-inspired candy such as chocolate frogs and Berite Bott's Every-Flavour Beans!
Hogsmeade Village – Islands of Adventure Park
The following locations serve Butterbeer treats throughout Hogsmeade Village, located at Islands of Adventure Park:
- The Three Broomsticks is a quick-service restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The Three Broomsticks serves hot, cold, frozen, and vegan-friendly frozen and cold Butterbeer as well as Butterbeer ice cream and potted cream.
- Hog's Head Pub is a walk-up counter serving snacks and drinks including cold and frozen Butterbeer!
- Butterbeer Carts serve cold and frozen Butterbeer. There are two carts conveniently located in Hogsmeade Village.
- Honeyduke's is a sweets shop that is the only location in Hogsmeade Village that sells Butterbeer fudge. Honeyduke's also sells a large variety of other candy inspired by the Harry Potter franchise including chocolate frogs, acid pops, and more. We always love stopping by Honeyduke's during any trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
Where to Find Butterbeer – Universal Studios Hollywood
There are several locations in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood that serve Butterbeer. These include:
- The Three Broomsticks is a quick-service restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The Three Broomsticks serves hot, cold, frozen, and vegan-friendly cold and frozen Butterbeer as well as Butterbeer ice cream and potted cream.
- Hog's Head is a walk-up counter serving drinks including hot, frozen, cold, and vegan-friendly cold and frozen Butterbeer!
- Butterbeer cart sells cold and frozen butterbeer.
- Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream, located inside Honeyduke's, serves Butterbeer flavored ice cream as well as other delicious soft serve flavors such as chocolate, orange, toffee nut, and Granny Smith apple.
- Honeyduke's is a sweets shop that sells Butterbeer fudge and other candy inspired by the Harry Potter franchise including chocolate frogs, acid pops, and more.
See more of the best Universal Studios Hollywood foods in our full guide!
Plan Your Next Trip to Universal Studios
To start planning your next Universal Studios trip, be sure to sign up for our FREE Deals Newsletter. We provide various tips and tricks to help plan your next theme park vacation including exclusive deals and ways to save money. You'll also have access to the best deals on Universal, Disney, and other theme park tickets anywhere. Also, be sure to check out our other guides:
- Universal Studios Orlando Bag Policy – Everything You Can and Cannot Bring into the Parks
- Epic Universe – Universal Orlando's Newest Park
- Universal Orlando vs. Walt Disney World
- Universal Studios Hollywood Crowd Calendar 2024
- LAX to Universal Studios Hollywood- Best Travel Tips
Frequently Asked Questions
You can get butterbeer at various locations throughout the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at both Universal Studios Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood theme parks. There are various types of Butterbeer, including hot, frozen, cold, and vegan-friendly cold and frozen Butterbeer drinks, as well as Butterbeer ice cream, potted cream, and fudge.
Yes, the butterbeer at Universal is very good! The various butterbeer drinks and treats at Universal Studios are sweet, rich, and have hints of butterscotch, caramel, and shortbread. Guests can purchase the butterbeer drinks hot, cold, or frozen, each of which come with a delicious cold foam topping. We think the cold version of Butterbeer tastes the best, but each kind is worth trying!
Yes, Butterbeer is actually in the Harry Potter books and films! Although the books claim Butterbeer had a slight alcoholic content, all of the Butterbeer drinks served at the Universal Studios theme parks have no alcohol in them. Additionally, the Harry Potter franchise only references hot Butterbeer, but you can purchase hot, cold, and frozen Butterbeer at Universal Studios! The theme parks also offer Butterbeer flavored ice cream, fudge, and potted cream desserts.
Butterbeer costs $8.99 at Universal Studios Orlando and $9 at Universal Studios Hollywood. This price includes the hot, cold, frozen, or vegan-friendly drink versions of Butterbeer. You can also purchase Butterbeer in a souvenir Stein for an additional cost at both Universal Studios parks. The steins are refillable, however, it will not discount any Butterbeer refills.
Planning a Disney Vacation? Get Exclusive Discounts + Free Bonuses
In addition to exclusive discounts for Mickey Visit subscribers, get our free planning printable and guide to make your life SO much easier.
