Butterbeer is the Devil

Recently, we visited Universal Studios in Orlando. We took our kids because we're all huge Harry Potter fans. Yep, I don't give a shit how sad that sounds... it's true.

The Harry Potter portion of the park was flat out awesome. We spent an entire day in a portion of the park about the size of a couple football fields. There's only a few rides and only a few things to do, but what they did offer was an overwhelming feeling of being right in the middle of the books... er I mean, 'movies'. Either way, it worked.

Anyway, we get there and are ooohhhing and aaahhhing everything when all of a sudden I spot a very large wooden keg / cart selling "Butterbeer". Those of you who are not in the know on Butterbeer... it's an alcoholic brew that is sold to minors in the Harry Potter series. Sounds awesome right? In the books it's described as tasting like shortbread cookies and ale. I HAVE to try this.

I stepped into line and ten minutes later asked for four Butterbeers. "Do you want those in souvenier mugs?" I was asked. Well hell's yeah. $42 later, I was sitting down outside the "Three Broomsticks" getting my first taste of the newest narcotic to be introduced to western civilization.

Butterbeer is better than crack. That says it all. At any given moment you could listen to conversations around the park, "What's in it?"... "I think we can make this at home."... "I taste butterscotch, what do you think?".... It was amazing, but at the same time verging on ridiculous.

After leaving the park, we spent about an hour online on our cell phones looking for the latest recipes to grace the web. Everything from mixing Butterscotch Schnapps to IBC Cream Soda to boiling sugar, whipping cream, and being 2 ingredients short of homemade nitroglycerin.

We traveled to Wal-Mart to get ingredients. First of all, not a single Wal-Mart within 10 miles of Universal had a single bottle of IBC Cream Soda... it's that addicting.

It's now been more than a month and we've been making it at least once a week... attempting to perfect our home brew. We've tried it all.... and.... we've done it. In our opinion, we've taken the best of everything and gotten as close as possible. Gordon Ramsey would be proud.

I'm getting the instructions together and will be unveiling it soon. STAY TUNED.

In summary, Butterbeer is the Devil.