I Brewed and Ranked Five Cocktails to Prepare for Hogwarts Legacy

I have a penchant for cooking up nerdy things in my kitchen. Last weekend, while browsing videos and preparing for the release of Hogwarts Legacy, I said to myself, "This is probably going to be another huge launch. Should I make something to pick up my spirits before I buckle down for a whole bunch of guides?" The obvious answer was "yes." Then, my mind started putting two and two together: Hogwarts, cooking, and spirits... Maybe the best option wasn't food this time, but a drink.

The Harry Potter series, probably thanks to an aging fanbase (me included as an early '90s child), has inspired tens of drink recipes, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic alike. They're frequently pulled from potions class textbooks or bewitching pubs and inns. I couldn't pick just one. So, I decided to make it my job to have a few and tell you all about them.

Five Harry Potter cocktails you can make to celebrate the release of Hogwarts Legacy, ranked

While I do enjoy the occasional cocktail, I'm more of a light, social drinker. I made these five drinks over the course of three nights, sharing them with my husband. Where I could, I made mocktail versions for sharing with my kids, and I'll share those with you, too. Spoiler alert: in one instance, I thought the mocktail version was better.

So, clean your cauldrons, crush that wormwood, and pop the stoppers on those vials of Dragon blood! We're about to rank five brews you can make at home to celebrate Hogwarts Legacy.

5) Butterbeer

Butterbeer is certainly an iconic drink. You can find it easily around The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando. Hopefully, we'll be able to find it in Hogwarts Legacy, as this purported art book leak suggests that we will.

There are many different recipes for this one drink alone. I tend not to like drinks that are too sweet and decided to try this Butterbeer recipe, as the author described her disappointment in finding other recipes too sweet. I didn't add the additional whipped cream or butterscotch syrup on top, opting instead to try hard pours of plain cream soda for a picture. (The final drink was much smaller, but using anything except a beer stein for this picture felt like a crime, and I only have one size.)

It was still too sweet. Having almost one and a half shots of alcohol was slightly on the strong side for my taste, which also didn't help me stomach all that sweetness. My husband liked this recipe better than I did, but I personally can't recommend it. I wasn't even brave enough to try a mocktail recipe for Butterbeer, fearful of it being even more of a syrupy mess.

4) Amortentia

In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Amortentia is described as a powerfully intoxicating love potion. While Hogwarts Legacy will include specific companions that you can befriend, I doubt the use of this potion will be involved.

Surprise, this potion has inspired recipes for more than a few pinky drinks. While it was easier to swallow, the Amortentia recipe called for a half ounce of grenadine in a three-and-a-half-ounce drink. It was still too sweet, in my opinion. I would probably try this take on a vodka cranberry again, though, with only a touch of grenadine. The addition of luster dust to the drink made it look phenomenal.

I used the same recipe to make the mocktail version but substituted the vodka for lemon-lime soda. The carbonation added a little edge that balanced the sweet, and, honestly, the mocktail was the better version.

Related: Hogwarts Legacy preview leaves fans torn

3) Felix Felicis

This potion has actually been confirmed to be in Hogwarts Legacy but will be exclusive to the PlayStation version. Felix Felicis will grant whoever drinks it incredible luck in the Wizarding World. I'm anxious to find out how it will function in-game, as many players won't have access to it.

I probably added a little bit more luster dust to this drink than the Felix Felicis recipe called for. It sure gave the drink a neat effect when stirred, though. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with how this drink turned out. The combination of an apple and lemon base balanced the brew. I made it with vodka as called for, but realistically, you could substitute that for almost any other liquor.

The mocktail version is easy to make, too. You just skip the alcohol in the recipe. This was my oldest child's favorite drink, thanks to its swirly goodness.

2) Pumpkin Juice

Pumpkin Juice is another drink you might find alongside Butterbeer at a Hogsmeade pub. The bones of the recipe I used for this drink are not technically Harry Potter themed. But, since I modified it, I hereby officially rename it "Pumpkin Juice," as it also turned out really well.

The reason I modified the recipe was the lack of pumpkin beers available in January. I was able to find one stocked and included it in the photo above. It already had cinnamon and apple flavors and pumpkin, so I opted to swap apple cider for apple juice to tone down the fall spice flavor. I also used apple-flavored bourbon for fun.

This one was my husband's favorite, and I really enjoyed it too. It felt a little thicker than I would have liked, but this drink has so many flavors coming together in a rich blend that makes it taste delicious, even at the end of winter. I'll probably be playing with this recipe again next fall.

As the drink uses a pumpkin beer base, I decided not to make a non-alcoholic version of this. There are some other non-alcoholic Pumpkin Juice recipes out there. They use pumpkin puree to give it that flavor.

Related: Is Peeves in Hogwarts Legacy?

1) Gillywater

In Harry Potter lore, Gillywater is a drink, not a potion. It likely includes Gillyweed, a seaweed-like herb that, when eaten, can help humans grow gills (temporarily) and breathe underwater. We likely won't see Gillyweed appear in Hogwarts Legacy. It's been confirmed that you can swim, just not underwater.

I saved this drink for my last night of concocting, and it did not disappoint. The Gillywater recipe I used is a spin on a gin and tonic that calls for adding coconut water, cucumber, and mint. It was absolutely refreshing and will be my go-to drink on February 7.

If you want to try your own non-alcoholic version, you can just skip the gin. If you don't want the quinine in tonic water, using your choice of sparkling or still water works well as a substitute.

Are you going to try any of these drinks on release day? Have another recipe you like? Let us know in the comments! You might also want to check out another of our Hogwarts Legacy editorials, You shouldn’t kill other wizards in Hogwarts Legacy, here at Pro Game Guides.