I’ll admit when the Harry Potter series came out I wasn’t fan. Years ago I was at Universal Studios in Orlando at their Islands of Adventure theme park. They originally opened the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in 2010, not really knowing much about it, it didn’t stand out to me. One thing I did think was cool was the pub in the replica village of Hogsmeade, the Hog’s Head. I went in and had their signature beer “Hog’s Head Brew”.

Years later, after my wife got me to watch the entire series (over a weekend), I had a new appreciation for what was at the park. On a recent visit, I made it a point of jumping on my broom, and flying over to the pub to learn about that potion (the Potter puns will continue).

When I arrived, the first thing I noticed was that they had added a second signature beer the Dragon Scale, so naturally I had to try both. The Dragon Scale was introduced when Universal expanded the Wizarding World into both Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios in 2014.

The Hog’s Head brew is a Scottish ale, it has a dark brown/red colour and a mild taste. Not very hoppy, it has hints of caramel in the finish that make it quite smooth. As for the Dragon Scale, it‘s an amber ale, similar in colour with a hint more red, it’s very smooth with a nice sweetness in the aftertaste. Thankfully, neither casts any sort of spell on you.

Naturally I had to discover a little more about these beers. After speaking with the bartender, I found out that the beers are brewed exclusively for the park. They are brewed by the Florida Beer Company in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The brewery was established in 1997 and now produces 28 different beers and ciders.

What I also discovered was when Dragon Scale was introduced during the expansion a second new specialty brew made it’s debut at Universal Studios, Wizard’s Brew an American Stout. I didn’t make my way over to Studios on this trip, so it will just have to be an adventure for another time.

What makes these beers interesting is really the ambience around them. If you are a fan of the series, or your kids are, having a drink in the Hog’s Head or adjoining Three Broomsticks will take a muggle like you right into the films.

Cheers!

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