Are you brave enough to try to Drink of Despair – sip on the Emerald Potion?
And if you’re familiar with this tasty drink from Harry Potter, then you know that drinking the Emerald Potion is meant to be done to protect something that is extremely important.
(that’s you, right?!)
Brew some Emerald Potion, aka the “Drink of Despair”
And just like drinking the Drink of Despair in the Harry Potter movie, this drink will also make you vulnerable, too.
(blame it on the wine! lol)
Since this drink is known to create extreme thirst, get ready to have a second glass ready to go to quench it!
This Emerald Potion is tasty and really, really good and it’s such a fun drink to create to showcase your love of Harry Potter.
(Plus you get to drink it from a really cool beaker, too!)
A fun Harry Potter inspired drink recipe
The fun part about this delicious cocktail recipe is that it’s just downright fun to drink.
How many cocktails out there do you know that have ice cream as one of the main ingredients?!
The combination of the wine and ice cream creates a really cool “smoky” effect that will have you wondering if sipping the Drink of Despair just might be the last thing that you ever drink…
Invite over your other Harry Potter fan friends to “cheers” and enjoy this tasty drink.
The perfect Halloween Wine Ice Cream Float
We would be remiss if we didn’t mention that this cocktail makes an absolutely perfect drink to serve for Halloween.
And while it’s technically a sherbet float rather than a wine ice cream float, people won’t mind what you call it.
In fact, they’re more likely to talk about whether you spell and pronounce sherbet with or without the r.
(It’s without.)
Not to mention how fun and tasty the drink is!
After all, it’s served in a beaker or martini glass, and it has that creepy, green “fresh from the witch’s cauldron” look about it.
And it’s super tasty!
It’s a lot of fun to have the beaker’s prepared before your party gets started.
Then add the sherbet and wine when it’s time to serve.
It’s easy to prepare the beakers in advance.
Just follow the steps to drizzle the condensed milk and lime juice mixture, and then put them in the refrigerator.
Can you use any type of wine for this recipe?
You can always experiment on the type of wine that you want to use, but be careful as the sweet wines will definitely make this drink really, really sweet.
Using a Pinot Grigio is a simple wine that really does compliment the flavor.
If you need to make a substitution, do so depending on your palate.
If you want the drink to be really sweet, you can substitute with a Moscato.
If you like it less sweet, a Sauvignon Blanc or even a Chardonnay is a good fit.
For a similar taste, a Riesling works well.
Ingredients to make the Harry Potter-inspired Drink of Despair
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Key lime juice
- Lime sherbet
- Pinot Grigio, to top
To make the drink, you will need: a can opener, a measuring spoon, an ice cream scoop, a small bowl, a measuring cup or jigger, and a beaker to serve it in.
You may also substitute your other favorite white wine.
But we recommend using one that’s a bit sweet but not overly sweet to go with the sherbet.
Of course, if you don’t have a beaker, you’re welcome to serve it in your choice of cocktail glass.
We really like a martini glass as an alternative.
When you drip the sweetened condensed milk down the sides, it really shows up well.
Can I make the drink without alcohol?
Yes, you may make the Drink of Despair without alcohol.
And it’s easy, which is particularly good since this drink is sure to be one the kids will love.
You will want to substitute the white wine with a white sparkling grape juice, like Welch’s.
It will taste and look very similar.
If you’re serving a non-alcoholic version for the kids and one that’s spiked for the adults, I suggest using different types of glasses.
Serve the kids in beakers and pour the drink for adults in martini or wine glasses so you can easily tell which one is which.
How to Make Emerald Potion
Open the can of sweetened condensed milk.
Measure a tablespoon of sweetened condensed milk and add it to a small bowl.
You may want to twirl the spoon a bit to avoid drips.
Add a tablespoon of key lime juice to the bowl. Mix well.
It should thin out the sweetened condensed milk a little bit.
This makes it easier to drizzle into the beaker.
Tilt your beaker (or martini glass) to the side.
With your spoon, drizzle the lime and sweetened condensed milk mixture around the sides of the glass.
You will want to rotate the beaker while so that it’s evenly distributed.
Using a small ice cream scoop or measuring spoon, scoop the lime sherbet and add it to the beaker.
Top with the wine and serve!
Note: If you decide to substitute a sparkling wine for the Pinot Grigio, you will get a better result if you add the wine to the beaker first.
Whenever you’re adding ice cream to a bubbly beverage, it’s best to add liquid first, then ice cream to avoid making a mess.
Ask me how I know that? We’ve talked about that more in our Black Cherry Ice Cream Float Recipe.
More Harry Potter and other fandom recipes for you to try:
The Crimes of Grindelwald (Fantastic Beasts)
Harry Potter’s Pumpkin Juice (Harry Potter)
The Occamy (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them)
The Mother of Dragon Fruit (Game of Thrones)
The Yellow Eyed Demon (Supernatural)
Another Glorious Morning (Hocus Pocus)
Butterbeer Ice Cream Float (Harry Potter)
Death Eater’s Draught (Harry Potter)
Oogie Boogie’s Halloween Punch (A Nightmare Before Christmas)
Midnight Margaritas (Practical Magic)
And of course, we have some fun fan inspired roundups too:
Drinks to enjoy in your Cantina (Star Wars)
Game of Thrones Inspired Cocktails
Try it and share
Please let us know how you enjoy our Harry Potter Inspired Drink of Despair recipe.
If you make it yourself, please let us know on Pinterest that you tried it and tag us with #champagneandcoconuts on your Instagram photo.
If you haven’t had a chance to make it yet, be sure to save the recipe on Pinterest so you’ll remember where you found it.
Harry Potter Inspired Emerald Potion aka the Drink of Despair
Equipment
- Can opener
- Small Bowl
- Spoon
- Measuring Spoon
- Small Scoop
- Beaker
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tablespoon key lime juice
- 4 tablespoons lime sherbet
- Pinot Grigio white wine to top
Instructions
- Combine the sweetened condensed milk and lime juice in a small bowl. Stir.
- Tilt the beaker to one side and drizzle the condensed milk / lime juice mixture down the sides. You will want to rotate the beaker so it goes all the way around.
- Scoop the lime sherbet into the beaker.
- Top with Pinot Grigio. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Hi, I’m Jennifer. I love to cook and entertain. I have a lot of fun sharing traditional food and drink recipes as well as putting a new spin on the classics. I strive to provide easy to make recipes that are perfect for the home cook, bartender and entertainer.
We made these to kick off a Harry Potter marathon last night with the kids! Everyone loved them!