Butterbeer? Or Butter Rum?

[the_rayway]

Has anyone here ever tried doing a take on 'Butterbeer' from Harry Potter? I'm toying with the idea of a butterscotch/butter rum flavour - possibly carbonated.

First thoughts would be along these lines:
- Apple Juice or White Welches concentrate, or maybe a cheap white?
- Water
- Honey to 1.070ish (carmelize like a botchet? or maybe 1/2 & 1/2)
- Lots of vanilla beans - possibly several different types
- Lor-Ann butterscotch or butter rum flavour for the secondary, both?
- A hot pepper (maybe cayenne or habanero) for some warmth
- Some lactose
- Definitely oaked, hopefully with a barrel
- Possibly a bit of cinnamon as well

I'm going for a buttery, sweet, spicy drink that will warm you up. Or perhaps that you warm up and that I can drink while I read Harry Potter to the kids (ok, ok, to myself)

Any input? Thoughts and suggestions?
Raelene

 

[Pumpkinman]

With beer, most times if you ferment at high temps, you will get fruity esters, with some lager yeasts you can get a butterscotch taste if you don't give it a d- rest.

 

[Deezil]

Much easier to just make a Hot Buttered Rum, than to try to shove it in a wine bottle for long term aging, but its a thought I've had a few times myself...

Then I go grab my homemade Hot Butter Rum mix, and a bottle of liquor.. And about 15 minutes later, the wine was a good thought but the mug in front of me is a good drink


"Buttery" = MLF w/ alot of diacetyl
"Sweet" = honey
"Spice" = cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla

I'm in the middle of my 2013 Apple-Pear Bochet, which would be a perfect candidate - would just need to be MLF'd, have some spice-extracts added, and would need oaked. I may just try it..

 

[Tess]

Yeah I dont think I would like it as beer at all!! the hot buttered rum sounds good. If you stumble on something amazing let us know!!

 

[seth8530]

It could be done as a beer I think. Give it a lot of unfermentable sugar. Possibly do a light carbonation ( I never imagined butter beer as being very carbonated)... Ferment low temperature, and possibly back sweeten with burnt honey? Age on oak and vanilla beans as you mentioned... If you go the wine path I would definitely follow in the methodology of a low ABV botchet.

I feel like it would be tough to get a true butter beer as described by the books.. . However, it is always fun trying right?

 

[Tess]

Its that what you like thing again. Your taste!! Ewwww!! not a sweet beer fan here or a butterscotch beer fan!! Its all in what you like. Not my taste at all but it might be yours!!

It might be like sucking on a werthers original and drinking a beer at the same time!Just ewwww!!! Your all taking subtitle hints. I would love to taste your minds!! I really would because I dont get it as I know beer but Im limited in what Iv tasted!! Id love to taste what you guys come with but Im into wine and probably never will Im really sad about that!!

I am serious about that. Nothing like missing out!!

 

[the_rayway]

Lol Tess! I guess the name 'Butterbeer' is a bit misleading.

It wouldn't be a beer at all - just a sweet, slightly creamy tasting wine-ish-type beverage. In my mind it's very much like a buttered rum. The carbonation would be something to think about at the end, force carbed I would think so it would still be nice and sweet.

Seth: exactly.
Deezil: I've been following your threads, and it sound super yummy. (So does your glass of buttered rum!)
Pumpkinman: Hadn't considered a beer yeast. Interesting thought.

 

[dessertmaker]

What if you did a sweet creamy wine and fortified it with a buttered rum?

 

[WVMountaineerJack]

Bochet is more caremal then butterscotch, you might have a better shot at it if you caramelized cider itself then added a light honey. Drop in enough banannas for some esters, but not enough to give it an bannana taste, a shot of spices as above, and a wee little pinch of salt when its done. WVMJ

 

[Pumpkinman]

Tess, Just let your mind go wild! I'm a big fan of trying a lot of new (new to me) wines, beers and such, and then trying to clone them, that is very fun, I love the analytic side to making wine and brewing beer.

 

[the_rayway]

What if you did a sweet creamy wine and fortified it with a buttered rum?

Dessertmaker: how do you mean a sweet creamy wine? As in a banana wine? Or did you mean something else? All I that comes to mind when you say this is "baileys" + buttered rum!

Jack: I like the way you think. I may have to try this several different ways. Oh...life is HARD ::

How does this taste in your mind now Tess?

 

[seth8530]

One of the things you can do to make a wine "creamy" would be to put it through MLF. Just choose a strain is very well knownfor uber kreme lol

 

[Snafflebit]

Wow! sounds interesting and fun. I think that a strong vanilla flavor and a just-detectable saltiness would get you to the savory profile of butterscotch.

A word of caution about the jalapeno pepper. I bought some wine from a mom and pop winery that I shall not name here. They claimed that their grapes had a spicy, peppery profile that ended up making their wine spicy also. I had a drink and thought they were pulling my leg. That wine was unmistakably the flavor of jalapeno peppers and almost burned too much to drink. The wife of the winemaker swore that no peppers went in but I simply do not believe that! Nevertheless, it was not a good taste to experience in wine.