Los Angeles is a place that's lush with optical effects and wondrous illusions, and it matters not if those tricks-of-the-eye flower within a studio soundstage or in a more public setting, like, say, at a theme park.
Gaze, if you will, upon The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the magical land ensconced, like a wand in a velvet-lined box, at Universal Studios Hollywood.
You're right, Wizarding World did just celebrate its first half-birthday in October, meaning several thousands of visitors have already called upon the buzzed-over spot, one that includes a clutch of "snow"-topped shops.
That snow is up there even on the hottest of summer days, and it is a sight that can make a visitor long for a toasty beverage, the kind of steamy sip that one quaffs while fending off the imaginary cold.
Enter Butterbeer, the best-known beverage at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Thus far the foam-topped favorite has only been served cold, on ice, but with a wave of their hands the sorcery-skillful staff at Universal Studios is transforming it into a hot drink for the holiday season.
That's the enchanted jewel buried within this story: Butterbeer is heating up for the holidays.
Where to find it? Fly for Three Broomsticks or the Hog's Head Pub, located in the easterly nook of the restaurant. When to find it? Now, and through the yuletide, but not after, for like many spells, hot Butterbeer will vaporize after the holly-and-ivy part of the annual calendar goes poof.
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If you haven't tried the much-Instagram'd, much-obsessed-about drink, know that it is said to be "reminiscent of butterscotch and shortbread," so, yes, calling Butterbeer a drinkable dessert is correct.
After you emerge from Three Broomsticks, though, post-hot Butterbeer, will the faux snow atop the shops of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter take on a fresh and frosty vibe for you?
Warm drinks and snowy vistas are a magical, cockle-warming duo, whether you find such a pairing in the woods or a forest or inside Universal Studios Hollywood during the holiday season.
