Local vendors are celebrating the boy wizard, who will be 41, with special brews and treats.
Grab your wand, Bertie Botts jelly beans (let’s zap the booger and ear wax flavors) and a Butterbeer. Muggles, it’s time to celebrate Harry Potter‘s 41st birthday. In case you didn’t know, Harry’s birthday on July 31 is the also the date of author J.K. Rowling’s birthday. If you know of any other Harry Potter-related treats or celebrations, please share.
* You can conjure up two wizardly drinks from The Frother’s Daughter, offered until the end of August: “Butter Brew” — their take on a classic butterbeer, a butterbeer cold brew topped with butterscotch sweet cream and “Espresso Patronum” (inspired by Pumpkin Juice, it’s a pumpkin pie and caramel latte). Drinks will be served in a regular cup but they’re still out of this world.
* What House would you belong to? Load up on sweet treasures today and Saturday from all the Houses at Au Péché Mignon French Pastry Shop: Gryffindor: Butterbeer. Slytherin: Gillywater- Watermelon mint Hufflepuff: Canary cream- Pineapple and marshmallow cream Ravenclaw: Fizzing whizbees- FIZZING candy in sherbet.
* On Saturday, July 31, RedEye Coffee is saying happy birthday to Harry with Butterbeer Cold Brew and house- made Chocolate Frogs (while supplies last) sealed with a Dementor’s Kiss (use your imagination).
I have a soft spot in my heart for Harry because my daughter, Katie Ward, was a little girl when the books came out. We would read them together, then eventually we were both so hooked we had to each buy our own — at midnight, with a throng of other fans at the bookstore awaiting each release. Anytime you can inspire kids to be obsessed with books that are as thick as a college textbook (the longest one, “Harry Potter and the Order of The Phoenix” is 766 pages), there’s got to be magic involved.
Also, I came across this fun article from a dedicated Harry Potter fan: Where Every Harry Potter Character Would Eat in Tallahassee. https://spoonuniversity.com/…/where-every-major-harry…
FYI, we tried to go to the new Harry Potter NYC Flagship Store at 935 Broadway last week and there was a line stretched around the block. You have to be there at 7 am to scan their QR code, then you have an hour to get back before your time comes up. They are now offering two virtual experiences. We could have used an invisible cloak.
Harry Potter may be 41 this year but it seems like yesterday that my daughter and I started that first book. Happy Birthday Harry!