I will be the first to confess that I am a huge sucker for theme parks and resorts. There’s something about going somewhere and being transported to a totally different world that just makes me forget reality for a while.
A few years ago, Lucifur and I were lucky enough to be able to go to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, Florida. We spent most of our time in Knockturn Alley (Lucifur’s choice, she wanted all the fun Death Eater souvenirs) and the rest of our time stuffing ourselves silly on food including pumpkin juice (amazing), Butterbeer (holy crap this was delicious), whole roasted turkey legs (Lucifur ate most of it) and pumpkin pasties.
While all of these were lip smacking delicious, the one treat I found myself falling in love with and craving long after we left was the Fishy Green Ale.
Available at both the Leaky Cauldron and the Fountain of Fair Fortune in Diagon Alley, Fishy Green Ale is, well, green, with a taste that is a combination of mint, cinnamon, and sweet. To add to the mysterious taste of this mixture, at the bottom of every cup was a healthy scoop of ‘fish eggs,’ blueberry flavored popping boba.
I’ve tried for years to find a good copycat recipe online to no avail. Then, a few weeks ago, I stumbled across a website claiming to have the absolute closest possible version in the form of dried tea leaves.
I immediately bought a sample tin with the idea that I’d give it a try.
Of course, what’s Fishy Green Ale without the fish eggs? A quick search on Amazon and I had a small container of blueberry popping boba heading to me.
Once everything arrived in the mail, it was time to see if the claims the tea company were making could hold water, or more accurately, ale.
Opening the tin and taking a sniff of the dried mixture was promising. There were definitely hints of cinnamon and mint. I brewed a huge pot of hot water, filled my teaskull, and set about making my first glass.
I brewed it up according to the directions, taking deep inhales of the minty, cinnamon-y steam.
Then, once it was done brewing, poured it over ice (and my boba) in my glass and took my first sip.
Hmm…absolutely NOTHING like what I was hoping. I mean, not even close. Sure, it’s a decent cup of tea, but definitely not what I was looking for in my copycat recipe.
It was then that I realized if I wanted homemade Fishy Green Ale, well, I was going to have to make it myself.
Damnit.
I reached out to my friend, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, to get some advice. He mentioned that the secret to any good fish dish is the addition of citrus…lemons to be exact, and to treat this ale just like I would a fish recipe. He said if I could find the right mix of lemons, mint and cinnamon, I’d be set.
Well, short of squeezing a salmon into a glass, I figured I’d play around with the citrus base first. A little testing, a whole lot of tasting, and some trial and error later, I think we finally have our (not so) secret formula for pretty damn authentic Fishy Green Ale!
Now before we go any further, let me first say two things:
- This recipe contains an affiliate link for the boba which means if you buy some, I get a small kick to help pay for future recipes like this. You can read my disclosure here.
- This recipe is for a Fishy Green Ale SYRUP which you will mix with water in the end. Whatever you do, don’t think what we bottle at the end of the mixing process is the final product and take a solid swig. Trust me.
To make your own Fishy Green Ale, you will need:
- 3 cups club soda
- 6 oz frozen lemonade in a can
- 3 teaspoons lime juice
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ cup Crème de Menthe syrup (I got mine at the local restaurant supply store near the shaved ice section)
- 1 small bottle LorAnn cinnamon flavored hard candy oil (.125 oz)
- Edible shimmer powder in either silver, blue or green (your choice, they all work).
- Neon green food coloring
- Blue food coloring
- Blueberry popping boba (I got mine here)
In a medium sized pot, mix together your club soda, lemonade, lime juice and sugar.
Bring the temperature up to medium and whisk continuously until your sugar is all melted and the mixture comes to a rolling boil.
Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
At the 10-minute mark, add in your Crème de Menthe syrup and stir to mix.
Now comes the cinnamon oil. You’ll want to add just five to six drops. Because this stuff is so concentrated, a little bit goes a really long way and can quickly overpower the more delicate mint flavor. Start with five drops, stir to mix and then take a little taste. If you’re happy with the flavor, stop. If you want a bit more kick, add one more drop…but don’t go over that or you’ll end up with a drink that tastes more like mouthwash than Fishy Ale.
Once you have your cinnamon ratio worked out, add in your edible glitter and stir well. Depending on the color you used (silver, blue or green) it will color your Fishy Ale and determine how much of the blue and neon green food coloring you add.
And yes, before the purists tackle me, I KNOW the real Fishy Green Ale at WWOHP does NOT have glitter in it, but hey, when I’m there, it’s like really being surrounded by magic and now that I’m here in Idaho of all places, I could really use a little sparkle every now and again. Feel free to add (or not add) the glitter if you choose.
The Fishy Green Ale we got at the WWOHP was a pale, icy green, with just a hint of blue so a few drops of neon green followed by a single drop or so of blue should get you a good approximation of your color.
Mix this all up and put it into a bottle and pop into the fridge to cool fully.
While it’s cooling, feel free to print off a label!
I had fun designing these, and you are free to use them for your own Green Fishy Ale bottles. Just download the file and print onto a sheet of sticker paper. Cut out and apply!
By now the syrup should be cool and we should be ready to enjoy a nice tall icy glass of Fishy Green Ale.
Scoop up a healthy scoop of your popping boba and put them into the bottom of your glass and add ice.
Fill your glass up about 2/3 full of ice-cold water and then top off with 1/3 Fishy Green Ale syrup. Feel free to add more if you want a stronger, sweeter ale.
Drop in your straw, give it a swirl, and enjoy this sweet, minty, cinnamon-y, glitter and boba infused treat.
It’s so delicious, it’s almost magical.
The unused syrup can be kept in your fridge for up to 2 weeks, if it lasts that long!
Bone appetite!
Looking for more Harry Potter inspired recipes? Why not give our twist on last year’s Unicorn Frappucino rage – the Halfblood Blend?
