How to Make Amortentia
(Recipe for Muggle Love Potion)
Love is a powerful force in the world – both wizarding and Muggle alike. It motivates so much of what happens in the Harry Potter series, from Lily Potter’s sacrifice for her son to Molly Weasley’s final battle with Bellatrix Lestrange. It even explains the strange, warped way that Tom Marvolo Riddle is born into this world – the first time – as his witch mother so deeply loved his Muggle father.
Nevertheless, not all love is pure and true. As we learn, there are love potions (and spells) that can allow you to manipulate others into loving you. One such potion is Amortentia, the most powerful love potion in the world.
While I can’t promise my Amortentia recipe will make others fall in love with you – it certainly won’t hurt. This delicious, light potion (available as both a cocktail and mocktail for those of all ages) combines some of the flavors that both Harry and Hermione smell in their own experiences with Amortentia. To learn how to make this NEWT-level (but still easy) potion, read on for my original Amortentia recipe.
Amortentia in the Wizarding World
Amortentia is mentioned specifically just one time in the Wizarding World; it’s described in Harry’s first class with Professor Slughorn in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Ch. 9).
As we know, love potions are banned at Hogwarts – and are generally considered poor-form, since they don’t create true love between two people. However, we also know that Romilda Vane spiked Harry’s chocolate cauldrons birthday present with love potion; we don’t know which potion she used, but she must be good at potions to brew up a love potion like Amortentia in secret (or she smuggled one in from Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes.
In any case, here is one official description of Amortentia, as experienced by Harry, in the book:
This left Harry, Ron, and Hermione to share a table with Ernie. They chose the one nearest a golden-colored cauldron that was emitting on eof the most seductive scents Harry had ever inhaled: Somehow it reminded him simultaneously of treacle tart, the woody smell of a broomstick handle, and something flowery he tohught he might have smelled at the Burrow.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 9
Later in the same chapter, Hermione also describes the potion:
“It’s. themost powerful love potion in the wold!” said Hermione.
“Quite right! You recognized it, I suppose, by its distinctive mother-of-pearl-sheen?” [asked Slughorn]
“And the steam rising in characteristic spirals,” said Hermione enthusiastically, “and it’s supposedto smell differently to each oof us, according to what attracts us, and I can smell freshly mown grass and new parchment and –”
HBP, Ch. 9
Hermione actually completes that sentence in the Half-Blood Prince film, saying she smells spearmint toothpaste.
With all of this information, it was just a matter of grabbing my own copy of Advanced Potion-Making and deciphering the Prince’s notes – plus making up a few of my own.
How to Make Amortentia (the Muggle Way!)
I have to admit it: this Muggle version of Amortentia is definitely the best potion I’ve invented yet – and best of all: it’s easy.
As you’ll see below, making rose-infused vodka is the most time-consuming part of the potion-making process, but it’s also very easy – and not required to make this potion anyway… It may help you fall in love more easily though!
Inventing my Amortentia Recipe
The most important step of creating this Amortentia potion was finding a way to bring in some of the flavors that are used to describe the potion for Harry and Hermione in the book. As a reminder, those included:
- fresh cut grass
- new parchment
- spearmint toothpaste
- treacle tart
- the woody smell of broomstick handle
- something flowery
Some of those scents are lovely but don’t make sense as flavors; others do taste as delicious as they smell – and they compliment each other!
As we know from my treacle tart recipe, golden syrup is the main ingredient that gives this sweet treat its color and flavor. So in the end, I chose:
- mint sprigs to represent Hermione’s spearmint
- golden syrup to represent Harry’s treacle tart
- hibiscus tea (and rose vodka) to represent Harry’s “something flowery”
I also wanted the recipe to have the same “distinctive mother-of-pearl sheen” so I used edible cocktail glitter to help with that.
Making my Amortentia Recipe
Once you have all of your ingredients (vodka or not), here’s a quick description of what to do.
Start by steeping your hibiscus tea. Be sure you purchase a 100% hibiscus tea – not a blend – since this recipe doesn’t call for any other flavors. (If you found a mint-hibiscus tea, that should be ok, but I couldn’t find one and can’t be 100% sure it will taste great.) I made my tea with room temperature tap water and it took less than 10 minutes to steep the tea to a beautiful blood-red color.
Next, add the tea and cream to your cocktail mixing glass. Next, add the vodka (if you choose) and the golden syrup.
While the cocktail is pretty good at this point, I recommend chilling it. Add 1-2 ice cubes and stir continuously until the glass begins to have condensation and feels cold to the touch. Remove any remaining ice cubes that haven’t melted yet.
Next stir in the edible cocktail glitter; I prefer to use the super-fine cocktail drink glitter from Brew Glitter. In my potion, I used silver for maximum shimmery effect but you could also use any other color – perhaps the favorite color of the beloved you hope will drink this and fall in love with you?
Pour the entire point into a coupe glass; I prefer one with an inwardly curved lip, such as this one. If you’re serving this to young witches and wizards, you can also put it in a more kid-friendly glass. Garnish with sprigs of mint – I had to leave a long stem on them to keep them from sinking into the glass.
Last but certainly not least: take a sip or share with someone you love!
Here’s the full recipe with exact details about the ingredients, portions, and potion-making steps.
Amortentia (Muggle Love Potion)
Ingredients
- 1 C Water
- 2 bags Hibiscus Tea
- ¼ C Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1 oz Grenadine
- 1 oz Rose-Infused Vodka (optional)
- 1 tsp Golden Syrup
- 1 pack Edible Silver Cocktail Glitter
- Springs of Mint for Garnish
Instructions
- Begin by creating hibiscus tea. Take the two tea bags and place them in the water.
- Let steep for ~10 minutes for room temperature water, then remove the tea bags.
- In a cocktail mixing glass, add the heavy whipping cream and tea. Use a cocktail spoon to stir.
- (Optional) Add the rose vodka. (See notes for how to make this!)
- Add the Grenadine.
- Stir in the Golden Syrup.
- Add 1-2 standard-size ice cubes and stir until condensation begins to form on the outside of the glass. Remove any remaining ice cubes.
- Stir in the edible silver cocktail glitter.
- Pour the drink into a coupe glass, and garnish with long-stemmed sprigs of mint.
Notes
To make rose-infused vodka:
- Add half a cup of culinary-grade dried rosebuds to an infusion bottle (like this one from Crew).
- Close the infusion bottle and pour in 1+ cup of vodka.
- Seal the bottle and store in a cool, dry place for 7+ days.
- Strain the vodka to remove rose buds and other debris.
As mentioned in the recipe card, the vodka is optional for this Amortentian recipe – you can definitely make it without rose-infused vodka and it will still be delicious! So if you want to make this creamy, flowery, shimmery drink for underage witches and wizards, no problem!
Have any questions about my Amortentia recipe and how to make this magic-inspired Muggle potion? Let me know in the comments!
