How to Make Ogden’s Old Firewhisky (for Adult Witches & Wizards!)

Say what you will about Butterbeer: it’s delicious, easy to make, and everyone loves it. Sometimes though, you just need something a little stronger. Luckily, there’s an option from the magical world that compounds the effects of Muggle alcohol with a little extra enchantment. Whether you’re toasting an occasion or need to calm your nerves, Ogden’s Old Firewhisky is the go-to for most adult wizards and witches.

I’ve always wondered what Ogden’s Old Firewhisky tastes like, so I decided to try my wand-work at making some of my own. This magical potion – I mean Muggle recipe – is super easy to make, but it takes almost as long as Polyjuice Potion to brew properly. While there’s no concern about attacks on Muggleborns to rush you, grab the ingredients and get started now; here’s how to make Ogden’s Old Firewhisky.

This Ogden’s Old Firewhisky recipe includes alcohol, and is for witches, wizards, and muggles who are of a legal drinking age in their country. Please drink responsibly.

This post was originally published in June 2020, and was updated most recently in September 2023.

Ogden’s Old Firewhisky in the Magical World

In the Magical world, Ogden’s Old Firewhiskey is one of the few adult spirits that is ever mentioned. We first learn about it in Chamber of Secrets:

…A few of you need to read Wanderings with Werewolves more carefully. I clearly state in chapter twelve that my ideal birthday gift would be harmony between all magic and non-magic peoples – though I wouldn’t say no to a large bottle of Ogden’s Old Firewhisky!

Gilderoy Lockhart, COS, Ch. 6

Firewhisky makes a few more appearances throughout the books. Arthur Weasley makes Molly tea with Firewhisky to calm her nerves after the Dark Mark was spotted at the Quidditch World Cup (GOF, Ch. 10); the Order of the Phoenix drinks a Firewhisky toast to Mad-Eye Moody that Harry finds fortifying (DH, Ch. 5); and Ron shares that his Uncle Bilius – who honestly sounds like a lot of fun – enjoyed drinking Firewhisky and dancing at family functions (DH, Ch. 8).

There are other mentions of Firewhisky too, which goes to show how ubiquitous it is in witches’ and wizards’ liquor cabinets across the Magical world.

How to Make Ogden’s Olde Firewhisky

Ogden’s Old Firewhisky Shopping List & Recipe

Here are the exact ingredients I used to make Ogden’s Old Firewhisky:

• Jim Beam Bourbon Whiskey, 750ml Bottle
• McCormick Cinnamon Sticks, 0.75oz Jar
• Sugar in the Raw Turbinado Cane Sugar, 2lb Box
• Tillen Farms Bada Bing Cherries, 13.5oz Jar

And here’s a breakdown of the instructions with photos, so you can see how it looked at each step of the process to make Ogden’s Old Firewhisky.

I used Jim Beam as my whiskey base – I grabbed it at the store because it’s an affordable bottle, but I forgot I don’t love bourbon or Jim Beam! Good thing I was going to make it taste a whole lot better!

Steps 1-4

I started by putting my cinnamon sticks in the jar, and then pouring the bourbon over it. I added my sugar, put on the lid, and gave it a few gentle shakes in the sink. Since I wasn’t sealing my jar, I did it in the sink to make sure I didn’t shake whiskey everywhere in the kitchen!

Step 5

After closing and shaking my Ogden’s Old Firewhisky, I tried to find a cool, dark spot to put the jar in for a week where it wouldn’t be disturbed. Then I realized: I have that spot in my bookshelf, behind my original Harry Potter series! I tucked the jar back there and set an alarm to check it in a week.

Steps 6-8

After seven days, I brought the jar out and did a taste test. At this point, there was only cinnamon and sugar in the whiskey, so it tasted like a sweet, mellow Fireball whiskey.

Next, I took my jar of Bing cherries and used a spoon to add six cherries to the infusion. I also added a few spoonfuls of syrup too. Then I re-closed the jar and tucked it back behind my beloved HP books for another week.

Step 9-10

When another week had passed, I brought my jar of Ogden’s Old Firewhisky out and gave it another taste test. I decided to give it a few more days – in total, I let my infusion sit for 17 days (7 days with just cinnamon, and 10 days with cinnamon and cherries).

On the 17th day, I re-taste-tested and decided it was perfect to my taste. I used a spoon and my fingers to pull out the cherries and cinnamon sticks – but I tried not to get my fingers in the Firewhisky whenever possible. After all, I don’t want it to get contaminated!

And there you have it! I managed to make Ogden’s Old Firewhisky in a beautiful Gryffindor scarlet color. While the flavor isn’t fiery, the whiskey is still strong enough to warm your throat and fortify you.

You can drink Ogden’s Old Firewhisky neat, on the rocks, or in a cocktail. Read on for a few cocktails I found that should work perfectly with Ogden’s Old Firewhisky.

5 Cocktails to Make with Ogden’s Old Firewhisky

Like Molly Weasley only drinks Firewhiskey in tea, I know not everyone is up for drinking Ogden’s Old Firewhisky straight up. I found a few cocktail recipes I think would work great. Each of these whiskey cocktails has cinnamon and cherry too, so they’ll be delicious with Ogden’s instead of the whiskey.

1. Smoke & Cinnamon Old Fashioned – This Old Fashioned cocktail is top-shelf fancy because you smoke the glass, but will be ultra-smooth and flavorful with Ogden’s as the base. (source)
2. Cherry Bomb Bourbon Whiskey – Using cherry cider and Bourbon [which is why my Ogden’s Old Firewhisky recipe is good – it uses Bourbon as the base], this recipe leans into the cinnamon and cherry flavors in your Firewhisky. (source)
3. Cinnamon Maple Whiskey Sour – Another Bourbon cocktail, this cocktail is made sweet and sour with maple syrup and lemon juice; the Firewhisky will make it more complex and interesting. (source)
4. Fireball Sangria – Fireball is the most well-known cinnamon whiskey, and this recipe uses it to amp up a standard sangria recipe. Instead, use your Firewhiskey for the same bump in alcohol with the extra cherry flavor too. (source)
5. Cherry Tree Fireball – Again, substitute the Fireball in this cherry-heavy recipe with Firewhisky and you’ll end up with a perfect summer drink to cool you off and warm you up at the same time. (source)

And that’s it! Now you can make Ogden’s Old Firewhisky and know which cocktails to use it in. Enjoy! Have other questions about this Ogden’s Old Firewhisky recipe? Let me know in the comments!

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