Gillywater is a fun, Harry Potter inspired drink that looks a bit something that crawled out of the sea, but tastes refreshingly delicious! In the Harry Potter books and movies, Gillyweed is a magical plant that allows one to breathe underwater.
In undergrad school, I majored in biological sciences. It involved studying everything from physics, to chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology, evolutionary biology, genetics, and even psychology. I found the study of plants to be absolutely amazing.
And if you don’t already know this about me, I am a total nerd when it comes to Harry Potter! Herbology, essentially the wizard equivalent to botany, always struck my fancy.
In Herbology class, Professor Sprout taught Hogwarts students how to care for plants and use them for different potions and magical effects. It always reminded me of time before modern medicine when people used plants for their naturally-occurring medicinal properties.
So let’s make some Gillywater!
Instead of the seaweed-like concoction that it is in the books and movies, this recipe results in what is essentially spa water. Sparkling water infused with fresh mint, cucumber, and lime makes the ultimate refreshing and rehydrating drink. It looks like a swamp though!
This is a fun drink to make for a Halloween party or a Harry Potter-inspired party.
What is Gillyweed in Harry Potter?
Gillyweed is a magical plant in the Harry Potter story. It was supposedly native to the Mediterranean Sea, and was described as looking like “slimy, grey-green rat tails”.
After eating Gillyweed, a person would temporarily develop fish-like properties. Gills would form in the neck, allowing him or her to breathe underwater. Additionally, webbing between the fingers and toes would appear, which let the human swim easily under water.
In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry uses Gillyweed to be able to breathe underwater in the Black Lake during the second task of the Triwizard Tournament.
You can read more about gillyweed on Harry Potter Wiki and Wikibooks.
How Does Harry Get Gillyweed?
The book and the movie are quite different in terms of how Harry gets Gillyweed!
In the book, Dobby gave Gillyweed to Harry after hearing a staged conversation between Bartemius Crouch Junior (who used Polyjuice Potion to disguise himself as Alastor Moody) and Professor McGonagall.
In the movie, Neville gave Gillyweed to Harry after Bartemius Crouch Junior (disguised as Alastor Moody) gave Neville a book on Magical Water Plants of the Mediterranean.
Is Gilly Weed a Real Plant?
No! Gillyweed is straight out of the amazing mind of J.K. Rowling. It may have been inspired by seaweed, but this plant is completely fictitious.
What is Gillywater Made Of?
In the Harry Potter books and movies, it seems like Gillywater was made of water + gillyweed.
Our Gillywater recipe contains sparkling water, cucumber, mint, and lime! Spa water, anyone?!
Gillywater Recipe
With just 4 ingredients and no cooking required, this recipe is super easy to make!
Ingredients
- Sparkling water
- Cucumber
- Mint
- Lime
Step-by-Step Instructions
Spiralize the cucumber. Or if you don't have a spiralizer, you can use a vegetable peeler to get thin strips (both the peel and the flesh of the cucumber are fine for this).
Peel the lime and squeeze the juice. We will use both the lime juice and rind for this recipe! The peels infuse the water with even more lime flavor, and they add to the swampy, seaweed-like vibe we're going for.
Add everything to a pitcher, and enjoy!
Cooks Tips
- If You Don’t Have a Spiralizer: You can use a vegetable peeler (on the peel and the flesh) to get cucumber strips.
- For the Lime Peels: Use organic limes if possible because the peels will be going into the drink. Scrub the outside of the limes, and then use a vegetable peeler to cut strips of peel off (try to get as little of the white as possible because it's bitter). The lime peels infuse the water with more flavor, but don't eat them.
- Sparkling Water: You can use any flavor of sparkling water you like. If you use unflavored, unsweetened sparkling water, this drink will have a lime, mint, cucumber flavor profile. If you like flavored water, lemon-lime sparkling water is a good choice. Or you can use sweetened sparkling water or lemon-lime soda (such as 7UP or Sprite) if you like your drinks on the sweet side or if you're making this for kids.
More Harry Potter Drinks to Make
- Polyjuice Potion – this drink even changes color!
- Butterbeer – make it frozen or regular, they’re both delicious
- Harry Potter Foods – more drinks and food inspired by Harry Potter
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Gillywater Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 quart sparkling water see Note
- 2 cups spiralized cucumber
- 4 sprigs fresh mint
- ½ cup fresh lime peels
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a large pitcher.
- Stir gently. Be careful not to over-stir so the water doesn’t lose its carbonation.
- Serve chilled.
Faith's Tips
- Recipe Yield and Serving Size: This recipe makes 32 ounces of Gillywater, which is enough for 4 (1-cup) servings.
- If You Don’t Have a Spiralizer: You can use a vegetable peeler (on the peel and the flesh) to get cucumber strips.
- For the Lime Peels: Use organic limes if possible because the peels will be going into the drink. Scrub the outside of the limes, and then use a vegetable peeler to cut strips of peel off (try to get as little of the white as possible because it's bitter). The lime peels infuse the water with more flavor, but don't eat them.
- Sparkling Water: You can use any flavor of sparkling water you like. If you use unflavored, unsweetened sparkling water, this drink will have a lime, mint, cucumber flavor profile. If you like flavored water, lemon-lime sparkling water is a good choice. Or you can use sweetened sparkling water or lemon-lime soda (such as 7UP or Sprite) if you like your drinks
- If You Don’t Have a Spiralizer: You can use a vegetable peeler (on the peel and the flesh) to get cucumber strips.
- For the Lime Peels: Use organic limes if possible because the peels will be going into the drink. Scrub the outside of the limes, and then use a vegetable peeler to cut strips of peel off (try to get as little of the white as possible because it's bitter). The lime peels infuse the water with more flavor, but don't eat them.
- Sparkling Water: You can use any flavor of sparkling water you like. If you use unflavored, unsweetened sparkling water, this drink will have a lime, mint, cucumber flavor profile. If you like flavored water, lemon-lime sparkling water is a good choice. Or you can use sweetened sparkling water or lemon-lime soda (such as 7UP or Sprite) if you like your drinks on the sweet side or if you're making this for kids.
Nutrition
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