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    Whip & Wander » Recipes » Drinks

    Published: Jul 12, 2019 · Modified: May 16, 2024 by Jenni · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Gillywater

    This page may contain affiliate links. Please see my full disclosure policy for details.
    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe
    harry potter and the order of the phoenix and gillywater ona wooden tray
    a wooden tray with gollywater in glasses and a glass jar
    gillywater in a container and two glasses on a wooden tray
    gillywater in a glass container with a lime
    harry potter book next to a glass container of cucumber lime mint water

    "Rita looked disparagingly at Luna. "I'm guessing your father runs some stupid little village newsletter?" she said. "'Twenty-five Ways to Mingle with Muggles' and the dates of the next Bring-and-Fly-Sale" "No," said Luna, dipping her onion back into her gillywater, "he's the editor of The Quibbler."" - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

    a glass pitcher fill of cucumber mint lime water, with two glasses of it

    What is Gillywater?

    Though it's not clear exactly what the book version of Gillywater is comprised of, one can assume that it likely includes a base of gillyweed and water. In the books, gillyweed is a magical plant that, when eaten, temporarily "gives the consumer gills, allowing them to breathe underwater, and webbing between the fingers and toes, allowing them to swim underwater with ease."

    In book 4, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Dobby gives Harry Gillyweed before the second task of the Triwizard Tournament so that he can dive into the Black Lake to rescue the captives. It is described as resembling "a bundle of slimy, grey-green rat tails."

    a glass with gold polka dots and gillywater
    a container of cucumber mint water with lime and two glasses full of it on a wooden tray

    A delicious version for Muggles

    Because gillyweed doesn't exist outside of the Harry Potter world, my version includes an infusion of fresh cucumber in place of the "slimy, grey-green rat tails" combined with mint, lime, and your choice of sparkling or flat water. My version won't give you gills or webbed toes, but it's delicious and refreshing on a warm day while you devour the Harry Potter books for the thousandth time.

    glass container with cucumber mint lime water with a sliced lime
    cucumber mint water on a wooden surface with lime

    Special equipment

    I used both a channel knife/zester combo and a vegetable peeler to prepare the cucumber for this recipe, but either works great if you only have one or the other. If neither of these are handy, you can simply slice the cucumbers, mint, and lime with a traditional prep knife and still enjoy the same infused flavors without the Harry Potter flair.

    Looking for an upgrade to your kitchen tools? Check out my shop page here for my must-have kitchen tools and other Whip & Wander favorites.

    cucumber water in a glass on a wooden surface
    a wooden tray with two glasses of gillywater and a lime on a white towel

    A note for special diets

    This Gillywater recipe is grain-free, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and friendly for Paleo, Keto, Low-FODMAP, Whole30, and Vegan diets.

    LOOKING FOR MORE HARRY POTTER-INSPIRED RECIPES?

    You’re in luck! You can find all my Harry Potter-inspired recipes and other magical content linked HERE.

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    wooden tray, gillywater, glasses, white towel, mint, lime

    Gillywater

    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 12 reviews
    • Author: Whip & Wander
    • Prep Time: 5 minutes
    • Total Time: 5 minutes
    • Yield: 1 gallon
    • Category: Drinks & Libations
    • Method: No-Cook
    • Cuisine: British
    • Diet: Vegan
    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    Description

    Because gillyweed doesn't exist outside of the Harry Potter world, my version includes an infusion of fresh cucumber in place of the "slimy, grey-green rat tails" combined with mint, lime, and your choice of sparkling or flat water. My version won't give you gills or webbed toes, but it's delicious and refreshing on a warm day while you devour the Harry Potter books for the thousandth time.


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 1 English cucumber
    • ½ cup mint sprigs
    • 2 limes
    • 1 galllon flat or sparkling water


    Instructions

    1. Using a channel knife or vegetable peeler, peel the cucumber lengthwise reserving both the peel and the flesh until you reach the seedy middle, then stop.
    2. Using a citrus peeler, peel the zest from the limes into curls if desired (you may omit these). Juice the limes and reserve.
    3. Add the cucumber peel, springs of mint, and lime juice and zest to a large pitcher, then add cold water to top.
    4. The longer the fruit steeps in the water, the more flavor is infused. If using flat water you can allow the ingredients to mingle for 30 minutes in the fridge first. However, if you are using sparkling water, I would choose to serve immediately to retain the carbonation.

    Notes

    Nutritional information on Whip & Wander is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.


    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 8oz
    • Calories: 1

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kirsten/Comfortably Domestic says

      August 13, 2019 at 11:12 am

      Oh my goodness! My HP fans think this is the coolest recipe ever--as do I! Super refreshing on a hot summer day.

      Reply
    2. Tracy says

      August 12, 2019 at 9:55 pm

      How fun! And refreshing! I love cucumber water but I’ve never added mint, what a great idea and totally Gill producing! 😜

      Reply
    3. Debra says

      August 11, 2019 at 11:39 am

      Another great thematic recipe. So fun! This is such a refreshing idea for any day, but especially for summer entertaining. Going to make up a batch for our block party.

      Reply
    4. Tina says

      August 11, 2019 at 4:58 am

      This looks absolutely refreshing with cool cucumber and mint! My kids loved Harry Potter growing up, and I think this would be a great addition to any fans birthday party! Really cute idea, and the related recipes look just as cool.

      Reply
    5. Pam Greer says

      August 09, 2019 at 1:13 pm

      I love all your Harry Potter recipes! I'm making a big pitcher of this for this weekend!

      Reply
    6. Gloria says

      August 06, 2019 at 2:55 pm

      I have all the ingredients for this fun drink. I am a huge Harry Potter fan. The grandkids are here this week. I know they would love this. Fun for the adults and kids alike.

      Reply
      • Whip & Wander says

        August 09, 2019 at 11:17 am

        Perfect timing! I hope they love it!

        Reply
    7. Julia says

      July 27, 2019 at 7:40 am

      I keep stumbling on your recipes in various FB threads and I just wanted to say that they always make me smile. I absolutely love Harry Potter and love all the food references in the series so all your HP posts are so fun to see! Keep on making more HP foods!

      I have one HP recipe coming up (closer to Halloween) so I’ll be sure to link to your as they are so great!

      Reply
      • Whip & Wander says

        August 09, 2019 at 11:37 am

        Thanks, Julia! It's always fun to create new recipes around my favorite book series. I can't wait to see your recipe in October!

        Reply
    8. Kelly says

      July 17, 2019 at 5:04 pm

      Somehow I think I'm going to like your version of this drink much better than Harry Potter's version. It looks like a refreshing summer elixir!

      Reply
    9. Erin @ Platings and Pairings says

      July 16, 2019 at 11:18 am

      What a fun Harry Potter themed recipe! It looks super refreshing too!

      Reply
    10. Megan Joy says

      July 16, 2019 at 9:31 am

      This sounds so refreshing! I feel like even my toddler would enjoy it solely based on how fun the sliced cucumbers look 🙂

      Reply
    11. Marlynn | Urban Bliss Life says

      July 15, 2019 at 5:01 pm

      What an inventive drink! Love the creativity with this interpretation of gillywater. So fun!

      Reply
    12. Catherine @ To & Fro Fam says

      July 15, 2019 at 1:49 pm

      I remember gillywater from the HP books but never knew what it'd be like. I love your imaginative muggle version of the Harry Potter drink! This absolutely sounds delicious - and looks pretty, too.

      Reply

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