BRONZE: Red's Apple Freeze / LeFou's Brew

Given that the cars from Pixar's Cars likely drink some combination of motor oil and gasoline, Disney Imagineers had to look at things a different way to fill Disney California Adventure's Cars Land with dining options. Luckily, much of it falls into place. Flo's V-8 Cafe serves classic Americana diner fare; Filmore's, fresh fruits; even the Cozy Cone Motel becomes a mini food court, with each cone serving Cars-style treats (like popcone or chili cone carne). 

It's also there that you'll find Red's Apple Freeze – the de facto Butterbeer of Cars Land (which is especially apt since Cars Land was Disney's first land to follow the Wizarding World "Living Land" tradition). Red's Apple Freeze is a no-sugar-added frozen apple juice slushy tinged marshmallow flavoring, then topped with a creamy, passion-fruit foam. Brain-freeze inducing, the sweet, icy concoction is cute and delicious... even if pouring it into a car's gas tank would probably make it explode.

When Disney's next "Living Land" opened, it, too, featured Red's Apple Freeze. But in New Fantasyland, the same drink is called LeFou's Brew. It makes sense, since the frothy beige beverage does look like a beer with a nice foamy head that you might expect from Gaston's Tavern. The drink is just as good in Florida, too, and can be purchased in a collectible Gaston's Tavern stein. So in this case, your preference might depend entirely on which story you'd rather be a part of – Radiator Springs, or Belle's Village.

SILVER: The Leaky Cauldron Quartet

Clearly recognizing the gold mine that lie in specialty drinks developed for Hogsmeade, Universal went big when it came to rolling out new dishes, drinks, and treats for its second half. We have to give a special shoutout to the four drinks released exclusively alongside and within the Wizarding World's Diagon Alley, available both at the Leaky Cauldron and at the land's Butterbeer stand, the Hopping Pot.

A perplexing beverage, Otter's Fizz is truly like a carbonated orange juice, not orange soda. It's also infused with a vanilla flavor and served with an orange slice and cinnamon around the rim. Because this really feels more like a juice than a soda, the Fizzy Orange isn't overwhelming. In fact, it's quite light and refreshing (but for the chunky cinnamon and sugar you're sure to crunch on from the rim.) 

The same can be said of Diagon Alley's Fishy Green Ale, which, like Butterbeer, isn't actually an ale at all. Instead, it's a minty drink. Like the Fizzy Orange, it's not intense or overly sweet, but somewhat mellow and light with hints of cinnamon. The drink also comes with blueberry boba bubbles ("fish eggs") and a wide straw to collect them, proving to be a whole lot of fun.

The third of Diagon Alley's uniquely fizzy drink is the Peachtree Fizzing Tea, a carbonated iced tea with peach flavoring. That makes a unique, airy, unusual twist for iced tea fans.

Finally (and apparently the number one seller) is The Tongue-Tying Lemon Squash. This lemonade is reminiscent of the fresh-made, hand-shaken variety you may find a fair or festival. Much more tart than you might expect, it's a wonderful balance of sweet and sour, with hints of vanilla and a lemon wedge smashed inside. Easily the best lemonade on Universal property, it's a wonderful surprise.

GOLD: Butterbeer

Of course, there was no way for our countdown to end except for Butterbeer – the iconic origin of the must-try, land-exclusive, "in-universe" specialty beverage.

Butterbeer is the drink that started it all. This drink is a rite of passage for Potter fanatics, and practically a prerequisite the moment you step into either Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley. Plenty of knockoff recipe exist if you care to bother a Starbucks barista with one, but nothing can quite match the perfection of Universal's in-park recipe. Whether you opt for the "regular" version or the "frozen" slush, Butterbeer is creamy and comfortable; a toasted butterscotch flavor made all the better by a frothy, vanilla marshmallow foam topping.

Worth going out of your way for is the "hot" version – now served year-round in Florida – which is quite literally like if hot chocolate swapped the chocolate for butterscotch. It's a delicious, ridiculously sweet, warm, welcoming, and homey drink that must be tried to be believed.

Even forgetting Butterbeer's place in the world of Harry Potter and its importance in the land, Butterbeer is just a very good drink, and frankly, you don't have to know or care about Potter to think so. The only issue is that the super-sweet beverage is so indulgent that you really have to take a break between varieties or risk a stomach ache. And trust us, you'll want to save room for Butterbeer fudge, Butterbeer ice cream, and Butterbeer potted cream.

So, do you agree? Is Butterbeer the best theme park beverage? Let us know by voting in our poll or by leaving us a comment below or on our Facebook page.

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