Calling all Wizards & Witches, it’s time to dust off those potion books, slide on your cloaks and head back to school for The Wizard’s Den!
This is a creative drinking experience meaning that for 90-minutes you and your fellow potion students will solve puzzles and hunt down clues in order to get ingredients to complete your boozy potions. You won’t be brewing just any old thing though as the excellent potion mistress will guide you in the wizarding history of the pub and its former owner. Did we mention you also get to borrow wands and cloaks for the night?!
After finishing our welcome drink – a glass of mead – it was time to unlock our team mascot and choose a name. In order to find the special key to unlock the wands however, we first needed to decode a secret spell and use our cast-iron cauldrons (yes, there’s smoke) to brew a delicious bright-blue juniper potion.
Next up we solved a series of puzzles and found hidden clues around the elaborately decorated space. Some of the puzzles might be a bit tricky for any witch or wizard that had a few too many butter beers (if you know what we mean), so take it easy before arriving. The minions (or co-owners depending on who you ask) behind the bar are on hand to give you a little clue if it’s all a bit too hard. Before you know it, you’ll have all 5 ingredients you need to craft your special potion – but the night is far from over!
Making the potions is just as much fun as drinking them. For the final drink. we started with a warm glass of water, and with each added ingredient our potion changed colour from blue to red! While the last cocktail (a concoction of honey, vodka and lemon) wasn’t particularly enjoyed due to the warm night that we attended, the process of making the drink was still a lot of fun.
While the usual nights are solely for fully-fledged adult wizards, underage Wizards and Witches can attend on special nights to try their hand at magic. Just swap out those boozy drinks for some PG potions and puzzles. It’s recommended to be aged 7+ to get the full experience.
The Wizard’s Cauldron is delightfully decorated, brilliantly staffed and a truly immersive experience that was a joy to witness first hand. If you are a fan of a certain series of books and films, or love the challenge of an escape room (without being stuck) you will no doubt have a fantastic time.
