Every time that Harry and his friends visit the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade and order foaming, hot butterbeer, I find myself contemplating the properties of this drink that is so ubiquitous in the magical world. Just the name itself makes me think that it would taste delicious, especially when warm. I imagine it being sweet, but not overly so, and smooth, rich, and creamy.
Picture courtesy of BaddMinton
There’s one thing, however, that I can’t resolve. Is butterbeer alcoholic? We know that it certainly has an effect on house-elves. Winky, the Crouch family’s elf, is often found drunk by the fire with empty butterbeer bottles around her. But does butterbeer have an effect on humans? Why are Hogwarts students allowed to drink butterbeer, but not order other concoctions from the bar such as Firewhisky?
I think I may have found a clue when I recently reread the 6th book, Half-Blood Prince. In the 14th chapter, “Felix Felicis,” just after the part where Hermione reveals that she was thinking of asking Ron to Professor Slughorn’s Christmas party, there are these lines:
“Although Harry watched his two friends more closely over the next few days, Ron and Hermione did not seem any different except that they were a little politer to each other than usual. Harry supposed he would just have to wait to see what happened under the influence of butterbeer in Slughorn’s dimly lit room on the night of the party.”
This quote proves that butterbeer has some of the same effects as alcohol, namely reducing one’s social inhibitions. I’ve decided, however, that butterbeer probably doesn’t contain alcohol. Why would wizards, who can brew sophisticated potions, rely on something as imperfect as alcohol to give them a buzz? Butterbeer is probably made with a low dosage of some kind of potion that simulates the effects of alcohol. Its effect on humans is minimal, but house-elves, being much smaller, are able to get drunk off of it. Other wizarding “drinks” could be made with other potions. Personally, I imagine that the contents of Firewhisky are such that you can breathe fire after you drink it.
Of course this brings up interesting cultural overtones. Most Americans cannot imagine alcohol being served to 13-year-olds, but Europe is more liberal about that sort of thing. I wonder if British readers automatically assume that butterbeer is at least slightly alcoholic?
There are many butterbeer recipes on the internet, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. My friend made some a few weeks ago. The main ingredient was cream soda, and we drank it hot. It was really delicious. I think J.K. Rowling should contract someone like Jones Soda to produce an official butterbeer; she could probably make a lot of licensing revenue.
Feel free to chime in with your thoughts on butterbeer in the comments.
after reviewing these comments… I’d definitely consider Butterbeer to have an “alcoholic” element, or at least an implication of some form of intoxication. I’d never thought it was intoxicating, but then… I’m an American, and would not have thought of the children being able to “drink” at a bar. However, with the idea that Europe is more lenient about these things, and that Harry is talking about Hermione and Ron “after the effects of Butterbeer” that leads me to believe that it does have some element of intoxication.
They do drink alcohol. Look at the Mead that Slughorn and Hagrid were drinking. And the poisened Mead was meant for Dumbledore who apparently must drink it too.
Why wouldn’t they drink alcohol? It works and it’s easy and requires no magic to make, which might actually be a relief. I would consider butterbeer to be like a half-strength beer that has a hint of sweetness to balance a deep creaminess and complexity of flavors. Sounds like much more than a sweet sugary drink, with the alcohol to balance whatever sweetness does exist.
I think Dan is right – it’s got alcohol but is pretty weak. I remember one of the kids in one of the books (sorry, I can’t remember which one, but I think it was either 4 or 6) said something about butterbeer not being very strong, in reference to some old drunk maybe… something like, “it would take a lot of butterbeer to get to that point,” or something like that. Wow, what is wrong with my short-term memory?
yep i can’t remember the exact quote but it’s something like “it’s not very strong” and then dobby (?) responds “tis strong for a house elf” so i would say, yes, mildly alcoholic or at least magically intoxicating.
P.S. I didn’t create that image – I found it on Google images and couldn’t find the original artist, which is why I didn’t attribute it. Just felt a little guilty for getting credit!
who ever made the label at the top must have thought it was alcohlic to some degree as well, the plants around the crest lokk an awful lot like hops. and i would imagine it would have a very rich deep flavor, that was still sweet ive tried countless recipes for butter beer and havent found one that hasnt left me with out a toothache because of its sweetness!
European kids in the middle ages were given ‘near beer’ – a beer that was made from a third fermentation of the drink prepared for adults – therefore, with very low alcohol content – and was much safer than drinking the polluted water.
Just in passing, I found your article. Wanted to add a few thoughts. First of all, yes, it’s my understanding that British kids can drink. What’s allowed, I don’t know. However, the kids at Hogwarts are allowed Meade (Ron is even given the poisoned meade by a teacher, after all), but I think that a.) hard liquor is discouraged (Ron wanted to try firewhisky, and wasn’t Dean trying, unsuccessfully to turn water into rum?) and b.) all alcoholic beverages are discouraged in the dorms. I imagine that, although they might be allowed at parties and with adult supervision, they don’t want kids to drink too much and get into fights or ignore their schoolwork. So, although butterbeer and meade might be acceptable, and even allowed like at Christmas dinner and at Slughorn’s party, the kids may not have it in their possession. I believe that, although there was occassionally butterbeer at Gryffindor parties, it was always contraband (smuggled in by the Weasley twins, no less).
I do believe that butterbeer is intended to be mildly intoxicating. Consider it a weak beer, like lower than 3.2: if you don’t “chug” it, it will have little effect on your system, but taken in large quantities (say a “6-pack” in an hour), it can get you mildly drunk.
As for wizards not needing alcohol… there are scenes where the adult wizards drink alcohol, and some of it is strong stuff! How else do we know the term “firewhiskey”?
being from the uk I can confirm that the legal drinking age is 18. Just to set things straight.
I just had an “aha! moment” about Butterbeer. I just picked up a book on making homemade root beer and soda and it turns out that the old process of making root beer is exactly the same as the process of making real beer! The only difference is that you only let the “non-alcoholic” root beer sit for a couple of days before halting the fermenting process. This fermenting process is what produces carbonation in beer. It turns out that sodas brewed this way will contain very tiny amounts of alcohol. So! If butterbeer is brewed with yeast (as its name implies) it would be a carbonated beverage with a very small alcohol content. Our modern root beers are created with syrups and artifically carbonated water, and are therefore totally non-alcoholic. I can’t wait to devise a recipe for actually brewing butterbeer rather than simply adding cream soda to butterscotch!
D
@Heather – I had the same thought. My one worry is that if the recipe contains actual butter, it may not be safe to let it sit out at the temperatures that the yeast needs to work. I’m thinking butterscotch syrup may work though. Please post back with your findings and recipe if you do this!
Ken – instead of using actual butter you could use lactose. Milk stouts are made using a combination of barley malt and lactose derived from milk. Because lactose does not ferment it gives the beer a sweet flavor. As for flavoring I would add it after you ferment the beer. It would be use something alcoholic such as butter scotch schnops or an alcohoholic vanilla extract for a creamy flavor.
They do drink alcohol. Book five describes Sirius as smelling vaguely of alcohol, I remember, and Mundungus is, like, permanently drunk.
It seems to be in the HBP movie too. When Hermione is stumbling all over the place and giggling before Katie gets cursed.
I imagined butterbeer to quite similar in effect to alcopops like WKD or barcardi breezer, to be perhaps about 4% volume.
In Britain you’re allowed to drink in your own home from the age of five, but of course that’s at the parent/guardian’s discretion and not in bars/pubs until 18. Most parents will probably let their children drink alcopops and wine in small amounts when they reach their teens, but not hard liquor.
It doesn’t seem like alcohol is such a big thing in the magical world as it is in the muggle one. There seem to be no clubs for one thing, just pubs or drinking alone.
Is butter beer safe for childern in the US under age 21?