Butterbeer

[dkgrubb at earthlink.net]

No: HPFGUIDX 28145

Kanna Ophelia wrote:
> > Fiorgive me if this has already been hashed out, but I always 
> assumed
> > butterbeer was just a more exotic and delicious variety of 
> gingerbeer,
> > perhaps a reference to Diana Wynne Jones' butter pies. Is there any
> > reason to assume it's alcoholic, especially as Harry is given it by 
> a
> > well-disposed teacher? 
Joywitch wrote:
> Well, it's alcoholic enough for house-elves to become drunks if they 
> imbibe too much.

It seems likely that butterbeer is sort of like the oldfashioned "near 
beer", the almost nonalcoholic beer we can buy in the US labeled 
nonalcoholic, but which is usually something like 0.5% alcohol.

Debra