Butterbeer, was Re: Food&Drink, Topic Summary and Questions

[Joanne0012 at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 28182

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., Kanna Ophelia <cleffa at s...> wrote:
> Forgive 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? 

In my experience, the British, like the Italians, are much mor relaxed about 
kids drinking slightly-alcoholic beverages.  Last summer, my kids ordered 
"Victorian Lemonade" at a British tea room, and only after they had drunk half 
of it did we check the bottle labels and discover that it was slightly alcoholic.  
My kids are 13 and 15 years old.