[HPforGrownups] Ok, Stupid Question (butterbeer)

[manawydan]

No: HPFGUIDX 122015

Replying to this
> > > What is Butterbeer, and why, seeing that
> > > it contains alcohol, are the students
> > > allowed to have it?

imamommy wrote:
> I'm a Yank, so I don't know if this is right, but aren't the drinking
> laws more lax through most of Europe? .
>
> I first thought maybe it was like rootbeer, but after the scene with
> Winky I started assuming it was mildly alchoholic, and I always
> imagined it as sweet (butter rum Lifesavers come to mind), and as
> they only get it in Hogsmeade they aren't really supposed to have it
> on campus.
>
> Ogden's Old Firewhisky seems to be a different story.

As far as I can recall, there's nothing in canon that says that there are
any underage drinking laws at all in the WW.

When Hagrid first takes Harry to Diagon Alley, they access it through the
Leaky Cauldron, and Harry again goes there to stay at the beginning of POA.
Clearly, if one of the main ways into Diagon is via a pub, then there can't
be any prohibitions against children going in. Similarly, we see the
students at the 3 Broomsticks and the Hog's Head in later books without any
suggestion that they are doing anything wrong by being on licensed premises
(if indeed the Ministry does insist that WW pubs have licenses!)

So it's quite possible that there are no legal problems about there being
alcohol in Butterbeer.

I'm sure the school has strict rules against the students being drunk
however. I'm not sure whether there's any canon which specifies what drinks
are available in Hall so there may not be any evidence either way as to
whether students are allowed, for example, to have wine with their meals.

Cheers

Ffred

O Benryn wleth hyd Luch Reon
Cymru yn unfryd gerhyd Wrion
Gwret dy Cymry yghymeiri