[HPforGrownups] Re: Spoilers?? Where are They

[Bart Lidofsky]

No: HPFGUIDX 171670

Karen:
>(snip)
>Perhaps I will purchase a case of 
>butterbeer along with my book!

Lauren:
>Hi,
>That reminds me: What is butterbeer?  I know they allow the kids to drink it but 
>then when some refer to Winky getting drunk on it this made me wonder about it.  

Bart:
In the "real world", I have come across a number of hispanic sodas (particularly "sangria" flavored) that contain tiny amounts of alcohol (I'm talking 1/2-1 proof). Now, for comparison, to get as much alcohol as you do from a can of beer, one would have to drink about a dozen bottles of the soda. And note that, in countries such as Germany and France, children frequently have small servings of beer or wine on a regular basis. I, myself, cannot drink alcohol because of a metabolic problem (from what I've been told, many non-drinkers have the same problem, but are frequently unaware that it is the cause of their non-drinking), but I have drunk the sangria a couple of times without ill effect (mind you, it was the second time I drank a bottle that I read the fine print and learned of its alcohol content; I figured better be safe than sorry, and never drank it again). 

In any case, I have seen hints (such as Lupin's comments when giving Harry butterbeer in POA, or the description of butterbeer having an effect on house elves which was different quantitatively rather than qualitatively from humans in regard to Winky) that butterbeer is similar; it has some alcohol (or maybe some potion similar to Star Trek's synthehol), but not enough to be even noticeable to human children, at least over a certain age, similarly to the sangria soda. In other words, a bottle of butterbeer will have as much effect on a 12 year old as a sip of regular beer. 

Bart