# Harry Potter novels and drinking pumpkin juice...Do people really do this? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** soda-softdrinks\ **Created:** [December 4, 2007, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-novels-and-drinking-pumpkin-juice-do-people-really-do-this/428804 "2007-12-04T18:29:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-novels-and-drinking-pumpkin-juice-do-people-really-do-this/428804/1 "2007-12-04T18:29:20Z")
While it’s sensible to assume that the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry isn’t serving Chardonnay to the students in the dining hall, the novels do mention several times that they are drinking pumpkin juice. Pumpkin juice?? Do people really drink pumpkin juice, on a widespread enough basis that it would be made the standard drink with meals for a fictional private school? Even a magical one? ---
**Author:** ![Anaglyph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Anaglyph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaglyph)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-novels-and-drinking-pumpkin-juice-do-people-really-do-this/428804/2 "2007-12-04T18:37:04Z")
I assume that magical pumpkin produce better-tasting juice than real ones. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-novels-and-drinking-pumpkin-juice-do-people-really-do-this/428804/3 "2007-12-04T18:39:51Z")
Here’s a [recipe for pumpkin juice](http://www.seasonalrecipes.com/rec/recipe72.pumpkinjuice.html) that actually sounds pretty decent. I would imagine the HP stories refer to something similar. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-novels-and-drinking-pumpkin-juice-do-people-really-do-this/428804/4 "2007-12-04T19:52:05Z")
I drink pumpkin malts and I’ve had pumpkin martinis. I don’t suppose Hogwarts serves pumpkin martinis to the first years though. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2007, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-novels-and-drinking-pumpkin-juice-do-people-really-do-this/428804/5 "2007-12-04T23:16:25Z")
I always though that it’s made up as a drink for witches (and wizards) because pumpkins are associated with Halloween. ---
**Author:** ![NajaNivea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NajaNivea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NajaNivea)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2007, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-novels-and-drinking-pumpkin-juice-do-people-really-do-this/428804/6 "2007-12-05T04:47:58Z")
[QUOTE=cmkeller] I always though that it’s made up as a drink for witches (and wizards) because pumpkins are associated with Halloween. [/QUOTE] Right. Like butterbeer. Or cockroach clusters or ice mice. It’s fiction, people, and that includes fictional food and beverages 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2007, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-novels-and-drinking-pumpkin-juice-do-people-really-do-this/428804/7 "2007-12-05T04:59:51Z")
[QUOTE=NajaNivea] It’s fiction, people, and that includes fictional food and beverages 😉 [/QUOTE] Right. People should pay attention to real things. Well, I think I’ll mix up a Pan-Galactic Gargleblaster. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2007, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-novels-and-drinking-pumpkin-juice-do-people-really-do-this/428804/8 "2007-12-05T09:21:53Z")
[QUOTE=Johnny L.A.] Right. People should pay attention to real things. Well, I think I’ll mix up a Pan-Galactic Gargleblaster. [/QUOTE] I’m more a jinnan tonix man myself. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2007, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-novels-and-drinking-pumpkin-juice-do-people-really-do-this/428804/9 "2007-12-06T14:55:41Z")
[QUOTE=NajaNivea] Like butterbeer. [/QUOTE] Dos buttercervezas, por favor. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2007, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-novels-and-drinking-pumpkin-juice-do-people-really-do-this/428804/10 "2007-12-06T17:12:02Z")
[QUOTE=NajaNivea] Right. Like butterbeer. Or cockroach clusters or ice mice. It’s fiction, people, and that includes fictional food and beverages 😉 [/QUOTE] Well it’s England, they do eat some weird things! I personally find the idea of eating pumpkin pie or pumpkin flavored coffee kind of weird and those are real… 😉 And speaking of butterbeer, is it supposed to be alcoholic, or is it more like Malta? ---
**Author:** ![Skara\_Brae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Skara\_Brae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skara_Brae)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2007, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-novels-and-drinking-pumpkin-juice-do-people-really-do-this/428804/11 "2007-12-06T18:32:45Z")
[QUOTE=jackdavinci] And speaking of butterbeer, is it supposed to be alcoholic, or is it more like Malta? [/QUOTE] Well according to the Wiki it is alcoholic > [@](#): > > Butterbeer is the drink of choice for younger wizards. Harry is first presented with the beverage in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Though marketed to children, it does contain alcohol: it appears to cause no noticeable drunkenness on a thirteen-year-old human (though it creates the feeling of “warmth”), but is strong enough to cause drunkenness in a house-elf; presumably, in very large amounts, the same would apply to a human. In the sixth book, Harry wonders what Ron and Hermione might do at Professor Slughorn’s Christmas party “under the influence of Butterbeer”, indicating that it can lower inhibitions, though presumably in very large amounts. J. K. Rowling said in her interview to Bon Appetit magazine that she imagines it “to taste a little bit like less-sickly butterscotch”. Butterbeer can be served cold or hot but either way it has a warming effect. I have found two recipes for it on the interwebs: One alcoholic (Butterscotch snappes - yum) and one non-. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f07891/32.png) [@Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Plastic_Ninja)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2007, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-novels-and-drinking-pumpkin-juice-do-people-really-do-this/428804/12 "2007-12-06T18:41:46Z")
[QUOTE=KneadToKnow] Dos buttercervezas, por favor. [/QUOTE] Cervezas de mantequilla? I like the sound of buttercerveza better, though. 😉 The Drafthouse makes a butterbeer and serves it whenever they do the Potter movies. It needs something; I’m not sure what. Oh – and I have had pumpkin coffee, which I thought would be utterly vile. It was given to me before I knew what it was. Tasted quite nice actually. ---
**Author:** ![Boggette](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@Boggette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boggette)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2007, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-novels-and-drinking-pumpkin-juice-do-people-really-do-this/428804/13 "2007-12-06T20:41:04Z")
“Bug Juice” anyone? That’s an American staple drink from my neck-o-the-woods. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2007, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-novels-and-drinking-pumpkin-juice-do-people-really-do-this/428804/14 "2007-12-06T23:28:04Z")
i figured butterbeer to be something like rootbeer subbing butterscotch for root. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2007, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-novels-and-drinking-pumpkin-juice-do-people-really-do-this/428804/15 "2007-12-06T23:30:13Z")
I thought of it like apple cider - which made the alcohol or not question really easy: yes. There’s butterbeer with and without alcohol, just like apple cider. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-novels-and-drinking-pumpkin-juice-do-people-really-do-this/428804/16 "2007-12-07T00:02:39Z")
[QUOTE=jackdavinci] Well it’s England, they do eat some weird things! I personally find the idea of eating pumpkin pie or pumpkin flavored coffee kind of weird and those are real… 😉 [/QUOTE] It certainly wouldn’t be a traditional thing rooted in ancient history, as pumpkins are fairly newly-introduced to these isles - they were unknown here until the discovery of the Americas, where they are native. ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-novels-and-drinking-pumpkin-juice-do-people-really-do-this/428804/17 "2007-12-07T04:57:51Z")
[QUOTE=Boggette] “Bug Juice” anyone? That’s an American staple drink from my neck-o-the-woods. [/QUOTE] In the neck-o-the-woods where my father grew up (western Montana) “bug juice” = soy sauce. It was so labeled on the family bottle, replenished regularly from restaurant packets. Fortunately for tradition, my children now know it by that name. Back to the topic at hand: assuming that one gets pumpkin juice from the flesh rather from the seeds, &c., it strikes me that you’re gonna have to press a whole heap o’ pumpkins to get any significant amount of it. Without a passel of house elves to do the grunt work, I doubt that it would be a worthwhile enterprise. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-novels-and-drinking-pumpkin-juice-do-people-really-do-this/428804/18 "2007-12-07T10:50:17Z")
I’m reading Harry Potter in Bulgarian right now and butterbeer has been translated as “beer shake”. Ew. (My guess for the translator’s reasoning is that the Bulgarian word for “buttter” also means ink and oil, and you can only tell from context what exactly you’re referring to, and here there pretty much IS no context. Still, _beer shake_?)