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In Goblet of Fire we find butterbeer available to students in Hogwarts several times:

At the party after Harry's name is picked out of the goblet:

Harry couldn’t get away; whenever he tried to sidle over to the staircase up to the dormitories, the crowd around him closed ranks, forcing another butterbeer on him, stuffing crisps and peanuts into his hands....

At the party after the First Task:

Sure enough, when they entered the Gryffindor common room it exploded with cheers and yells again. There were mountains of cakes and flagons of pumpkin juice and butterbeer on every surface;

At the Yule Ball:

“How’s it going?” Harry asked Ron, sitting down and opening a bottle of butterbeer.

-

Krum had just arrived at their table clutching two butterbeers.

Throughout the remainder of the series we find butterbeer at many parties in Gryffindor Tower. Even if Hogwarts doesn't officially serve it (except perhaps at special occasions like the Yule Ball), it is obviously not very hard to come by (probably just go to the kitchens and ask for some). It is referred to as "black-market butterbeers" by the planning of the end of exams party in Order of the Phoenix but that doesn't seem to have made it difficult to procure.

This being the case, why in Prisoner of Azkaban was Lupin so sure that Harry would have never tried butterbeer before just because he couldn't go to Hogsmeade?

“I have complete confidence in you,” said Lupin, smiling. “Here — you’ve earned a drink — something from the Three Broomsticks. You won’t have tried it before — ”

He pulled two bottles out of his briefcase.

“Butterbeer!” said Harry, without thinking. “Yeah, I like that stuff!”

Lupin raised an eyebrow.

“Oh — Ron and Hermione brought me some back from Hogsmeade,” Harry lied quickly.

Wouldn't it be very plausible and believable that Harry had once had butterbeer in Hogwarts? Indeed, Lupin of all people would know how easy it is to raid the kitchens, having been best friends with James Potter who routinely did so, as mentioned in Philosopher's Stone:

“Ah — your father happened to leave it in my possession, and I thought you might like it.” Dumbledore’s eyes twinkled. “Useful things ... your father used it mainly for sneaking off to the kitchens to steal food when he was here.”

Lest anyone suggest that butterbeer in Hogwarts only started in Goblet of Fire, we already find it at a party in Prisoner of Azkaban after the Quidditch match against Ravenclaw:

Fred and George Weasley disappeared for a couple of hours and returned with armfuls of bottles of butterbeer, pumpkin fizz, and several bags full of Honeydukes sweets.

I am assuming that the butterbeer at parties comes from within Hogwarts, not from Hogsmeade. I am assuming this because it seems entirely implausible that Fred and George are going illegally to the Three Broomsticks when anyone there can see that they are students, and especially in Prisoner of Azkaban when Hogsmeade is under dementor patrol after sundown. Moreover it would be nearly impossible to carry enough back for the entire Gryffindor house, even if they didn't have to go through a "very narrow, low, earthy passageway" that takes ages to get through and then climb up a stone slide. Not to mention that Fred and George would have no reason to pay for the entire house's food and drinks, even if they could afford it (which they certainly can't). As Fred explicitly states in Order of the Phoenix regarding the 25 butterbeers at the first DA meeting:

“Cheers,” said Fred, handing them out. “Cough up, everyone, I haven’t got enough gold for all of these...”

Additionally, it is clear from several passages in Goblet of Fire that the parties are sourced from the kitchens:

“Well, we’d better get downstairs for your surprise party, Harry — Fred and George should have nicked enough food from the kitchens by now.”

-

Hermione took a jam tart. Then she said, “Did you get all this from the kitchens, Fred?”

“Yep,” said Fred, grinning at her. He put on a high- pitched squeak and imitated a house-elf. “ ‘Anything we can get you, sir, anything at all!’ They’re dead helpful ... get me a roast ox if I said I was peckish.”

-

“You know what?” said Ron, once he, Hermione, and Harry had left the kitchens behind and were climbing the steps into the entrance hall again. “All these years I’ve been really impressed with Fred and George, nicking food from the kitchens — well, it’s not exactly difficult, is it? They can’t wait to give it away!”

Alex
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  • Lupin doesn’t at this point know that the Marauder’s Map is still being used, does he? He may well know, however, that Harry is not allowed Hogsmeade visits. The Butterbeer Harry might have had would all have been somewhat illicitly procured (or, as Harry lies, brought back for him from Hogsmeade visits by his friends); I don’t really think it’s unreasonable for Lupin to assume based on that that Harry wouldn’t have had it before. – Janus Bahs Jacquet Aug 05 '18 at 07:33
  • The wizarding community is not tolerant for underage drinking. –  Aug 05 '18 at 15:38
  • @C.Koca Underage wizards routinely get drinks in the local pub, and no one bats an eyelash. – Alex Aug 05 '18 at 16:09
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    @C.Koca Butterbeer is about as strong as cider, it seems. There are dozens of descriptions of children drinking it (and being given it by adults, like Lupin offering it to Harry here) with no effects whatsoever. This is in start contrast to Firewhiskey, which Hermione is outraged that Ron is considering trying in their fifth year, because he’s a prefect and thus shouldn’t be setting a bad example by drinking that sort of stuff. So yes, the wizarding community isn’t very tolerant of underage drinking, but Butterbeer clearly doesn’t count as drinking. – Janus Bahs Jacquet Aug 05 '18 at 16:32
  • Why would he ever have had butterbeer before? No really, it's a good question but it just seems like there weren't many parties in the common room before PoA and while there may have been some opportunities for them, that doesn't seem too suspicious. No need to celebrate every Quidditch match win, although there could have been such a celebration of the glorious defeat of Slytherin in PS, but Harry was in Hagrid's hut then if there was one, although it doesn't seem like there was one, but it's not that odd. There weren't any other house-specific events like Harry being made champion. – Au101 Aug 05 '18 at 20:12
  • Harry was in the hospital wing for the big bit of good news in PS with Harry defeating Quirrell and the celebrations in CoS (which was otherwise an exceptionally downcast year) took place in the great hall with the whole school. So I don't really think it's too suspicious that older students weren't offering their own butterbeer to the first- and second-years to taste, even if one of em was the Boy Who Lived – Au101 Aug 05 '18 at 20:13
  • @Au101 None of what you mention is anything that Lupin would have any reason to be aware of. If it is established that butterbeer is easily accessible enough to have at random house parties, and is even served at Hogwarts on occasion, it doesn't matter how many times Harry actually did have it. Lupin should have no reason to be so sure that butterbeer is something you can only get if you are allowed to go into Hogsmeade. – Alex Aug 05 '18 at 20:26
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    your willfulness to ignore what the book is telling you as fact, Fred and George leave hogwarts and go to Hogsmead- FACT. denying a fact as presented in the text, your question has now become unclear what your asking...\ – Himarm Aug 05 '18 at 21:08
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    Further evidence that you can get Butterbeer inside the castle: Winky's drunkenness. Would she (or Dobby) have gone to get Butterbeer all the way from Hogsmeade? Even if the Three Broomsticks serves house elves, I doubt it. And @Himarm, no, presenting evidence for one possibility as opposed to another, even if it's mistaken, doesn't make a question "unclear what you're asking". Don't use close votes as super-downvotes. – Rand al'Thor Aug 05 '18 at 21:18
  • @Randal'Thor we know that aberforth works with house elves, and since he sells butterbeer at the hogshead, thats an easy place to buy from if elves arnt served at the three broomsticks. – Himarm Aug 05 '18 at 21:35
  • As far as how Winky could get butterbeer, house-elves can Apparate in and out of Hogwarts, so she could have gotten it from outside of Hogwarts. – Obsidia Aug 05 '18 at 21:45
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    @C.Koca We have a separate question about that: https://scifi.stackexchange.com/q/17699/4918 "Does Butterbeer Contain Alcohol?" – b_jonas Aug 05 '18 at 22:43
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    @Himarm Fred and George leave hogwarts and go to Hogsmead- FACT. The issue is not whether Fred and George can leave Hogwarts and go to Hogsmeade. The issue is whether they do go to Hogsmeade and bring back butterbeer for their entire house. – Alex Aug 05 '18 at 23:10
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    @Bellatrix How would she buy it? She explicitly states that, unlike Dobby, she does not get paid. – Alex Aug 06 '18 at 04:18
  • Bit of a stretch, but if she's an addict, she might just steal it. – Jenayah Aug 06 '18 at 11:05
  • @Jenayah Possibly, but Dobby does say that she's up to six bottles a day. Someone's bound to eventually notice 180 missing bottles per month. – Alex Aug 06 '18 at 13:47

3 Answers3

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I think we can take it that Lupin just casually assumed that since butterbeer isn't served at Hogwarts and is generally obtained from Hogsmeade and since Harry wasn't allowed to go there (which was kind of a big deal), he wouldn't have tried it before.

When Harry blurts out that he's tried it, Lupin raises an eyebrow. Having aided and abetted Harry's father, Lupin gets a little suspicious, a little interested, but he seems broadly satisfied with Harry's explanation.

'I have complete confidence in you,' said Lupin, smiling. 'Here - you've earned a drink. Something from the Three Broomsticks, you won't have tried it before -'

He pulled two bottles out of his briefcase.

'Butterbeer!' said Harry, without thinking. 'Yeah, I like that stuff!'

Lupin raised an eyebrow.

'Oh - Ron and Hermione brought me some back from Hogsmeade,' Harry lied quickly.

'I see,' said Lupin, though he still looked slightly suspicious.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - p.182 - Bloomsbury - Chapter 12, The Patronus

I understand that his suspicions weren't completely squashed, but students probably aren't really supposed/expected to be throwing all night parties with alcohol brought in from outside and I'm not really surprised that Lupin wouldn't exactly have expected students to be giving their own butterbeer to first- or second-years, even if one of them is the boy who lived. So while I agree you've spotted what is probably the result of butterbeer being introduced later in the series and then used more and more, as Himarm says, it's not really such a gaping hole in the story. Lupin quite understandably assumes that Harry wouldn't have had a chance to try something that you generally get in Hogsmeade. In fact he probably got it into his mind that he was giving Harry a special treat, so he's very much going into this conversation with that idea in his head. He is then thrown. His casual assumption has been proven false. He is suspicious when he finds out Harry has tried it, knowing what his father used to get up to and knowing about the existence of the Marauder's Map. He is then pacified by the plausible explanation that somebody else gave it to Harry and doesn't seem to find that so weird. I would agree you would have a point if Lupin had responded along the lines of "What? Students can't bring butterbeer into Hogwarts! You've been sneaking into Hogsmeade, haven't you? Turn out your pockets!" But you ask

Wouldn't it be very plausible and believable that Harry had once had butterbeer in Hogwarts?

And the answer is yes it would be very plausible and believable and Lupin does buy it, essentially. I know he "still looked slightly suspicious", but I think that would likely have more to do with Harry and his body language and what Lupin might have picked up in his voice than any large author oversight.

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Au101
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    Alternative explanation for Lupin's "slightly suspicious": This is James Potter's son. Of course Lupin of all people would still be suspicious. But sneaking out to Hogsmeade (or stealing from the kitchens, or whatever Lupin assumed Harry might have done instead) isn't exactly the crime of the century, so he lets it pass without comment. What is he going to do instead, go find McGonagall and report him? – Kevin Aug 06 '18 at 05:21
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Butterbeer was introduced in year 3 .

Harry wasn't allowed to go to Hogsmeade in his 3rd year due to the threat of Sirius Black. Sirius Black being the primary threat/villain of the 3rd book, that drove the plot.

‘Well, third-years at Hogwarts are allowed to visit Hogsmeade, but my aunt and uncle didn’t sign the permission form. D’you think you could?

Fudge was looking uncomfortable. ‘Ah,’ he said. ‘No. No, I’m very sorry, Harry, but as I’m not your parent or guardian –’

Butterbeer was a plot item introduced in year 3 to coincide with visits to Hogsmeade. With Harry not allowed to go, it was an item Ron and Hermione could brag to Harry about having and him not knowing what it was due to his lack of being at Hogsmeade.

With the introduction of the Marauders map the acquisition of butterbeer became a non-issue, and so from that point on in the series, butterbeer became readily available to the Gryffindors.

So while Fred and George could have gotten butterbeer before Harry's 3rd year, the fact that it wasn't invented out of universe till the 3rd year, for a plot prop, is why it was probably that Harry would have never had butterbeer before.

Jenayah
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Himarm
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    This doesn’t really answer the question. The fact Butterbeer happens not to be mentioned in the first two books is not an explanation to why it’s not mentioned in the first two books. From the third book onwards, Butterbeer makes several appearances at Hogwarts, and there’s no reason to assume, in-universe, that this was any different in Harry’s first two years, even if it’s not mentioned. Fred and George had the Map before Harry, and they would be more likely than him, after all, to use it to procure Butterbeer. – Janus Bahs Jacquet Aug 05 '18 at 10:56
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    @JanusBahsJacquet the point is, out of universe/ in universe , it doesn't exist yet in books 1/2. and it was introduced as a plot prop, for an in universe struggle Harry faced. – Himarm Aug 05 '18 at 10:59
  • Are you assuming that they got the butterbeer at parties from Hogsmeade? – Alex Aug 05 '18 at 13:03
  • @JanusBahsJacquet it answers the question by stating the premise is wrong. The idea of illegal butterbeer was introduced in the third year after the reveal of the marauders map. Whether this was the case in universe is another matter that is unanswerable. However, by clarifying a misunderstanding leading to the question, Himarm answers the question. – Edlothiad Aug 05 '18 at 15:24
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    @Edlothiad There’s nothing wrong with the premise of the question. But questions on here are in general taken to be in-universe unless otherwise specified. Giving an out-of-universe answer only is only warranted if the question calls for it, which this one doesn’t: it’s clearly asking about in-universe logic. The answer may be that it’s an oversight by JKR, but simply stating that Butterbeer wasn’t introduced to the reader before PoA doesn’t even say that—it’s basically just repeating part of the question. – Janus Bahs Jacquet Aug 05 '18 at 15:32
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    @Edlothiad Saying that butterbeer was only introduced in Prisoner of Azkaban doesn't answer the question because the question already pointed out that in Prisoner of Azkaban students can get butterbeer in Hogwarts – Alex Aug 05 '18 at 16:40
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    @Alex - Is that from Hogwarts? The impression I always got from that passage is that Fred and George had traveled to Hogsmeade to buy them. – ibid Aug 05 '18 at 20:15
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    @Alex the butterbeer js coming into hogwarts from hogsmede, fred and george have to leave the school to get it. So its not very easy to come by – Himarm Aug 05 '18 at 20:16
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    @Himarm You think it's plausible that Fred and George are illegally sneaking out of school into Hogsmeade and buying butterbeer from the Three Broomsticks when anyone can see that they are students? And then carry back enough for the entire Gryffindor house? Not to mention that there is no reason why Fred an George would be inclined to pay for everyone else's food/drinks, even if they could afford it (which they can't). I think they are simply getting the food/drinks from the kitchens where it is readily available. – Alex Aug 05 '18 at 20:22
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    @Alex - Honeydukes sell fudge containing Butterbeer. It's plausible that their cellar contains a considerable amount of the stuff – Valorum Aug 05 '18 at 21:44
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    @Valorum the real question im seeing now is, are fred and george actually robbing honeydukes ? Lol – Himarm Aug 05 '18 at 21:46
  • @Himarm The passage they use opens up right into the Honeydukes stockroom, and Fred and George don't exactly have gold to throw around... I didn't ever consider the possibility that they weren't stealing this stuff. – Anthony Grist Aug 06 '18 at 09:18
  • Harry spend the latter part of the summer at the start of the third book in the Leaky Cauldron, next to Diagon Alley. Seems to me that he had ample opportunity to try Butterbeer... – Chronocidal Oct 04 '19 at 14:35
  • @Chronocidal the leaky cauldron is never shown to carry butterbeer in the books. it appears to be exclusively sold in Hogsmead, the three broomsticks, and hogs head. – Himarm Oct 04 '19 at 14:41
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We know the Dursleys didn't give him butterbeer so he couldn't have had it until his first year. I would think that butterbeer was like soda in the Muggle world: not exactly healthy and not welcome at the dinner table. So Harry would not have had it during meals. No big events (that included food) happened until his fourth year. By then he had tasted it in Hogsmeade. And the first times he had it inside Hogwarts was:

a. with Lupin
b. during the "we won the Quidditch Cup" party

These weren't everyday things. It was not readily available to 1st and 2nd years.

user103390
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    Just because it isn't supposed to be available, doesn't mean it isn't - think of some real-life dormitories who get their hands on alcohol anyways – Jenayah Aug 15 '18 at 21:56
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    Other than the fact that it apparently didn't exist in the first two books, is there any reason why it wouldn't have been as available then as in the later books? – Alex Aug 15 '18 at 21:57
  • Jenayah, I know it could have been, but Harry's dormitory followed the rules regarding butterbeer. – user103390 Aug 25 '18 at 23:08