Sherry

• Type: Alcoholic Beverage
• Known Consumers: Sybill Trelawney, Cornelius Fudge, Mundungus Fletcher
• Origin: Muggle-originated fortified wine

Sherry is a fortified wine, a type of alcoholic beverage originating in the Muggle world but also consumed by wizards and witches. In the series, it is depicted as a liquid served in a glass and stored in bottles. Professor Trelawney is known to possess numerous bottles, some of which she refers to as “cooking sherry”, suggesting she is not always particular about its quality.

Sherry possesses no inherent magical properties. Its effects are consistent with those of Muggle alcoholic beverages. It is consumed for social purposes, as when Cornelius Fudge offers a glass to the Muggle Prime Minister, or as a means of “fortification” against stress and anxiety, which is Professor Trelawney's primary reason for drinking it. Excessive consumption can lead to intoxication and impaired judgment. Professor Trelawney is often described as smelling strongly of sherry, and her reliance on it is a significant character trait, particularly during her period of probation and eventual sacking under Dolores Umbridge.

Sherry, while a mundane item, plays a surprisingly significant role in the series, primarily through the actions of Professor Trelawney.

• Characterisation: Professor Trelawney's constant need for sherry characterises her as a nervous and high-strung individual, often overwhelmed by her circumstances. Her office in the North Tower is noted for its sweet sherry smell and the presence of numerous empty bottles. Her reliance on the drink increases dramatically after being placed on probation by Dolores Umbridge. When she is eventually dismissed, she is seen clutching a sherry bottle in the Entrance Hall while being comforted by Minerva McGonagall and Albus Dumbledore.
• Plot Device in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: Trelawney's habit of hiding her sherry bottles from house-elves becomes a critical plot point. While attempting to hide her empties in the Room of Requirement, she is thrown out and overhears Draco Malfoy celebrating inside. She mistakenly believes his triumphant shouts are a reaction to her being discovered, but she reports what she heard to Harry Potter. Harry relays this information to Albus Dumbledore, which helps confirm that Malfoy is using the Room of Requirement for Death Eater-related activities.
• Other Appearances:
  • Mundungus Fletcher, while on guard duty for the Order of the Phoenix, attempts to placate the Dursleys by offering them sherry, highlighting his unreliable and unprofessional nature.
  • Cornelius Fudge, as Minister for Magic, offers sherry to the Muggle Prime Minister during their meeting, showing it to be a conventional drink used in formal inter-community relations.

Sherry is a real-world fortified wine made from white grapes grown near the city of Jerez de la Frontera in Andalusia, Spain. Its inclusion in the series grounds the wizarding world in reality, showing that wizards and Muggles share certain cultural staples.