Ogden's Old Firewhisky

• Type: Magical Beverage, Alcoholic Drink
• Maker: Ogden (Implied by the brand name)
• Known Suppliers: Assumed to be available at wizarding pubs such as The Three Broomsticks, The Leaky Cauldron, and the Hog's Head Inn.
• Known Drinkers: Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, Horace Slughorn, Rubeus Hagrid, Mundungus Fletcher, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Fred Weasley, George Weasley.

Ogden's Old Firewhisky is a very popular and potent alcoholic beverage in the wizarding world. While its exact appearance is not described in detail, as a type of whisky, it is presumably an amber-coloured spirit. It is known for its intense effect on the drinker; it is said to fill one's veins with courage but also causes a significant burning sensation as it is swallowed. Ron Weasley noted that drinking it made his throat feel as though it were on fire. The beverage is considered “not for the faint-hearted” and is a staple at adult wizarding celebrations and for medicinal purposes, such as calming the nerves after a shock. Over-consumption can lead to magical side effects, such as causing smoke to issue from the drinker's ears and nose. (Pottermore)

The primary purpose of Firewhisky is as a social and celebratory drink for adult witches and wizards. It is also frequently used for its perceived restorative properties, often referred to as “Dutch courage.”

• Courage Induction: Its most noted property is the feeling of bravery it imparts to the drinker.
• Medicinal Use: Professor Slughorn served it to Harry Potter and Ron Weasley to counteract the shock of Ron's poisoning, indicating its use as a magical therapeutic.
• High Potency: The drink is exceptionally strong. Harry Potter coughed after his first taste, and the burning sensation is a frequently mentioned characteristic.
• Social Lubricant: It is served at gatherings and parties, such as the one held at 12 Grimmauld Place to celebrate Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger becoming prefects. Fred and George Weasley were known to spike other drinks, like Butterbeer, with Firewhisky.

Firewhisky is mentioned numerous times throughout the series, establishing it as a common part of adult wizarding life. The “Ogden's Old” brand is specifically positioned as a high-quality, premium product.

• In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Rita Skeeter maliciously suggests in a Daily Prophet article that Albus Dumbledore is “never without a bottle of Ogden's Old Firewhisky,” a claim that is almost certainly false.
• In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the real Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody offers Harry a swig from his flask after the Dementor attack on Privet Drive. At the prefect party at Grimmauld Place, Firewhisky is served to the adults and used by the Weasley twins to spike some of the food and drink.
• In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Professor Slughorn gives some to Ron to counter the shock of being poisoned. Later, at Aragog's funeral, Slughorn shares a different, lesser vintage of firewhisky with Hagrid, explicitly stating, “Not… not Ogden's Old, of course… but a decent drop…,” which confirms the status of Ogden's as a superior brand.
• In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Mundungus Fletcher offers Moody a drink from his own flask before the Battle of the Seven Potters. After the trio's escape from the Ministry of Magic, Hermione pours three glasses of Firewhisky to toast their success, a moment of adult solemnity and celebration.

Ogden's Old Firewhisky serves as a key world-building element that illustrates the culture and social customs of the adult wizarding world. It plays a direct, if minor, role in the plot on several occasions. Its most significant impact is in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Slughorn's use of Firewhisky to treat Ron for shock leads directly to him retrieving the bottle of poisoned mead he intended to gift to Dumbledore, which Ron then drinks by mistake. The subsequent events, including Harry saving Ron's life with a bezoar, strengthen the bond between Harry and Slughorn. This bond, along with the effects of another firewhisky at Aragog's funeral, proves crucial for Harry to finally obtain the untampered memory about Horcruxes.

• The name “Firewhisky” is a straightforward portmanteau of “fire” and “whisky,” alluding to the burning sensation of strong spirits, similar to the Muggle cinnamon-flavoured whisky liqueur, Fireball.
• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the bottle of Ogden's Old Firewhisky is given a distinctive, slightly crooked design. (film)