I am a newly enlightened individual and need some expert advice. I haven't had a drink since being of legal age (even zoobies like to party sometimes)and thus, do not know how to order a drink.

Can you please help this poor soul from looking like the only 30 year old in the world that has never ordered a drink at a bar?

I remember liking gin, whiskey, vodka, rum, and beer and disliking tequila. But I am open for any suggestions ;)

First time at a bar, be prepared...most drinks are not sweet. That said, if you want a beer, ask what's on tap, they usually are the better selling brews. Mixed drink? Start with maybe a margarita or rum & coke, maybe a piña colada if you like coconut/ pineapple.

Don't order Long Island Iced Tea on the first try. It will put your shirt in the dirt if you're an alcohol virgin.

Short response others will come forth shortly!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/31/2015 06:34PM by csuprovograd.

You are wise to ask advice. New exmos can look really dumb, trying to look sophisticated. I've heard of them ordering things like:

"Bartender, I'll have a scotch and bourbon, please!"

A 40-year old businessman: "I'd like a strawberry daquiri."

"Maneschevitz on the rocks, please."

My suggestions:

Tom Collins
Gin and tonic or vodka tonic
White wine (chardonnay, sauterne, any)

More important than WHAT you order is to remember that it takes a while to affect you, so GO SLOW and try to eat something beforehand.

Bars don't tend to have Sauternes, especially in Utah as it's an expensive French desert wine that's pretty rare.

A Gewurztraminer is a nice, sweet wine as are Rieslings, but even they are a little rare in many bars.

Typical beginner mixed drinks include rum & coke, screwdrivers, daiquiris including frozen and/or fruit flavors, margaritas, and pina coladas. If you like tomato juice consider a Bloody Mary. Don't have more than one mixed drink on your first outing.

Gin & tonics and Vodka tonics are refreshing, but have a slightly bitter taste due to the tonic water.

*Avoid* Long Island iced teas, martinis, and Manhattans. Even one might put you under the table! They are not beginner drinks.

Various beers or wines are also a good choice for a beginner. If you are trying beer, start with a "blond" beer, light beer, or an India Pale Ale. Realize that just because you don't like one beer doesn't mean that you won't like another. It takes a considerable amount of sampling to find your comfort zone with beers.

For wine, you might try a chilled chardonnay or Chablis. in the summer, pino grigios or sauvignon blancs are also refreshing.

For red wines, start with a merlot, medoc, or pinot noir. Cabernet sauvignons can be quite good, but you want to spend some money on them because the less expensive ones can be vile.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/31/2015 06:41PM by summer.

Boilermaker

IPA beers, Pale ales.

Also be honest. Tell a barman you have just escaped from a weird cult and that you want their advice on what drinks to try and they'll be extra helpful as they like to bring people out of the cold.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/31/2015 06:49PM by matt.

The trick is knowing what to order with what(mid twenties Irish girl here)!



If you like something sweet I'd go for a Baileys or a whiskey/Captain Morgan's with coke.

If you like something sharp I'd go for vodka with maybe lime or a gin and tonic.



Cider and fruit flavoured cider like 'Kopparberg' are really good too!Mild and drinkable all night long.

Asking for the cocktail menu would be something most young people would probably do too!And seek out the Happy Hour(s)!!

IPAs will be way too hoppy/bitter for a newbie.

In the realm of beers, get Blue Moon or Shock Top.

IN B4 shadowofadoubt overdoses on rum-n-cokes, gets thrown out of the bar, and tries to make-out with the Uber driver on the way home.

No, srs-ly shadowofadoubt,

New to the bar scene ? = Just have a beer, chill, and feel the vibe.

Just drink what everybody else is drinking you Newb. (jk)

(ok not jk) (srs)

Practice with the hard stuff on your own time at home.

Cheers,

ziller

Tell the bartender you don't know what you'd like, and ask for suggestions. You can get samples of beer. I do it. No shame in not knowing what you want, and the bartender is there to make you happy.

ETA: IOW, what matt said.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/31/2015 08:22PM by Beth.

I always considered a marguarita to be the perfect drink, but keep in mind they contain tequila.

A Budweiser or bud light is acceptable anywhere.

Watch others in the bar. There is a lot of unspoken bar etiquette that varies by location. For example, in Montana, people frequently leave their drinking money on the bar in front of them. Never ever touch it if it is not yours.

If sitting at the bar never take someone else's seat. The bar I used to hang out in, the bartender would make someone move out of my chair when I came in the afternoon.

Be careful of ringing a bell, saying a term like "timber" etc. that is used for buying the house a round and you may be tricked into it if you are viewed as a newbie.

Tip your bartender generously.

If you start to get drunk, try not to take your ideas too seriously. I would suggest to stay away from dancing, karaoke, hitting on women, texting, or driving.

I gave up drinking in 2007. Some of the etiquette may have changed.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/31/2015 11:08PM by deco.

deco Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Tip your bartender generously.

THIS

> If you start to get drunk, try not to take your
> ideas too seriously. I would suggest to stay away
> from dancing, karaoke, hitting on women, texting,
> or driving.

THIS, except everyone must drunk karaoke once in their lives. With strangers. Preferably Australian.

"I would suggest to stay away from dancing, karaoke"

Whaaaat? That's the absolute BEST time to be doing these things!

deco, deco, deco.

We're all rock stars when we're inebriated. Even if the karaoke machine messes up the damn lyrics. It's not just me, right?

<3

If you don't really care for red wine, it might be a good one to order. I say this because you probably won't over do it if you're not crazy about what you're drinking. I used to order Brandy manhattans just for this reason. I sipped them, and never over did it.

Just ask the bartender for a red blend.

Thank you one and all! Your advice will be used tonight!

Return and report. :)

Also, make sure you have a tall glass of water or juice before you go to bed tonight. Always hydrate after drinking.

Slow gin fizz! Perfect for a newbie.

I started out by asking the bartender. They are some of the friendliest people around. I told them I was an alcohol novice and asked for a recommendation. Now I enjoy a straight up Margarita in a chilled martini glass with lots of salt for a before dinner drink, a white wine (Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc) for my entree (reds trigger my migraines) and a small glass of port with dessert (if I even have dessert).

My drink of choice back in the old days was a plain screwdriver. I find that nowadays they seem to water them down.

(By the way, you do know that a Mormon Screwdriver, aka a screwup, is 1/2 orange juice and 1/2 Sprite or 7-Up. I used to serve those at mormon gatherings, announcing that I was serving Mormon Screwdrivers. You could tell the nazi TBM's, as they wouldn't even touch those, even knowing that there was no alcohol.)

I just recently discovered variations on the screwdriver. Basically vodka with different fruit juices than orange juice. Of all stupid things, the restaurant Chili's during the summertime has a drink based on vodka and watermelon juice. Very tasty....and if you don't watch out it will knock you on your a**. Kind of sneaks up on you.

Ruby Tuesday has a vodka, strawberries and lemonade concoction. Also very tasty. And, depending on the bartender and how heavy he puts in the vodka, it also can sneak up on you.

The danger as a newby is to take it easy, AND DO NOT MIX YOUR DRINKS AT ONE SITTING. My wife was never so sick as one she tried 4 or 5 different drinks in a taste testing situation. Instead of just tasting each one, she drank them all. She was throwing up all night.

Okay now, "screwup," that's funny!

I agree with you on the vodka -- it's an all-purpose mixer.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/01/2015 05:48PM by summer.

Jager Bomb!

I'm a nevermo and have been drinking since I became legal (and before), and I don't know most drinks and haven't tasted many of them. I have no problems looking at the drink menu and asking the server/bartender if they recommend something. I think as a new drinker, the safest choices would be those drinks that are sweeter, and you can say, I'd like to try something new, preferably something sweet. Can you recommend anything? Or you could ask, "I'm not much of a beer drinker. Can you recommend something good that I can try? Probably not anything too strong." I personally am not very fond of dark beer because the flavor is just not my taste. It's quite possible, at least with beers on tap and open bottles of wine, you can get a taste before you actually order a full glass of something or open a bottle.

Don't worry about not knowing anything. I'm totally clueless. I ask questions. I ask people what they like or what is most popular. It's not a shameful thing to not know. You can totally make a joke out of it too. Most people know Mormons and the drinking issue. I'm sure they'd love to introduce you to things. I'd let you take a sip of my drink if you wanted. You can stick to drinks you are familiar with if you're feeling embarrassed in certain company, but try new things at other times. It's best when you can taste something before you go and spend a ton of money on alcohol that turns out to be vile.

Years ago, I learned that new drinkers tend to prefer sweet drinks. The reason being, is their palate hasn't matured. They're coming off of sweet drinks, sodas, punch and the like, and as a result, migrate towards the sweeter drinks. Their palate will mature and they'll learn new flavors and other drinks. It's an acquired taste, and this comes in time.

How many Tucsonans are all over Bacardi/schnapps and Eegee's? That was the mixture of choice back in high school. We had it at the reunion for old time's sake. :) I miss Eegee's.

Gin and tonic...but only sip or you'll end up standing on the bar telling everyone your temple name.

Update:
Throughout the night I ended up having a gin and tonic and two Blue Moons. I took it easy and it was perfection! After the third drink, I did find it hilarious to tell everyone about my mo-life and subsequently had to turn down MANY offers for free drinks.

Nothing too embarrassing but a fantastic night! Thank you all!

Fabulous! G & T is a wonderful drink. Sounds like you had a fun "baptism." ;)

I am FUBAR at this moment and the only real way to drink is liquor straight.

On the rocks or neat.

No other way to get the buzz without the calories.

I have been drinking grapefruit vodka all day over ice. Probalby 8 oz. or so.

Start with a shot.

wait one hour.

Then see what you want to do next.

This is definitely bad advice :)

That is all.

7 and 7. Seagrams 7 and 7 up. load up on the 7 up though your first time. Don't drink more than half the bottle. Jack and coke. a Dr. Morgan is Dr. Pepper with captain morgan rum. Can't go wrong with those. Cinnamon whiskey is easy to take.

Ayinger beer is so good! Hands down the best beer I've ever had. Get their hef or lager.

Get a light beer for your first one. Heavy beers are an aquired taste. Can't go wrong with a hef like shock top or blue moon with an orange.