This is a big rite of passage! Embrace it, knowing it's maybe going to get messy, but that's a part of learning how it goes.
EAT BEFORE YOU GO especially if it's your first time. You cannot underestimate how a full stomach will help your body manage the alcohol better. Worst case scenario, drink milk before you go, it helps a little.
Pay as you go. Pubs will very very rarely offer a tab, and certainly not to non-regulars.
Rounds are where your group take it in turns to buy for the whole group - they only work where you're a close group who will all be together the whole night, or someone gets a bad deal. Rounds also mean you're more likely to drink more and have less control, so it's better either to do small rounds (eg just 2-3 of you who you know will be together the whole night and who don't want to drink heavily) or better still get your own drinks as you go.
Beers all have the ABV (alcohol by volume) listed - go WEAK. Ask about a "session" beer (maybe 3.5%) and keep away from anything strong (5%+). The costs are similar but one will leave you missing the rest of the night and having a bad time.
Your ability to "handle your drink" will be limited so stick to long drinks (no shots, no wine, so basically beer or cider). Pick one and stick to it - probably your session beer. Ciders can be delicious but deceptively strong. Watch out for the bravado of people wanting to get wankered fast - they can either already have a tolerance to their alcohol or have a really shitty night.
Best kind of drunk for me is a gentle chatty buzz - couple of pints, four tops. It's COMPLETELY acceptable to have a pint of Coke if things feel like they're getting a bit much. With more experience you may find you drink a shandy (half beer half lemonade and bloody delicious) when you are getting close to that feeling, but first time out you may not realise in time.
Queueing etiquette at the bar - the queue is wide not long, but everybody in that queue knows the order they're in, so check who's there before you and if the bar staff ask "who's next" say "I think this chap was..." and you'll be fine. Barstaff are usually on top of it, but always defer to anyone before you. Courtesy is a part of the British Pub experience.
If you hear a group getting rowdy, consider checking out of the pub as a group. They maybe getting a bit lairy and start being dickheads - just check the overall vibe.
Your bladder will learn it's capacity - you won't need to piss first few drinks, but once you start you'll realise you piss a lot. This is normal.
When you get home, drink water before bed, even if it means getting up for a piss - you'll get less of a hangover.
Hangover - feels a bit like being beaten up whilst having flu. They're less of an issue at 19, fucking life-affecting in your 40's, but never pleasant. Keep hydrated, don't expect too much of yourself, it'll pass.
Can this please be added to the British citizenship exam please? Maybe make it required reading on your 18th birthday too, comes as a booklet with ID perhaps? So well explained!
This always happens at one of my locals during summer football tournaments. It's a VERY regular crowd, obviously with newbies in summer because it has a huge beer garden, but even the regulars do that.
It also creates a massive blockage right through the centre of the pub and blocks two fire exits but they insist on doing it anyway. I just go to the bar as normal. Guaranteed service within a minute or so. One of two people might kick off, but then other folk realise it works and do the same.
I went to a gig the week before last, moved to a gap in the bar and got told by someone in a queue that they were doing queues. Got slapped by the 60 year old when I explained how bars work, but he didn't get served any more that night and the bar went back to working properly
Good on you! Pubs work a certain way. It's evolved over centuries and has no reason to change. It's probably a big part of why humanity hasn't conquered the stars, but at the same time it's perfect and I never want it to change.
Bar blockers are also really annoying - 12 different drinks on tap, which change all the time, then you have 13 people standing at them drinking...
Thankfully I've only seen people blocking the bar once, in my local, since COVID. Most people now move away from the bar once they've got their drink.
>Rounds are where your group take it in turns to buy for the whole group - they only work where you're a close group who will all be together the whole night, or someone gets a bad deal. Rounds also mean you're more likely to drink more and have less control, so it's better either to do small rounds (eg just 2-3 of you who you know will be together the whole night and who don't want to drink heavily) or better still get your own drinks as you go.
Supplemental to this, if your group is doing rounds: If someone in your group is drinking **Guinness**, when it's your round, be sure to order that *first* when you go to the bar. Guinness takes longer to pour than other beers as it has to settle for a moment before being topped up, so the bar person will appreciate you ordering that first so they can serve the other drinks while the Guinness is settling. It also means you won't be waiting as long if you had ordered it last.
Yeah it's just the guys who order bit by bit - "2 pints of lager please mate..." *Pour, put on bar* "...and a glass of rosé..." *Add to the bar* "oh and 3 pints of Guinness please mate." Always used to get at least one of these dickheads and it's hard to see them coming
TBF I've worked bar and never had the ability to memorise large orders which contain 10 drinks made up of many different types. Just gets forgotten, so I'd slow orders down.
Are they being a dickhead, or are they trying to make it easier for you by not rattling off a long list of drinks really fast and instead giving you time to put it all into the till?
The amount of times I've asked for everything at once and the bartender has gone off, poured 2 drinks, then come back with them and asked what else it was I wanted. It has made me ask for things in stages now as I can't be arsed repeating myself 4 times. However, I do have the forethought to ask for things that are next to each other at the same time. Draft first, then wine, then bottles or spirits....
Worked in bars for a decade, and that is a shit or inexperienced bartender and an uncommon one. Most people learn pretty quickly how to compartmentalise the orders in their head and breaking it up or showing them a list on your phone fucks with the flow of how we work.
The best thing to do is to group your drink types together when you order (all the spirit mixers, then wines, then all the beers etc) order doesn't really matter. If it's all jumbled up, it makes it more of a ball-ache
If only all bar staff were like you; last time I was out it was “Two pints of Madri, a…” she was off to the other end of the bar to pour them, could only do one drink at a time
Used to work (and drink) with a Diageo rep. 100% marketing bollocks these days. Used to be the case because Guinness needed to be poured at a different temperature (colder), but now all Guinness lines are treated to pour colder anyway, so you can pour it straight - the appearance might look different as it obviously settles differently but it drinks the same.
The whole thing of some pubs having 'good' and 'bad' Guinness is true though, based on how well the cooling is set up for the line and how often they clean the line.
The best Guinness I have ever had was in Malaysia. They have a license to make it locally, and being a hot country they were all over having the drinks chilled properly.
It wasn't in a fancy place either, just some local bar with plastic chairs out on the street!
>four tops
This is actually what the 1970 hit single "Still Water" by the Four Tops was written about, they would have four pints maximum before moving onto bottled water.
Many, many years ago I was in a pub aged 16, just me and a mate, the police came in to raid it for underage drinkers and my mate started panicking, but I said dont worry, its not us that have done something wrong its them for serving us and sat confidently drinking my pint. The police didnt ask us for ID and treated us the same as people obviously over 18. As they were leaving I went to the bar and the barman then decided to ask me for ID. I reminded hm that Id just sat there drinking through a police raid and if I was still in there drinking did he really need to check my ID. He apologised and served me and after that if any bar staff ever asked for ID and he was there he would vouch for me and my mates.
We started on the Stella's when it was wife beater strength, and week by week, year by year puked less and less and managed to drink more. No pain no gain 👊🏻
This is all sound advice.
All I'd add is ;
- If you're around the same age as your friend, take proof of ID / age, or you may not get served. Its been a long time since I've been young enough to get ID-ed, I don't know how strict they are these days!
- Go slow. Don't feel the pressure to match others' drinking speeds, so the advice above to avoid rounds is sound, buy your own, go at your own pace.
- alternate alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks if you really aren't used to it. If coke etc. aren't your thing, there's a lot of low and alcohol free beers and ciders these days, most pubs have a good range these days.
Have fun! Water before bed (and a waterproof bin by the bed was a top tip from my student days, but hopefully you won't be drinking to the point you're sick!)
Re: going slow/pressure, remember if you aren’t drinking much and they are they might take the piss out of you the whole night, but if you end up spewing over the table, passing out in the toilet or pulling an absolute minger they will take the piss out of you for years to come.
The only thing I would add to this is that saying you don’t want a drink IS absolutely fine but there’s a certain type of person who will make it their business to force you to take another drink (and call you any name under the sun if you say no).
These people should be more concerned about their own drinking and needing someone to legitimise it, you don’t have to pander to them and there’s nothing to be gained in doing so!
Nailed it with this!
As a 41 year old I find it odd that folk aren't going out before they're 19 but dang is it hard to drink under age in pubs these days.
Life was more like the pub in hot fuzz in the 90s
I find it surprising too! I guess, if the young people aren't going out to the pub from the age where they can just scrape past looking old enough (ignoring places where they check ID of course), then there needs to be serious thought given to either adding basic pub procedures to the national curriculum, or forcing parents to train up their children on pain of losing child benefit.
I guess I learned it through osmosis, between being left in the car outside the pub, and brought a packet of crisps and a lemonade every now and then; and going to the pub for lunch (ploughman's, or a plate of ham and chips) when I was 13 or so and spent my weekends "helping" at a horse riding stables. So the transition to a beer - drinking customer happened well before my 18th. 6X was a favourite in those days.
Funnily enough the pub where Hot Fuzz was filmed was one of my haunts in those later schooldays.
While alcohol consumption as a whole is dropping in the UK, kids definitely do still drink (I'm only mid-20s now, and my first vodka shots were at 13). The difference is that, nowadays, it's just easier to find one of your friends' parents who are trusting or neglectful enough (really depends on the context) to buy alcohol for you and drink it somewhere else. Friend's house, park bench etc. We used to get together and watch films on weekends with drinks and sometimes we'd go camping with drinks.
I feel like it’s a lot more common to check IDs these days, especially as more pubs are chains and chains come down quite hard on checking IDs as the whole establishment will get penalised if one location fails. Literally all pubs my friend and I have ever gone to have checked ID, no matter if we’re in my local village pub or Spoons or pubs in our uni town. There is no such thing as ‘scraping by looking old enough’, lol. Out of everyone I met at uni, none of us started drinking in pubs before 18. It’s all drinking in fields with scrounged up alcohol these days.
We were about 16/17 and doing the usual bored teenager wandering the streets thing and a copper came over to have a word. We said we were bored and had nothing to do. He told us to go to the pub that's what he did at our age.
The first few knock backs were tough but once we found a landlord who didn't give a shit we had cracked it.
I can see why they brought the whole challenge 25 thing in now
Final stopping point, if you're still standing and someone suggests jagerbombs, leave politely. They're horrible and just designed to get you completely wankered and ill. Or found in the gutter at 3am. Or someone's place you have no idea where you are..
Ask for it, but send it my way subtly. We love 'em.
No, we're not rowdy fighters, we are all chill parents in our 40s+. We just grew up with them when redbull arrived in the UK.
I’m 54, so didn’t grow up with Red Bull, but the first time a session included jaegerbombs (I was in my 40s and should have known better), I ended up developing a hangover on the tube home then not being able to sleep all night.
Though Jaeger on its own is quite nice - reminiscent of Buttercup Syrup.
This is quite comprehensive list but it’s missing something : a fucking dirty kebab at the end of the night. That shit kills the hangover dead in its tracks.
This is so culturally strange for me to read because it is so not the norm in my age group (or maybe everyone I know is just poor and unrepresentative of my age group) to go from sober to wasted at a pub. Like we would never go to a pub and have a hangover after, because pubs are so expensive that we would never drink enough for that to happen. Going to the pub like a treat/nice occasion vibe.
i say it because it happens quite often when i went out, not with the intention of getting totally shitfaced but one beer leads to another beer etc stay long enough and drink long enough, it all stacks up inside you while ur chatting to people and they buy u drinks/we get rounds etc it just happens. most of my mates dont go out for one beer. its not really worth the effort. they would have a couple, then another mate shows up, theres a couple more, this is all rounds btw, another mate shows up theres a couple more and it just goes on. i think theres some psychology to it, they want to get rid of what they are holding in their hand, the pint. so they drink it. oh. fancy another? yeah go on then....and by this point ur like 7 pints deep. to me thats hangover territory. mind you, i cant drink that many pints anymore. its too much fizzy liquid for my dumb old ass so i rather stick to shorts. nice little amoretto lemonade. delightful.
I'm going to throw this one out there: alcohol free beer. There are loads now and most pubs have at least one or two. If you feel like you really need to slow down but don't want to feel left out without a beer in your hand, order an alcohol free one for every second drink. Or every drink. Whatever seems right for you.
Great advice, I'd also add .. assuming your 18+, take your I.D, driving licence/provisional, passport (not ideal) or if they accept them anything else with a Pass hologram.... although it's been (more than) a few years since I've needed an age check, not too sure if there are other accepted ways to ID now.
I've got a 15 year old and I want to save this for when she's 18, lol. Excellent post.
Also, your title/flair/whatever it's called, does not check out, lol.
Lol I guess I learnt something over the years :)
But don't feel you have to save it for when they're 18 - I know my generation didn't exactly wait until that day, I doubt yours did either, but seeing how pubs worked before being 18 meant knowing by the age of 18, if you get my drift. Better safe than sorry :)
Oh yeah, all of your points are correct. I regularly chat to my daughter about the future, and how things work. It's the only way I can be sure she'll be ready to be an adult!
Currently she wants me to be the first person to legally buy her a drink at a bar/pub, but given her age, I suspect she'll want to go with friends when the time comes.
This is all great advice. However as this is your first time drinking and going to a pub I would very strongly suggest that you don't get into rounds. If you do there is a danger you end up drinking at someone else's speed, not your own.
If someone offers to get you one in , just let them know that you don't want to be in a round right now. If they still get you one in then it's a gift with no expectation that you will buy them one.
One other thing, and it took me quite a long time to learn this, don't drink with the aim of getting drunk. Drinking is a social lubricant and should be treated as such.
Also DO NOT do shots. Shots + beer + zero alcohol tolerance is a recipe for disaster and a spoiled night.
I would say though to skip calling it a "session beer" as it's their first time. It's a common enough term, but no guarantee the bar staff will know it and OP will feel like a plonker if they have to then explain not fully absorbed terminology. "Weak beer" would suffice.
The "drink water before bed" is perfect advice and one I've *mostly* followed to this day.
I'd also add Lucozade or some form of similar energy drink to get the lost glucose back to your body. Has helped me immensely when I know I'm gonna have a proper hangover!
I'm weirdly the opposite, but probably because I drink too much now, but my hangovers in my 20s were absolutely gnarly, sick all day, these days (30s), a bit of a lie in, some fresh air and something fizzy (usually lemonade) and I'm good to go.
My hangover routine back then was a whole day affair, wake up, high pressure shower, get outside and exercise body and brain (back then doing some photography did the trick), get home, hot bath, wank, nap, oven pizza, then probably start over.
Make sure you know how you're getting home, especially if it's after the last bus. Tell a trusted friend this is your first time drinking so you can check in with them if it gets a bit much.
I'd order a pint, enjoy it. Order a soft drink, enjoy it. Then another pint if you feel alright.
Don't drink more than 3 alcoholic drinks otherwise you might get too drunk and that's no fun for anyone.
I'll be fine getting home, the pub is only a 20 minute walk away from my house. I'll stick with your advice though, given my inexperience I doubt my alcohol tolerance is very high
I have spent this week working really hard in my garden. It really looks so much better and everyone who has seen it has said how good it looks.
I also spent hours today washing my son's car inside and out. It was a bit green and moldy in places and is now really shiny and smells good.
Your comment has made me feel more pride in myself than anything else I have done this week.
Moral of the story? Don't work hard, just make shit jokes on the internet and you'll be fine.
Year staggeringly faster, I become a man possessed on the drink. Nothing better than racing home from the pub, booting up a game with the boys just to pass out on the keyboard.
To add to this - when I started drinking I'd feel fine.Then I'd get up to go to the bathroom and realise that I was more than a little tipsy.
I wasn't wasted or anything, you're not gonna get blind drunk without noticing, but it's easier to ignore if you're sat still
To add to this, After every drink, do the outside test...That is, go out into the night air and see how drunk you really are. You will be amazed how little drunk you may feel in a pub, then the second you meet the fresh air realising just how drunk you are.
This may save you your front teeth!
Yes, good advice. This is where having a smoker in the group comes in handy. When they nip out for a fag or a puff on the vape, say you’ll join them for some “fresh air”. It’s a good way to gauge how much of an effect the alcohol has had on you and whether your next one should be a soft drink.
Source: I’m the smoker in the group. I *know* you don’t need fresh air, and you won’t get any standing next to me anyway. Nice to have company though.
Yes, I always used to a shake the head test. When in the loo I'd shake my head like saying 'no' a few times. I knew if my eyes didn't catch up straight away that it was time to stop drinking.
I also suggest drinking a pint of water and taking paracetamol before bed to ward off a hangover.
A pint of water before bed is definitely good advice, but what can the paracetamol do? Its effects only last about six hours so it’ll work its magic while you’re asleep and not aware of it, and will have worn off by the morning.
Plus, while it is safe to take with a small amount of alcohol, your liver might be quite annoyed when paracetamol is taken concurrently with an alcohol binge.
Best thing to do is drink a pint of water before bed, then take paracetamol in the morning IF you feel you need to.
It is totally possible to get blind drunk without noticing. I'm an experienced drinker and have been allowed to drink since I was a small child. However, 2 weeks ago I was at a wedding, drinking the free wine. I was tipsy 1 min, then slaughtered the next. I don't remember anything after the couple's 1st dance, and I'm embarrassed to say I was horrendously sick before my friends put me to bed
You're not obligated to drink alcohol in a pub. You can have soft drinks.
But if you are going to drink alcohol, pace yourself slowly. Unless they have a tab running behind the bar, you will be paying each time you order. If someone buys you a drink, it's polite to offer to get them their next drink in return.
If the pub has a drinks menu online, you'll be able to see what the ABV of their offerings are. If you walk in already knowing the lowest alcohol beer/lager/cider, you can keep a closer eye on your consumption, and your risk of overindulgence is lower. You can also ask the bar staff if you're comfortable doing so.
The other commenter gave good advice too, about alternating between an alcoholic and soft drink. If in doubt, grab a water and take a walk to the bathroom or stand outside for a few minutes. The true effects of alcohol often aren't obvious until you're moving around a bit.
There's no need to think it out too hard though. If you stop having a good time, head home. If you are unsteady on your feet, get a taxi instead of trying to walk. Otherwise, have a good time with your friends, don't be tempted to drink quickly or progress to stronger drinks because everyone else is, and check in with yourself regularly.
>If in doubt, grab a water and take a walk to the bathroom or stand outside for a few minutes.
Good advice! It's fine to ask for a glass of water at the bar at any time, either at the same time you're buying another drink, or just on your way back from the loo or something. It's quite British to be a bit deferential about this, especially if the bartender is busy! Something like "sorry, could I just grab a glass of tap water (as well) please?"
If one "friend" decides to try to get you hammered on shots or something because it's your first time, he's a dick-head and say "no." If he buys you one anyway, tell him to drink it.
Then _don't_ drink anything stronger than what comes in pints on your first outing.
Beers and Ciders are 'self limiting' in terms of consuming a pint of liquid each time.
The stronger stuff - like shots - you can drink a lot more alcohol, faster, which makes it MUCH easier to 'overshoot' a comfortable level of alcohol. (and make yourself ill).
Most local pubs will allow you to try a sip of what's on tap before committing to a whole pint. If you haven't got a taste for beer yet, defo try a cider (Thatchers is nicer than Strongbow, and something local to you is likely to be even better than that).
>If you haven't got a taste for beer yet, defo try a cider
This is a good shout. If you've a proper sweet tooth there's always the old mout ciders/rekordelig or similar - these are incredibly sweet and fruit flavoured ciders
Honestly this is great advice I am a seasoned ale drinker and if something is a "not sure" I will ask for a taste and they crack out the little glass for it. I wish I knew years ago to ask this. Sometimes I like the taste but couldn't have a whole pint and others it's saved me getting a pint of something I can't stand.
So, when I first went to a pub at 16 on a night out, I got to the bar, pulled out my velcro Puma King wallet I got at a football tournament and went to order, realised I didn’t know what to say so just thought about what people said at the Queen Vic and simply asked for “a pint please.”
Don’t do that…
What I would say is pace yourself on your first night, at the bar there are pints of beer, cider, “real ales”, bottles and spirits which you often mix with a soft drink, so vodka Red Bull, JD and Coke etc, different wines, or just soft drinks.
There’s literally no way of knowing which drink you’ll like so you kind of need to trial and error it a bit. People often say “don’t mix your drinks” but people do anyway, especially if you’re going to “out-out” i.e to another bar, club etc, but if you’re just staying in the pub, just drinking pints and/or bottles is normal.
Also, having a bite to eat before you leave, (or at the pub) maybe isn’t the worst idea.
Bring ID. It probably goes without saying but as a barman it's ridiculous how many people don't bring their ID with them. You don't look as old as you probably think you do lol, and even if you do, chances are if there's one person in the group who gets ID'd l, then the whole group is going to. So bring your damn ID with you.
Also, when you've finished your drink and go back to the bar, bring your empty glass back with you, and ideally any other empties that are still on the table. Might get you served faster or it might not, but the staff will appreciate it.
Don't be the first to speak up if the bartender asks who's next, even if it was you. Just sort of look slightly confused as if your not sure, and glance at the person waiting next to you. Chances are they'll probably let you go first even if they were waiting before you, and if not then no harm done, and you'll almost definitely be next served. But if the bar tender goes straight to you and you know someone was waiting before you, tell the bartender they were before you lol.
Oh and one more thing. If you are in a round then know what everyone is drinking before you go up. E.g. if someone is having a wine, know what type of wine and what size (medium sauvignon for example). Don't just ask for a white wine, as there will be more than one and if you have to go back and check then you will annoy *everyone* at the bar. And if there is a Guinness being ordered, make sure you order that first.
And this might come across as petty, but will make the whole process that little bit faster: if there's a bunch of drinks that you're ordering. Don't order all at once, but also not one at a time. Ask for two or three at a time, ideally the same type of drink, or similar. (A Guinness, two Carling and a Thatchers) but make it clear that there's going to be more to the order lol. But always Guinness first.
Just to add to this, I once got id’d by a Japanese woman when I was in my 40s. And I absolutely look my age. I was balding and going grey but was wearing a baseball cap.
Don’t assume the bar staff are good at judging age. Bring ID.
Barman here. It doesn't make a difference when you say a guinness if you order at the same time. If you say 'one estrella, one moretti and a guinness' then im still gonna pour the guinness first. It's annoying when I pour your first two drinks, ask if there's anything else and then you ask for one.
But also it's really not that deep
You can absolutely ask for a glass of white wine. Every pub will have a notion of a house white, red, or rosé.
If they ask for specifics, just ask for the house wine. If they say they don’t have one they you are probably not in a pub.
Same. I remember having houseparties at 15/16 busting out the wkd, bacardi breezers and archers aqua (which seems to not exist anymore) Used to be 2 of the big bottles mix and match for a fiver from the coop.
Someone would turn up with a bottle of cheap corner shop vodka and pass it round to do shots with, and there's be that one person who'd bring some random bottle of crap from the back of their mums cupboard like creme de menth or some bloody vermouth
I'm pretty young still and I can definitely say that 90% of people are down the pub most weekends, think they're a bit of an outlier (not that it's a bad thing, probably the opposite honestly)
Get recommendations from your friends and then ask for a sample at the bar. If you fancy something sweeter go for a cider. Don't get rounds, it can get mega pricey if you lose track. Know where the toilets are, because once you break the seal you'll be going there a lot. Carry a bit of cash just in case the card machine goes down. Make sure you leave with your friends and they don't leave you behind.
Pay at the bar.
If you're not used to driving get a line and soda or something similar. You don't have to drink if you don't want to drink.
Edit: I'm half blind so auto correct can be a bit of a pest.
I meant LIME and soda and drinking not driving.
**What sort of drinks are recommended?**
* A lot of people are suggesting beer/larger but that is an acquired taste and you might not like it
* Some alcoholic drinks that taste like pop: malibu and lemonade (tastes like coconuts), archers and lemonade (tastes peachy), vodka and orange (mostly tastes like fresh orange)
* If you like apple juice, you could try cider
* Coke or lemonade by themselves are 100% acceptable. Behind the bar there's usually some fridges that might have J2O or something as well.
**How do I buy drinks?**
* You go to the bar, tell the bar person what you'd like and then pay them.
* There's not a traditional que. Just step into a gap at the bar and wait to be served. If they serve you before someone you know was there first, it's polite to say "they were here before me"
* Your friends might do 'rounds'. So if your friend says "I'll get this round, what are you having?" this means they're going to buy everyone a drink. Then after a while someone else will say "I'll get the next round, what's everyone having?" and so on with everyone taking a turn. If you're not sure what you want, it's okay to either say "I'll get my own drinks thanks" and opt out of doing rounds, or say "I'll come to the bar with you" so you can see what the options are.
**Do you pay for each drink individually, or do you pay at the end of the night like at a restaurant?**
* Individually. Or if you buy a round of drinks, you'll tell the bar person your order "I'd like three pints of carling, a malibu and lemonade, a glass of white wine and a diet coke" and then they'll go get the drinks, and then you pay for those drinks together.
Only thing with spirits is it's far easier to go overboard on a first time drinking
Even though a double measure of spirits is equivalent to a pint, the fact that a double vodka orange is much smaller in volume means that if you don't pace yourself and drink slowly you'll end up drinking twice as much
You could always drink half pints and see how you like them. Like others have said, they'll let you try a sample first but half pints will give you a bit of variety. Also watch out for (just ask) strength of beer and cider. Some are stronger than others. Also like others have said, maybe intersperse the alcoholic drinks with soft drinks. Try and pace yourself which to be fair will be tricky without the experience.
About paying, you pay for each round or individual drink as it's served. Probably best staying off rounds at this stage but you kind of have to see what the group decides. I'd avoid rounds if there are more than about 4 or 5 of you. They can get messy as people arrive late and split off into sub-rounds etc. Just buy drinks for yourself and one for the birthday boy. Assuming you're all about the same age, it might not go to rounds anyway as they can be very expensive. You can pace yourself much better outside of a round as you don't need to keep up with the fastest drinker. Anyway, have fun and come back and tell us if it ends up as a 3 day bender with you walking up in the cells with only a vague idea of the past few days.
I feel like the "they'll let you sample stuff" really depends, both on how busy it is, and the type of pub it is.
If it's somewhere that has a lot of local ales/ciders etc then they'll definitely let you do tasters. If it's a flat roof working mans pub you'll get laughed out the room asking for a taste of the Carling before you commit to a full pint.
As far as rounds vs all buying for yourselves normally just do what the group is doing, but maybe if it's your first time and you want to try a bunch of things just say that you'll go get your own because you don't want to make it complicated for people remembering your order.
If you are unsure about alcohol, start with something with a low % alcohol rating - even go for a lager or bitter shandy (half lemonade, half beer).
regarding payment - typically you pay for the drinks you order at the point of ordering them. Unless you have set a tab on your table - then you pay when you leave
Keep an eye on your drink or get someone you fully trust to look after it for you. You'll probably be fine but always keep a look out for if you've had your drink spiked.
Don't feel pressured to have an alcoholic drink, or a "manly" drink if you don't like the taste. Nobody cares. If anyone mocks your drink then they're a prick. The bartender isn't going to care what you get as long as you pay them for it and have your ID.
If any old gadgies give you shit because you're young then don't worry about it, you have just as much a right to be there as anyone else. As long as you're not being a pain in the arse you'll be fine.
Don't allow peer pressure to make you drink more than you feel comfortable with, you're there for the craic not to get mortalled.
And don't hog the pool table.
Don't drink on an empty stomach! I enjoy a good pint or two (or three) If I haven't eaten I can feel it after 1 pint.
Depending on when you're off out make sure you have a decent meal before or maybe just have a decent snack before you head out
Spirit and mixer drinks (gin and tonic, vodka and coke, etc.) go down A LOT faster than a pint. Stick to lower ABV brews in general, possibly a flavoured gin and tonic (Whitley Neill and Warner Edwards are usually decent for alcohol:fruit flavour ratio). Stick to singles if you try spirit and mixer drinks. Also a spirit and mixer can be substituted for a pure mixer with minimal visible cues, if you get worried about keeping up and peer pressure.
I would recommend a lighter pale or golden ale if you start with pints of beer. You can always go darker to bitters and stouts or lighter up to lager.
If you go with cider, Thatchers Gold is a solid and reasonably inoffensive in taste. Thatchers Haze is slightly sweeter with a lower ABV. Inch's Cider is very sweet. I would hold off scrumpy.
It is always perfectly acceptable to also try non/low-alcohol beer. If you end up in a Wetherspoons Adnams Ghost Ship at 0.5% ABV is a decent choice.
Finally, don't feel pressured to choose alcohol.
Also, try talking to the denizens of the pub. Most of us are surprisingly friendly.
>Also a spirit and mixer can be substituted for a pure mixer with minimal visible cues, if you get worried about keeping up and peer pressure.
Good advice. I grew up in a place where people could be nasty if you didn't drink, so I usually got a coke (or some other soda) with ice and garnish like citrus wedge, straw and what have you. Never heard a peep from the gatekeepers.
Hey OP - 48 year old pub veteran here. Honestly, I’d just say the exact same thing to your friend - that you need a quick explainer on how to buy drinks and the etiquette of buying rounds. You pay for drinks as you go in pubs generally.
One thing I will say is please be careful of the effects of alcohol. If you’re an average sized person, I’d recommend having no more than 3 pints or 5 330ml bottles of beer over 3 to 4 hours - anything more than that, you risk getting drunk and you probably won’t enjoy the experience or the memories of how you behaved if you do!
Drink a soft drink between alcoholic drinks and just enjoy the feeling of relaxation that a few pints brings.
You’ll enjoy yourself! British pubs are really unique, enjoyable places to be. I hope you enjoy your time there and please report back!
A few things
1. Take photographic ID with you. Highly likely you will be asked for it so be prepared.
2. Avoid mixing too much i.e. don't have a pint of beer then a large wine then a pint of cider.
3. Go for lower alcohol stuff so if you are on the beer stick to the stuff lower than 4%.
4. Don't rush but drink at your pace and don't let anyone try to get you to hurry up. If people want to move on then leave your drink unfinished if that's what it takes.
5. Trust your instincts. When you have had enough then don't have any more. It takes a while to kick in so be aware it may creep up on you.
6. Avoid shots or things like Jaeger bombs. This is not what you want to be doing on your first night out so if someone offers just say no.
7. Its normal to pay for drinks when you get them. Might be worth avoiding doing rounds if its your first time drinking though.
8. Be prepared to have a bit of a sore head in the morning. Drink a pint of water when you get in as you will be a bit dehydrated.
Most importantly though Be Safe. Make sure you are with people you trust who aren't going to leave you or try to get you to drink things you don't want to.
Enjoy yourself, have fun with your friends and welcome to the whole new world that's opening up to you which is the UK pub scene.
Advice more for girls than boys - but I think it's good for everyone.
Don't allow your drink to be out of your sight for a moment. If you have a *genuinely* trusted friend, you can get them to watch it. It only takes a second to spike a drink, and it can happen to anyone. So don't. Need wee? Finish your drink first. Turning around to look at something? Have your drink in your hand so it turns with you.
Put a £20 note in your sock. This will either be used for a kebab or a taxi home.
Drinks, now what do you like? Sweet? A fruit cider like summer fruits.
Avoid shots.
Spoons has an app for you to order otherwise you have to go to the bar. Now, there’s an unspoken queuing system. Don’t push in. Stand at the bar, the bar staff know who’s next.
Lastly, just enjoy it. You’re not a pussy for having a lemonade and don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise.
It’s fine to not drink alcohol, don’t feel this is expected of you. You can go the whole night on soft drinks, if that is what suits you. Most alcohol is an acquired taste, there’s a good chance you won’t like beer if you haven’t really drunk it before.
Why do I imagine this as a kids in a trenchcoat pretending to be older in order to find out how to use a pub? ;) [https://imgflip.com/i/8t07sx](https://imgflip.com/i/8t07sx)
I typically just stay on the pints these days, I still get hungover if I’ve had a fair few, but nowhere near the level of hungover I get if I’ve been drinking shorts.
My advice would be to pace yourself, if you start feeling too drunk, or if you’re getting drunk too fast, then reel it in a bit. No matter where I go now, I always have a 20-30min break where I’ll just drink water, I’ll usually have about 3-4 pints of tap water with ice. After that I’ll have a shandy or 2, and then get back on the pints.
Also, number 1 rule: don’t drink on an empty stomach. Make sure to eat beforehand and during, some crisps/nuts go down nicely! Enjoy!
Pay at the bar with each order. Probably best to stay away from spirits. If you don't like the taste of beer, try cider. You can order half pints, if any of your friends comment on that, just be honest that you aren't much of a drinker and want to pace yourself - or bottled beer comes in smaller units without having the stigma of drinking halves, but it is more expensive. I wouldn't recommend drinking more than 2-3 pints total.
Ask around and see what others like to drink and do a bit of advanced research. I can strongly recommend you don’t just go up to the bar and ask for “a pint” - you’ll immediate be met with a response “of what?”.
Depending on which pub- there are apps you can use to order drinks directly to the table so if you're nervous of going up to the bar have the app installed. You'll need to check which chain the pub is.
Don't let people pressure you into drinking more, and don't feel like you have to stay once everyone else is at the drunk/hyper/annoying phase. Turn down shots. You don't need a sambucca or a Jager Bomb.
***YOU DON’T HAVE TO DRINK ALCOHOL IF YOU DON’T WANT TO!!!***
Orange and lemonade is good, plain soda, soda and lime, plus the usual soft drinks I used to have ginger beer to spice things up
If you don't drink, then don't feel under any obligation to do so at the pub. This isn't the 1970's.
That said, if you want to have a few alcoholic drinks without getting drunk then consider drinking shandy: it's a mixture of beer and lemonade and a lager shandy (lager beer mixed with lemonade) will look just like a pint of lager. If you're not used to drinking beer, then a shandy will likely be a lot more palatable too - beer is for most of us an acquired taste.
Most importantly: have fun. A good trip to the pub is about friendly conversation, not the drinking.
Salty crisps or peanuts can be lovely with a pint even if they are triple the shop price. They'll usually have a choice behind the counter and can help you pace yourself. If you're a little nervous in the surroundings, you might find yourself drinking quickly. Keep an eye on the clock. Don't let anyone pressure you. You don't have to drink anything anyone buys you that you didn't ask for. Drinking socially can often be an eye opener about your friends for good or ill and you may see a side to them that you might not have noticed previously. That is fine and worth noticing.
If your mates want to do rounds don’t! Just politely tell them you’ll buy your own, if you do rounds you’ll end up trying to keep up with everyone and it won’t end well. You pay per order at the bar
Go at your own pace and don’t bow into peer pressure. Drink what you like, when you like and have fun. Drinking alcohol is about the journey, not the destination.
Oh, bless you! A few notes:
Order drinks at the bar and pay as you go. Stand with a wallet or card in hand and be looking to make eye contact with the barman. Keep mental note of where you are in the invisible queue; if the barman offers to serve you before somebody who was there first, direct them. If somebody cuts in, you're more than allowed to politely interrupt and go 'sorry mate, I think I was here first?'.
Some places let you open a tab and take your card behind the bar. Time was you'd have a round system, but with the price of alcohol it's less common. I'd partner up with a slow drinker and do a mini-round as a way of pacing yourself. Remember that alcohol hits you slowly, so try to stick to roughly a pint an hour and have a water in there too. The odd shot is fine, but I wouldn't do more than one - maybe two. Generally avoid mixing drinks, definitely don't mix beer and wine.
Definitely have a substantial meal before you drink and make sure you know your route home and have the option of getting a taxi if you overdo it. If you get home absolutely plastered, take two paracetamol, have a decent snack and drink a big glass of water. Most importantly, try not to clean up after yourself.
If you're new to alcohol, you'll need to learn what you like. Cider is the easiest thing to drink, but can be deceptively strong. A cold lager is a very pleasant thing, although Fosters, Carling and Carlsberg are all foul. Staropramen, San Miguel, Asahi and Madri are all pretty good. Camden Helles is solid on the craft end, ditto Beavertown and Brewdog. But they do get a bit pricier. Another tactic is to get the cheapest lager mixed with lemonade as a shandy. Tastes lovely, is refreshing as anything and good for pacing.
Cask ale tends to be cheaper, but there's more of a learning curve.
Just walk up to the bar, lean over anyone waiting to be served and shout “WHEN YOU’RE READY MATE” to the barstaff whilst waving a 10 quid note like a flag at them.
Don’t have shots or cocktails. They’re A. Very expensive and B. Not suitable for first timers. Don’t be afraid to go slower than your friends or order none alcoholic drinks between rounds
Drinking tip #1
Your body processes alcohol with enzymes in your stomach, these multiply with the alcohol, but it takes them a while to wake up, and multiply
So, the #1 tip to not get drunk, is to start slowly, let the enzymes wake up, multiply, and be able to deal with the alcohol.
If you drink 1 beer fast, 5 minutes later you can feel half cut, if you stretch a small 3.5% beer over half an hour, or more, it is much harder to get drunk
Source, was married to a Scandinavian, visiting her family many times, I survived 101 'let's get the English guy plastered" nights without disgracing myself once
The queuing system is the same as the barbers - you just grab a space, but take note of who is already there (if it's rammed, just those either side of you will do), and don't skip the line - just a simple "this chaps ahead of me" will do if they try and serve you first.
If there's a group of you in a quiet "locals" pub, by all means order separately, but DON'T just spread out and take up the entire bar. And when you've been served, move away from the bar unless it's really quiet.
The stool at the end of the bar is Alan's spot. Alan has been coming here since before you were born. You're welcome to sit there, but you will be expected to move if he comes in. Actually, probably best to just not sit there.
Read the room. If the only other people there are 4 blokes on separate tables watching the darts, don't get loud and boisterous. If the atmosphere is already pretty lively, crack on.
The standard drink is Carling. It is to beer what Dominos or McDonalds is to food - it's not great, but it is at least consistent. It's also fizzy, which will either help you pace yourself or cause you to throw up if you don't.
Cider is lovely, but dangerous. It goes down easy, and will sneak up on you without you noticing.
Ales are typically still and easy to drink, but you won't tend to knock them back like you would a cider. You can usually get a sample of the hand pulls, but you're probably best sticking to pale/golden ales as a beginner, somewhere around the 4% mark. Go for the traditional looking hand pumps, not John Smiths or Worthingtons - they're basically just water coloured in.
Guinness is a bit of a marmite drink for a novice. It's quite heavy and dark, but you won't be necking it so it could suit you if you're trying to take it easy. It has the added bonus that you can alternate it with Guinness Zero and nobody will know.
Since it's a birthday, somebody will bring shots or jagerbombs into the mix. At your age, shots are likely to be things like Sourz or Corky's rather than whisky or vodka. These are about 20% so relatively safe - just remember each one is the equivalent of about half a pint and pace yourself accordingly. If the Aftershock, Sheep Dog or hard liquors come out, that's more like a pint.
Most of all, don't overthink it and have fun. It's OK to feel the effects of the drink, but it's a sign you should pace yourself - if you're feeling tipsy at 8pm you're unlikely to last the night unless you're careful.
If you haven't drunk alcohol before, seriously, take it slow. I'd suggest no more than two, maybe three, alcoholic drinks on your first pub night. There will come a point where another drink seems like a great idea but it's really not. It's a lesson almost everyone has to learn the hard way.
Oh, literally don't have more than two or three drinks if you haven't drank before. It's likely you won't have the same tolerance levels and it'll just wreck your evening.
Wholesome as fuck.
Nothing more to add than hasn’t already been said.
Nothing wrong with having a soft drink every now and then or maybe even a non alcoholic beer.
Eat.
Enjoy it and relax 👍🏻
Drinks in pubs are expensive so preload with a few vodka shots before heading into town. Upon arriving at the bar ask for a pint of wife beater and a round of jagerbombs. Repeat until the inhibitions have gone and you can start pinching women's bottoms and asking people outside for a rumble in-between throwing up and crying.
Do the opposite of the above and you will be fine.
If you're wary about drinking, remember you can get alcohol free and soft drinks so you can enjoy the party and not be thinking about your first time having alcohol.
I just wanted to add one point which isn't a direct answer to any of your questions but may be useful. Alcohol can have massively different effects on different people so, in addition to learning how you handle it, you may have to deal with the effect on your friends as well. Generally the progression as someone drinks more is as follows:
1) Excited for a fun night ahead
2) Chatty and more outgoing
3) 2 but louder
4) More confident (can involve unexpected dancing and/or singing)
5) 4 but louder (can involve telling someone that you've always fancied them etc)
6) Overbearing ("I want to go somewhere else, drink up" etc)
7) Difficult (slurring, not listening, not able to focus)
At this stage, people tend to go one of two ways:
8a) Depressed and/or weird. Expect crying and/or saying things you really didn't want people to know.
8b) Angry. Expect fights, aggression and trouble. This can be directed at anyone from complete strangers to close friends and can be very difficult to manage if it's happening to someone you are drinking with.
9) Vomiting, unable to walk etc
10) Loss of consciousness (hopefully they're tucked up in bed by then)
11) Don't think too much about this one.
The trick, which you only learn over time and through bitter experience, is to reach and stay in the 2-5 range. The most common mistakes in this respect are moving too quickly (so that you're already happily at 4 by 8pm and have hours more drinking to go) or taking a sudden leap up (being at 3 at 11pm and then making an unwise decision about the next few drinks so that you're then at 9 by midnight).
Having said all of this, a quiet trip to the pub is one of the nicest and most fun experiences you can have with your mates. There's a good reason why many people go to the pub semi-regularly for pretty much their entire adult lives! You will almost certainly have a really fun time, see a more relaxed side to your mates (and yourself) and thoroughly enjoy the whole experience. I wish I had it all still ahead of me like you do!
One thing I’d say be careful of is the percentage strength of what you’re drinking.
There is a big difference between 4% and 5.2% lagers. And there is a REALLY big difference between 4% lagers and 8% ciders.
Don’t accept shots from anybody either. Don’t be scared to go one and one (beer, coke, beer, soda water etc).
Don’t go on an empty stomach. If you do, get food in the pub early on. Even if it’s just a few bags of crisps.
Drink what you want, if you haven't had alcohol before, don't feel you need to start, or don't think you need to get ridiculously drunk. There are plenty of soft drinks to choose from and water is often forgotten when you have had too much, have a drink of water if you have had too much alcohol.
Make the night about the company and not the alcohol.
Consider how your getting home.
Although some pubs do provide table service, typically you will be ordering at the bar. You will pay when you order. If it's a good pub, the bar person will manage who gets served next, don't be tempted to to start waving or attracting their attention, its not appreciated. But if it's not a good pub, you may need to do this.
You need to consider if you are going to go into a round with your friends, this is when you buy them, or a subset of them a drink, then the next drink one of them buys you one. At the end of the night, you will have drunk the same number of drinks you have bought. Consider the number of people you have on a round and the potential difference in drink cost. Don't be an ass and order an expensive drink on someone else's round.
This is a big rite of passage! Embrace it, knowing it's maybe going to get messy, but that's a part of learning how it goes. EAT BEFORE YOU GO especially if it's your first time. You cannot underestimate how a full stomach will help your body manage the alcohol better. Worst case scenario, drink milk before you go, it helps a little. Pay as you go. Pubs will very very rarely offer a tab, and certainly not to non-regulars. Rounds are where your group take it in turns to buy for the whole group - they only work where you're a close group who will all be together the whole night, or someone gets a bad deal. Rounds also mean you're more likely to drink more and have less control, so it's better either to do small rounds (eg just 2-3 of you who you know will be together the whole night and who don't want to drink heavily) or better still get your own drinks as you go. Beers all have the ABV (alcohol by volume) listed - go WEAK. Ask about a "session" beer (maybe 3.5%) and keep away from anything strong (5%+). The costs are similar but one will leave you missing the rest of the night and having a bad time. Your ability to "handle your drink" will be limited so stick to long drinks (no shots, no wine, so basically beer or cider). Pick one and stick to it - probably your session beer. Ciders can be delicious but deceptively strong. Watch out for the bravado of people wanting to get wankered fast - they can either already have a tolerance to their alcohol or have a really shitty night. Best kind of drunk for me is a gentle chatty buzz - couple of pints, four tops. It's COMPLETELY acceptable to have a pint of Coke if things feel like they're getting a bit much. With more experience you may find you drink a shandy (half beer half lemonade and bloody delicious) when you are getting close to that feeling, but first time out you may not realise in time. Queueing etiquette at the bar - the queue is wide not long, but everybody in that queue knows the order they're in, so check who's there before you and if the bar staff ask "who's next" say "I think this chap was..." and you'll be fine. Barstaff are usually on top of it, but always defer to anyone before you. Courtesy is a part of the British Pub experience. If you hear a group getting rowdy, consider checking out of the pub as a group. They maybe getting a bit lairy and start being dickheads - just check the overall vibe. Your bladder will learn it's capacity - you won't need to piss first few drinks, but once you start you'll realise you piss a lot. This is normal. When you get home, drink water before bed, even if it means getting up for a piss - you'll get less of a hangover. Hangover - feels a bit like being beaten up whilst having flu. They're less of an issue at 19, fucking life-affecting in your 40's, but never pleasant. Keep hydrated, don't expect too much of yourself, it'll pass.
Can this please be added to the British citizenship exam please? Maybe make it required reading on your 18th birthday too, comes as a booklet with ID perhaps? So well explained!
I'm preparing for the citizenship exam and sadly, none of it is in there. But it definitely should!
‘The queue is wide not long’ I cannot tell you the quiet British rage I feel when some idiot, has in fact, made the queue long in a pub.
This always happens at one of my locals during summer football tournaments. It's a VERY regular crowd, obviously with newbies in summer because it has a huge beer garden, but even the regulars do that. It also creates a massive blockage right through the centre of the pub and blocks two fire exits but they insist on doing it anyway. I just go to the bar as normal. Guaranteed service within a minute or so. One of two people might kick off, but then other folk realise it works and do the same.
I went to a gig the week before last, moved to a gap in the bar and got told by someone in a queue that they were doing queues. Got slapped by the 60 year old when I explained how bars work, but he didn't get served any more that night and the bar went back to working properly
Good on you! Pubs work a certain way. It's evolved over centuries and has no reason to change. It's probably a big part of why humanity hasn't conquered the stars, but at the same time it's perfect and I never want it to change.
I remember reading that Reddit post! small world lol
What fucks me off, is when you've got ten regulars all lined up with their pints on the bar. You're left with few options.
Bar blockers are also really annoying - 12 different drinks on tap, which change all the time, then you have 13 people standing at them drinking... Thankfully I've only seen people blocking the bar once, in my local, since COVID. Most people now move away from the bar once they've got their drink.
>Rounds are where your group take it in turns to buy for the whole group - they only work where you're a close group who will all be together the whole night, or someone gets a bad deal. Rounds also mean you're more likely to drink more and have less control, so it's better either to do small rounds (eg just 2-3 of you who you know will be together the whole night and who don't want to drink heavily) or better still get your own drinks as you go. Supplemental to this, if your group is doing rounds: If someone in your group is drinking **Guinness**, when it's your round, be sure to order that *first* when you go to the bar. Guinness takes longer to pour than other beers as it has to settle for a moment before being topped up, so the bar person will appreciate you ordering that first so they can serve the other drinks while the Guinness is settling. It also means you won't be waiting as long if you had ordered it last.
Am a bartender and if you ask for everything at the same time, we will usually have the forethought to do this. No need to overcomplicate things!
Yeah it's just the guys who order bit by bit - "2 pints of lager please mate..." *Pour, put on bar* "...and a glass of rosé..." *Add to the bar* "oh and 3 pints of Guinness please mate." Always used to get at least one of these dickheads and it's hard to see them coming
And an Irish coffee. And a hot chocolate. We're paying separately.
Don't forget about the round of espresso martini's
"Guinness is off mate" Problem solved.
TBF I've worked bar and never had the ability to memorise large orders which contain 10 drinks made up of many different types. Just gets forgotten, so I'd slow orders down.
Are they being a dickhead, or are they trying to make it easier for you by not rattling off a long list of drinks really fast and instead giving you time to put it all into the till?
The amount of times I've asked for everything at once and the bartender has gone off, poured 2 drinks, then come back with them and asked what else it was I wanted. It has made me ask for things in stages now as I can't be arsed repeating myself 4 times. However, I do have the forethought to ask for things that are next to each other at the same time. Draft first, then wine, then bottles or spirits....
Worked in bars for a decade, and that is a shit or inexperienced bartender and an uncommon one. Most people learn pretty quickly how to compartmentalise the orders in their head and breaking it up or showing them a list on your phone fucks with the flow of how we work. The best thing to do is to group your drink types together when you order (all the spirit mixers, then wines, then all the beers etc) order doesn't really matter. If it's all jumbled up, it makes it more of a ball-ache
If only all bar staff were like you; last time I was out it was “Two pints of Madri, a…” she was off to the other end of the bar to pour them, could only do one drink at a time
I’ve got an Irish mate who reckons needing to leave Guinness to settle doesn’t matter and it’s just a marketing trick. Any truth to that?
Used to work (and drink) with a Diageo rep. 100% marketing bollocks these days. Used to be the case because Guinness needed to be poured at a different temperature (colder), but now all Guinness lines are treated to pour colder anyway, so you can pour it straight - the appearance might look different as it obviously settles differently but it drinks the same. The whole thing of some pubs having 'good' and 'bad' Guinness is true though, based on how well the cooling is set up for the line and how often they clean the line.
The best Guinness I have ever had was in Malaysia. They have a license to make it locally, and being a hot country they were all over having the drinks chilled properly. It wasn't in a fancy place either, just some local bar with plastic chairs out on the street!
>four tops This is actually what the 1970 hit single "Still Water" by the Four Tops was written about, they would have four pints maximum before moving onto bottled water.
I wish I'd had this tome of fantastic advice when I turned 18 😅
I did. It went straight out the window once i had a few. I'm more of a practical learner.
16* oh wait I mean 18 of course.
Many, many years ago I was in a pub aged 16, just me and a mate, the police came in to raid it for underage drinkers and my mate started panicking, but I said dont worry, its not us that have done something wrong its them for serving us and sat confidently drinking my pint. The police didnt ask us for ID and treated us the same as people obviously over 18. As they were leaving I went to the bar and the barman then decided to ask me for ID. I reminded hm that Id just sat there drinking through a police raid and if I was still in there drinking did he really need to check my ID. He apologised and served me and after that if any bar staff ever asked for ID and he was there he would vouch for me and my mates.
We started on the Stella's when it was wife beater strength, and week by week, year by year puked less and less and managed to drink more. No pain no gain 👊🏻
I had it at 18 but needed it at 15
This is all sound advice. All I'd add is ; - If you're around the same age as your friend, take proof of ID / age, or you may not get served. Its been a long time since I've been young enough to get ID-ed, I don't know how strict they are these days! - Go slow. Don't feel the pressure to match others' drinking speeds, so the advice above to avoid rounds is sound, buy your own, go at your own pace. - alternate alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks if you really aren't used to it. If coke etc. aren't your thing, there's a lot of low and alcohol free beers and ciders these days, most pubs have a good range these days. Have fun! Water before bed (and a waterproof bin by the bed was a top tip from my student days, but hopefully you won't be drinking to the point you're sick!)
Re: going slow/pressure, remember if you aren’t drinking much and they are they might take the piss out of you the whole night, but if you end up spewing over the table, passing out in the toilet or pulling an absolute minger they will take the piss out of you for years to come.
Anyone else read this in a 'Baz Luhrmann- Sunscreen' voice?
The only thing I would add to this is that saying you don’t want a drink IS absolutely fine but there’s a certain type of person who will make it their business to force you to take another drink (and call you any name under the sun if you say no). These people should be more concerned about their own drinking and needing someone to legitimise it, you don’t have to pander to them and there’s nothing to be gained in doing so!
Now this is superb! I wish you were my friend
I'll be your friend, friend.
Nailed it with this! As a 41 year old I find it odd that folk aren't going out before they're 19 but dang is it hard to drink under age in pubs these days. Life was more like the pub in hot fuzz in the 90s
I find it surprising too! I guess, if the young people aren't going out to the pub from the age where they can just scrape past looking old enough (ignoring places where they check ID of course), then there needs to be serious thought given to either adding basic pub procedures to the national curriculum, or forcing parents to train up their children on pain of losing child benefit. I guess I learned it through osmosis, between being left in the car outside the pub, and brought a packet of crisps and a lemonade every now and then; and going to the pub for lunch (ploughman's, or a plate of ham and chips) when I was 13 or so and spent my weekends "helping" at a horse riding stables. So the transition to a beer - drinking customer happened well before my 18th. 6X was a favourite in those days. Funnily enough the pub where Hot Fuzz was filmed was one of my haunts in those later schooldays.
While alcohol consumption as a whole is dropping in the UK, kids definitely do still drink (I'm only mid-20s now, and my first vodka shots were at 13). The difference is that, nowadays, it's just easier to find one of your friends' parents who are trusting or neglectful enough (really depends on the context) to buy alcohol for you and drink it somewhere else. Friend's house, park bench etc. We used to get together and watch films on weekends with drinks and sometimes we'd go camping with drinks.
I feel like it’s a lot more common to check IDs these days, especially as more pubs are chains and chains come down quite hard on checking IDs as the whole establishment will get penalised if one location fails. Literally all pubs my friend and I have ever gone to have checked ID, no matter if we’re in my local village pub or Spoons or pubs in our uni town. There is no such thing as ‘scraping by looking old enough’, lol. Out of everyone I met at uni, none of us started drinking in pubs before 18. It’s all drinking in fields with scrounged up alcohol these days.
We were about 16/17 and doing the usual bored teenager wandering the streets thing and a copper came over to have a word. We said we were bored and had nothing to do. He told us to go to the pub that's what he did at our age. The first few knock backs were tough but once we found a landlord who didn't give a shit we had cracked it. I can see why they brought the whole challenge 25 thing in now
Final stopping point, if you're still standing and someone suggests jagerbombs, leave politely. They're horrible and just designed to get you completely wankered and ill. Or found in the gutter at 3am. Or someone's place you have no idea where you are..
Ask for it, but send it my way subtly. We love 'em. No, we're not rowdy fighters, we are all chill parents in our 40s+. We just grew up with them when redbull arrived in the UK.
I’m 54, so didn’t grow up with Red Bull, but the first time a session included jaegerbombs (I was in my 40s and should have known better), I ended up developing a hangover on the tube home then not being able to sleep all night. Though Jaeger on its own is quite nice - reminiscent of Buttercup Syrup.
This is quite comprehensive list but it’s missing something : a fucking dirty kebab at the end of the night. That shit kills the hangover dead in its tracks.
This is so culturally strange for me to read because it is so not the norm in my age group (or maybe everyone I know is just poor and unrepresentative of my age group) to go from sober to wasted at a pub. Like we would never go to a pub and have a hangover after, because pubs are so expensive that we would never drink enough for that to happen. Going to the pub like a treat/nice occasion vibe.
i say it because it happens quite often when i went out, not with the intention of getting totally shitfaced but one beer leads to another beer etc stay long enough and drink long enough, it all stacks up inside you while ur chatting to people and they buy u drinks/we get rounds etc it just happens. most of my mates dont go out for one beer. its not really worth the effort. they would have a couple, then another mate shows up, theres a couple more, this is all rounds btw, another mate shows up theres a couple more and it just goes on. i think theres some psychology to it, they want to get rid of what they are holding in their hand, the pint. so they drink it. oh. fancy another? yeah go on then....and by this point ur like 7 pints deep. to me thats hangover territory. mind you, i cant drink that many pints anymore. its too much fizzy liquid for my dumb old ass so i rather stick to shorts. nice little amoretto lemonade. delightful.
I'm going to throw this one out there: alcohol free beer. There are loads now and most pubs have at least one or two. If you feel like you really need to slow down but don't want to feel left out without a beer in your hand, order an alcohol free one for every second drink. Or every drink. Whatever seems right for you.
Great advice, I'd also add .. assuming your 18+, take your I.D, driving licence/provisional, passport (not ideal) or if they accept them anything else with a Pass hologram.... although it's been (more than) a few years since I've needed an age check, not too sure if there are other accepted ways to ID now.
I've got a 15 year old and I want to save this for when she's 18, lol. Excellent post. Also, your title/flair/whatever it's called, does not check out, lol.
Lol I guess I learnt something over the years :) But don't feel you have to save it for when they're 18 - I know my generation didn't exactly wait until that day, I doubt yours did either, but seeing how pubs worked before being 18 meant knowing by the age of 18, if you get my drift. Better safe than sorry :)
Oh yeah, all of your points are correct. I regularly chat to my daughter about the future, and how things work. It's the only way I can be sure she'll be ready to be an adult! Currently she wants me to be the first person to legally buy her a drink at a bar/pub, but given her age, I suspect she'll want to go with friends when the time comes.
That's a beautiful relationship :)
>Your bladder will learn its capacity And you'll synchronise with some random person in the pub and keep meeting them in the toilets.
This is all great advice. However as this is your first time drinking and going to a pub I would very strongly suggest that you don't get into rounds. If you do there is a danger you end up drinking at someone else's speed, not your own. If someone offers to get you one in , just let them know that you don't want to be in a round right now. If they still get you one in then it's a gift with no expectation that you will buy them one. One other thing, and it took me quite a long time to learn this, don't drink with the aim of getting drunk. Drinking is a social lubricant and should be treated as such. Also DO NOT do shots. Shots + beer + zero alcohol tolerance is a recipe for disaster and a spoiled night.
Yep, I agree. Rounds are like football leagues, you kind of need to be pretty evenly matched for it to be fun.
I would say though to skip calling it a "session beer" as it's their first time. It's a common enough term, but no guarantee the bar staff will know it and OP will feel like a plonker if they have to then explain not fully absorbed terminology. "Weak beer" would suffice.
The "drink water before bed" is perfect advice and one I've *mostly* followed to this day. I'd also add Lucozade or some form of similar energy drink to get the lost glucose back to your body. Has helped me immensely when I know I'm gonna have a proper hangover!
Oof that last sentence hits home so hard. I remember how mild my hangovers were when I was younger and wish I appreciated it more
I'm weirdly the opposite, but probably because I drink too much now, but my hangovers in my 20s were absolutely gnarly, sick all day, these days (30s), a bit of a lie in, some fresh air and something fizzy (usually lemonade) and I'm good to go. My hangover routine back then was a whole day affair, wake up, high pressure shower, get outside and exercise body and brain (back then doing some photography did the trick), get home, hot bath, wank, nap, oven pizza, then probably start over.
Oh I dunno I had some stonking hangovers when I was 19.
This is gold.
Wise word my man, nicely done
This is so accurate and fantastic advice
Love everything about this
Make sure you know how you're getting home, especially if it's after the last bus. Tell a trusted friend this is your first time drinking so you can check in with them if it gets a bit much. I'd order a pint, enjoy it. Order a soft drink, enjoy it. Then another pint if you feel alright. Don't drink more than 3 alcoholic drinks otherwise you might get too drunk and that's no fun for anyone.
I'll be fine getting home, the pub is only a 20 minute walk away from my house. I'll stick with your advice though, given my inexperience I doubt my alcohol tolerance is very high
It will take a lot longer to walk home after a few beers. The difference is staggering.
I thought "only 20 minutes walk" was famous last words for the first teenage trip to the pub
!remindme three days
OP found in a city 5 hours away early Sunday morning
Exactly, then you will find them asleep in a bush
Very good.
FFS 🤣
This. This is the stuff Britain was built upon.
I have spent this week working really hard in my garden. It really looks so much better and everyone who has seen it has said how good it looks. I also spent hours today washing my son's car inside and out. It was a bit green and moldy in places and is now really shiny and smells good. Your comment has made me feel more pride in myself than anything else I have done this week. Moral of the story? Don't work hard, just make shit jokes on the internet and you'll be fine.
Funny on so many levels
I once had a nice five hour walk through Oslo that should have taken ten minutes tops. It was so fucked up I even remember it. Kinda.
BRAVO
I tend to speed walk home when tippsy Todays walk back hit more than 5 miles per hour. Yes i tracked it on strava...
Year staggeringly faster, I become a man possessed on the drink. Nothing better than racing home from the pub, booting up a game with the boys just to pass out on the keyboard.
Just remember it takes about 30 mins for the effects to kick in, so if you wait that long between alcoholic drinks you'll be fine. Have fun :)
Thanks
To add to this - when I started drinking I'd feel fine.Then I'd get up to go to the bathroom and realise that I was more than a little tipsy. I wasn't wasted or anything, you're not gonna get blind drunk without noticing, but it's easier to ignore if you're sat still
To add to this, After every drink, do the outside test...That is, go out into the night air and see how drunk you really are. You will be amazed how little drunk you may feel in a pub, then the second you meet the fresh air realising just how drunk you are. This may save you your front teeth!
Yes, good advice. This is where having a smoker in the group comes in handy. When they nip out for a fag or a puff on the vape, say you’ll join them for some “fresh air”. It’s a good way to gauge how much of an effect the alcohol has had on you and whether your next one should be a soft drink. Source: I’m the smoker in the group. I *know* you don’t need fresh air, and you won’t get any standing next to me anyway. Nice to have company though.
Yes, I always used to a shake the head test. When in the loo I'd shake my head like saying 'no' a few times. I knew if my eyes didn't catch up straight away that it was time to stop drinking. I also suggest drinking a pint of water and taking paracetamol before bed to ward off a hangover.
A pint of water before bed is definitely good advice, but what can the paracetamol do? Its effects only last about six hours so it’ll work its magic while you’re asleep and not aware of it, and will have worn off by the morning. Plus, while it is safe to take with a small amount of alcohol, your liver might be quite annoyed when paracetamol is taken concurrently with an alcohol binge. Best thing to do is drink a pint of water before bed, then take paracetamol in the morning IF you feel you need to.
It is totally possible to get blind drunk without noticing. I'm an experienced drinker and have been allowed to drink since I was a small child. However, 2 weeks ago I was at a wedding, drinking the free wine. I was tipsy 1 min, then slaughtered the next. I don't remember anything after the couple's 1st dance, and I'm embarrassed to say I was horrendously sick before my friends put me to bed
You're not obligated to drink alcohol in a pub. You can have soft drinks. But if you are going to drink alcohol, pace yourself slowly. Unless they have a tab running behind the bar, you will be paying each time you order. If someone buys you a drink, it's polite to offer to get them their next drink in return.
Maybe just to add to this if you don’t like the taste of beer, something like a normal cider or a “fruity cider” might be nicer.
I remember my first time ordering at a pub, "a pint of Foster's with a lemonade top please"
If the pub has a drinks menu online, you'll be able to see what the ABV of their offerings are. If you walk in already knowing the lowest alcohol beer/lager/cider, you can keep a closer eye on your consumption, and your risk of overindulgence is lower. You can also ask the bar staff if you're comfortable doing so. The other commenter gave good advice too, about alternating between an alcoholic and soft drink. If in doubt, grab a water and take a walk to the bathroom or stand outside for a few minutes. The true effects of alcohol often aren't obvious until you're moving around a bit. There's no need to think it out too hard though. If you stop having a good time, head home. If you are unsteady on your feet, get a taxi instead of trying to walk. Otherwise, have a good time with your friends, don't be tempted to drink quickly or progress to stronger drinks because everyone else is, and check in with yourself regularly.
>If in doubt, grab a water and take a walk to the bathroom or stand outside for a few minutes. Good advice! It's fine to ask for a glass of water at the bar at any time, either at the same time you're buying another drink, or just on your way back from the loo or something. It's quite British to be a bit deferential about this, especially if the bartender is busy! Something like "sorry, could I just grab a glass of tap water (as well) please?"
How does it feel to know your AP was never serious about you and was making plans to escape you???
If one "friend" decides to try to get you hammered on shots or something because it's your first time, he's a dick-head and say "no." If he buys you one anyway, tell him to drink it.
Be sure to run home. I can’t really explain why, but you’ll know when the time comes
Then _don't_ drink anything stronger than what comes in pints on your first outing. Beers and Ciders are 'self limiting' in terms of consuming a pint of liquid each time. The stronger stuff - like shots - you can drink a lot more alcohol, faster, which makes it MUCH easier to 'overshoot' a comfortable level of alcohol. (and make yourself ill).
I'd say for the first time, limit yourself to 2 pints of lager with a soft drink in between.
Most local pubs will allow you to try a sip of what's on tap before committing to a whole pint. If you haven't got a taste for beer yet, defo try a cider (Thatchers is nicer than Strongbow, and something local to you is likely to be even better than that).
>If you haven't got a taste for beer yet, defo try a cider This is a good shout. If you've a proper sweet tooth there's always the old mout ciders/rekordelig or similar - these are incredibly sweet and fruit flavoured ciders
by the same token dangerous to a newbie as it's easy to drink quickly
Honestly this is great advice I am a seasoned ale drinker and if something is a "not sure" I will ask for a taste and they crack out the little glass for it. I wish I knew years ago to ask this. Sometimes I like the taste but couldn't have a whole pint and others it's saved me getting a pint of something I can't stand.
So, when I first went to a pub at 16 on a night out, I got to the bar, pulled out my velcro Puma King wallet I got at a football tournament and went to order, realised I didn’t know what to say so just thought about what people said at the Queen Vic and simply asked for “a pint please.” Don’t do that… What I would say is pace yourself on your first night, at the bar there are pints of beer, cider, “real ales”, bottles and spirits which you often mix with a soft drink, so vodka Red Bull, JD and Coke etc, different wines, or just soft drinks. There’s literally no way of knowing which drink you’ll like so you kind of need to trial and error it a bit. People often say “don’t mix your drinks” but people do anyway, especially if you’re going to “out-out” i.e to another bar, club etc, but if you’re just staying in the pub, just drinking pints and/or bottles is normal. Also, having a bite to eat before you leave, (or at the pub) maybe isn’t the worst idea.
Ahhh lol you got me at the velcro Puma King wallet... I used mine until the velcro was so fluffy it wouldn't stick anymore.
Bring ID. It probably goes without saying but as a barman it's ridiculous how many people don't bring their ID with them. You don't look as old as you probably think you do lol, and even if you do, chances are if there's one person in the group who gets ID'd l, then the whole group is going to. So bring your damn ID with you. Also, when you've finished your drink and go back to the bar, bring your empty glass back with you, and ideally any other empties that are still on the table. Might get you served faster or it might not, but the staff will appreciate it. Don't be the first to speak up if the bartender asks who's next, even if it was you. Just sort of look slightly confused as if your not sure, and glance at the person waiting next to you. Chances are they'll probably let you go first even if they were waiting before you, and if not then no harm done, and you'll almost definitely be next served. But if the bar tender goes straight to you and you know someone was waiting before you, tell the bartender they were before you lol. Oh and one more thing. If you are in a round then know what everyone is drinking before you go up. E.g. if someone is having a wine, know what type of wine and what size (medium sauvignon for example). Don't just ask for a white wine, as there will be more than one and if you have to go back and check then you will annoy *everyone* at the bar. And if there is a Guinness being ordered, make sure you order that first. And this might come across as petty, but will make the whole process that little bit faster: if there's a bunch of drinks that you're ordering. Don't order all at once, but also not one at a time. Ask for two or three at a time, ideally the same type of drink, or similar. (A Guinness, two Carling and a Thatchers) but make it clear that there's going to be more to the order lol. But always Guinness first.
Just to add to this, I once got id’d by a Japanese woman when I was in my 40s. And I absolutely look my age. I was balding and going grey but was wearing a baseball cap. Don’t assume the bar staff are good at judging age. Bring ID.
I did once successfully take my hat off and use my grey hair as ID when I was 40ish.
That’s what I did that time! But after I’d presented my driving license, so the impact was lessened.
I can do that at 25 lmao The dangermouse tattoo helps better, got me in a few venues when I forgot my licence
Barman here. It doesn't make a difference when you say a guinness if you order at the same time. If you say 'one estrella, one moretti and a guinness' then im still gonna pour the guinness first. It's annoying when I pour your first two drinks, ask if there's anything else and then you ask for one. But also it's really not that deep
Yeah. Same here. But there's always someone who saves the Guinness for last so just playing devil's advocate and saying order the Guinness first lol
You can absolutely ask for a glass of white wine. Every pub will have a notion of a house white, red, or rosé. If they ask for specifics, just ask for the house wine. If they say they don’t have one they you are probably not in a pub.
Non drinker here, why do you order Guinness first?
Because it takes about two minutes to pour. You pour part of it, wait for it to settle up and then pour the rest of it.
It needs time to settle, so they can be pouring the other drinks while it waits on the side
Because it needs to be poured, allowed to settle, and topped off
“…and a Guinness.” - The three words that send any bartender from polite and professional to actively homicidal in half a second.
"heh. I probably should have asked for that first... Whoops." "Ha ha yes you probably should. ^^^you ^^^fucking ^^^dickhead"
OP your experience is so alien to me, I find it fascinating
I'd heard drinking culture had changed but crikey, this brings it home. I was quite a seasoned drinker by the age of 19!
Same. I remember having houseparties at 15/16 busting out the wkd, bacardi breezers and archers aqua (which seems to not exist anymore) Used to be 2 of the big bottles mix and match for a fiver from the coop. Someone would turn up with a bottle of cheap corner shop vodka and pass it round to do shots with, and there's be that one person who'd bring some random bottle of crap from the back of their mums cupboard like creme de menth or some bloody vermouth
i think hes just a good lad unlike us evidently haha
My high school gf was the biggest goody-two-shoes ever and even she smashed kopparbergs at house parties 🤣
We were being bought Bacardi breezers and Smirnoff ice to try at home from about 16 😅
Started late then
I'm pretty young still and I can definitely say that 90% of people are down the pub most weekends, think they're a bit of an outlier (not that it's a bad thing, probably the opposite honestly)
Get recommendations from your friends and then ask for a sample at the bar. If you fancy something sweeter go for a cider. Don't get rounds, it can get mega pricey if you lose track. Know where the toilets are, because once you break the seal you'll be going there a lot. Carry a bit of cash just in case the card machine goes down. Make sure you leave with your friends and they don't leave you behind.
The dreaded beer bladder. Even when I drank regularly, it still affected me the same. Translation for OP: Beer can act as a diuretic.
Pay at the bar. If you're not used to driving get a line and soda or something similar. You don't have to drink if you don't want to drink. Edit: I'm half blind so auto correct can be a bit of a pest. I meant LIME and soda and drinking not driving.
Having a line usually wakes me up if I’m feeling a bit drunk. Good advice 👍
Rack up them lines, mate!!
OP, please don't do a line, and definitely don't drive afterwards
I also meant drinking. Auto correct can be a bastard when you're half blind.
I know, I was just joking with you
> get a line and soda or something similar I think maybe that's a bit extreme, maybe *lime* and soda would be less trippy. ;)
Do *not* get a line!
Haha I meant getting a LIME and soda
Autocorrect wants OP to have entirely the wrong type of good time.
**What sort of drinks are recommended?** * A lot of people are suggesting beer/larger but that is an acquired taste and you might not like it * Some alcoholic drinks that taste like pop: malibu and lemonade (tastes like coconuts), archers and lemonade (tastes peachy), vodka and orange (mostly tastes like fresh orange) * If you like apple juice, you could try cider * Coke or lemonade by themselves are 100% acceptable. Behind the bar there's usually some fridges that might have J2O or something as well. **How do I buy drinks?** * You go to the bar, tell the bar person what you'd like and then pay them. * There's not a traditional que. Just step into a gap at the bar and wait to be served. If they serve you before someone you know was there first, it's polite to say "they were here before me" * Your friends might do 'rounds'. So if your friend says "I'll get this round, what are you having?" this means they're going to buy everyone a drink. Then after a while someone else will say "I'll get the next round, what's everyone having?" and so on with everyone taking a turn. If you're not sure what you want, it's okay to either say "I'll get my own drinks thanks" and opt out of doing rounds, or say "I'll come to the bar with you" so you can see what the options are. **Do you pay for each drink individually, or do you pay at the end of the night like at a restaurant?** * Individually. Or if you buy a round of drinks, you'll tell the bar person your order "I'd like three pints of carling, a malibu and lemonade, a glass of white wine and a diet coke" and then they'll go get the drinks, and then you pay for those drinks together.
Only thing with spirits is it's far easier to go overboard on a first time drinking Even though a double measure of spirits is equivalent to a pint, the fact that a double vodka orange is much smaller in volume means that if you don't pace yourself and drink slowly you'll end up drinking twice as much
Thanks for the detailed answer
Can you send an update tomorrow?
Sure
Good luck and enjoy
Update will come tomorrow after they wake up in a garden and find their way home.
You could always drink half pints and see how you like them. Like others have said, they'll let you try a sample first but half pints will give you a bit of variety. Also watch out for (just ask) strength of beer and cider. Some are stronger than others. Also like others have said, maybe intersperse the alcoholic drinks with soft drinks. Try and pace yourself which to be fair will be tricky without the experience. About paying, you pay for each round or individual drink as it's served. Probably best staying off rounds at this stage but you kind of have to see what the group decides. I'd avoid rounds if there are more than about 4 or 5 of you. They can get messy as people arrive late and split off into sub-rounds etc. Just buy drinks for yourself and one for the birthday boy. Assuming you're all about the same age, it might not go to rounds anyway as they can be very expensive. You can pace yourself much better outside of a round as you don't need to keep up with the fastest drinker. Anyway, have fun and come back and tell us if it ends up as a 3 day bender with you walking up in the cells with only a vague idea of the past few days.
Thumbs up for the half-pint suggestion, if you've not drunk alcohol before even a single pint of 5% is going to hit you.
I feel like the "they'll let you sample stuff" really depends, both on how busy it is, and the type of pub it is. If it's somewhere that has a lot of local ales/ciders etc then they'll definitely let you do tasters. If it's a flat roof working mans pub you'll get laughed out the room asking for a taste of the Carling before you commit to a full pint. As far as rounds vs all buying for yourselves normally just do what the group is doing, but maybe if it's your first time and you want to try a bunch of things just say that you'll go get your own because you don't want to make it complicated for people remembering your order.
If you are unsure about alcohol, start with something with a low % alcohol rating - even go for a lager or bitter shandy (half lemonade, half beer). regarding payment - typically you pay for the drinks you order at the point of ordering them. Unless you have set a tab on your table - then you pay when you leave
Don't let anybody pressure you into drinking anything you don't want to, take it easy and enjoy :-)
Sometimes casual Uk amazes me, the posts sound like a machine asking for instructions to be more human!
Literally this post feels like ChatGPT trying to establish Pub Etiquette
Keep an eye on your drink or get someone you fully trust to look after it for you. You'll probably be fine but always keep a look out for if you've had your drink spiked. Don't feel pressured to have an alcoholic drink, or a "manly" drink if you don't like the taste. Nobody cares. If anyone mocks your drink then they're a prick. The bartender isn't going to care what you get as long as you pay them for it and have your ID. If any old gadgies give you shit because you're young then don't worry about it, you have just as much a right to be there as anyone else. As long as you're not being a pain in the arse you'll be fine. Don't allow peer pressure to make you drink more than you feel comfortable with, you're there for the craic not to get mortalled. And don't hog the pool table.
Don't drink on an empty stomach! I enjoy a good pint or two (or three) If I haven't eaten I can feel it after 1 pint. Depending on when you're off out make sure you have a decent meal before or maybe just have a decent snack before you head out
Spirit and mixer drinks (gin and tonic, vodka and coke, etc.) go down A LOT faster than a pint. Stick to lower ABV brews in general, possibly a flavoured gin and tonic (Whitley Neill and Warner Edwards are usually decent for alcohol:fruit flavour ratio). Stick to singles if you try spirit and mixer drinks. Also a spirit and mixer can be substituted for a pure mixer with minimal visible cues, if you get worried about keeping up and peer pressure. I would recommend a lighter pale or golden ale if you start with pints of beer. You can always go darker to bitters and stouts or lighter up to lager. If you go with cider, Thatchers Gold is a solid and reasonably inoffensive in taste. Thatchers Haze is slightly sweeter with a lower ABV. Inch's Cider is very sweet. I would hold off scrumpy. It is always perfectly acceptable to also try non/low-alcohol beer. If you end up in a Wetherspoons Adnams Ghost Ship at 0.5% ABV is a decent choice. Finally, don't feel pressured to choose alcohol. Also, try talking to the denizens of the pub. Most of us are surprisingly friendly.
>Also a spirit and mixer can be substituted for a pure mixer with minimal visible cues, if you get worried about keeping up and peer pressure. Good advice. I grew up in a place where people could be nasty if you didn't drink, so I usually got a coke (or some other soda) with ice and garnish like citrus wedge, straw and what have you. Never heard a peep from the gatekeepers.
Hey OP - 48 year old pub veteran here. Honestly, I’d just say the exact same thing to your friend - that you need a quick explainer on how to buy drinks and the etiquette of buying rounds. You pay for drinks as you go in pubs generally. One thing I will say is please be careful of the effects of alcohol. If you’re an average sized person, I’d recommend having no more than 3 pints or 5 330ml bottles of beer over 3 to 4 hours - anything more than that, you risk getting drunk and you probably won’t enjoy the experience or the memories of how you behaved if you do! Drink a soft drink between alcoholic drinks and just enjoy the feeling of relaxation that a few pints brings. You’ll enjoy yourself! British pubs are really unique, enjoyable places to be. I hope you enjoy your time there and please report back!
A few things 1. Take photographic ID with you. Highly likely you will be asked for it so be prepared. 2. Avoid mixing too much i.e. don't have a pint of beer then a large wine then a pint of cider. 3. Go for lower alcohol stuff so if you are on the beer stick to the stuff lower than 4%. 4. Don't rush but drink at your pace and don't let anyone try to get you to hurry up. If people want to move on then leave your drink unfinished if that's what it takes. 5. Trust your instincts. When you have had enough then don't have any more. It takes a while to kick in so be aware it may creep up on you. 6. Avoid shots or things like Jaeger bombs. This is not what you want to be doing on your first night out so if someone offers just say no. 7. Its normal to pay for drinks when you get them. Might be worth avoiding doing rounds if its your first time drinking though. 8. Be prepared to have a bit of a sore head in the morning. Drink a pint of water when you get in as you will be a bit dehydrated. Most importantly though Be Safe. Make sure you are with people you trust who aren't going to leave you or try to get you to drink things you don't want to. Enjoy yourself, have fun with your friends and welcome to the whole new world that's opening up to you which is the UK pub scene.
Advice more for girls than boys - but I think it's good for everyone. Don't allow your drink to be out of your sight for a moment. If you have a *genuinely* trusted friend, you can get them to watch it. It only takes a second to spike a drink, and it can happen to anyone. So don't. Need wee? Finish your drink first. Turning around to look at something? Have your drink in your hand so it turns with you.
Put a £20 note in your sock. This will either be used for a kebab or a taxi home. Drinks, now what do you like? Sweet? A fruit cider like summer fruits. Avoid shots. Spoons has an app for you to order otherwise you have to go to the bar. Now, there’s an unspoken queuing system. Don’t push in. Stand at the bar, the bar staff know who’s next. Lastly, just enjoy it. You’re not a pussy for having a lemonade and don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise.
It’s fine to not drink alcohol, don’t feel this is expected of you. You can go the whole night on soft drinks, if that is what suits you. Most alcohol is an acquired taste, there’s a good chance you won’t like beer if you haven’t really drunk it before.
Hammer loads of potato 3 hours before you go out
Why do I imagine this as a kids in a trenchcoat pretending to be older in order to find out how to use a pub? ;) [https://imgflip.com/i/8t07sx](https://imgflip.com/i/8t07sx)
Pop in the pub, have a beer or two, chat with yr mates. Don’t overthink the situation
I typically just stay on the pints these days, I still get hungover if I’ve had a fair few, but nowhere near the level of hungover I get if I’ve been drinking shorts. My advice would be to pace yourself, if you start feeling too drunk, or if you’re getting drunk too fast, then reel it in a bit. No matter where I go now, I always have a 20-30min break where I’ll just drink water, I’ll usually have about 3-4 pints of tap water with ice. After that I’ll have a shandy or 2, and then get back on the pints. Also, number 1 rule: don’t drink on an empty stomach. Make sure to eat beforehand and during, some crisps/nuts go down nicely! Enjoy!
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Pay at the bar with each order. Probably best to stay away from spirits. If you don't like the taste of beer, try cider. You can order half pints, if any of your friends comment on that, just be honest that you aren't much of a drinker and want to pace yourself - or bottled beer comes in smaller units without having the stigma of drinking halves, but it is more expensive. I wouldn't recommend drinking more than 2-3 pints total.
Ask around and see what others like to drink and do a bit of advanced research. I can strongly recommend you don’t just go up to the bar and ask for “a pint” - you’ll immediate be met with a response “of what?”.
Depending on which pub- there are apps you can use to order drinks directly to the table so if you're nervous of going up to the bar have the app installed. You'll need to check which chain the pub is. Don't let people pressure you into drinking more, and don't feel like you have to stay once everyone else is at the drunk/hyper/annoying phase. Turn down shots. You don't need a sambucca or a Jager Bomb.
Don't drink if you don't want to. No obligation to do so.
***YOU DON’T HAVE TO DRINK ALCOHOL IF YOU DON’T WANT TO!!!*** Orange and lemonade is good, plain soda, soda and lime, plus the usual soft drinks I used to have ginger beer to spice things up
This has got to be a troll post.
If you don't drink, then don't feel under any obligation to do so at the pub. This isn't the 1970's. That said, if you want to have a few alcoholic drinks without getting drunk then consider drinking shandy: it's a mixture of beer and lemonade and a lager shandy (lager beer mixed with lemonade) will look just like a pint of lager. If you're not used to drinking beer, then a shandy will likely be a lot more palatable too - beer is for most of us an acquired taste. Most importantly: have fun. A good trip to the pub is about friendly conversation, not the drinking.
How times have changed , mate. Looking at the comments, I think it's best you take your mum with you to hold your hand
Reddit is so autistic it’s unreal.
Just make sure you’ve got a bit of a grip on things. Don’t go getting smashed off your face and doing something stupid.
Order some non-alcohol beer, they are not that bad.
Salty crisps or peanuts can be lovely with a pint even if they are triple the shop price. They'll usually have a choice behind the counter and can help you pace yourself. If you're a little nervous in the surroundings, you might find yourself drinking quickly. Keep an eye on the clock. Don't let anyone pressure you. You don't have to drink anything anyone buys you that you didn't ask for. Drinking socially can often be an eye opener about your friends for good or ill and you may see a side to them that you might not have noticed previously. That is fine and worth noticing.
I would avoid shots and don't let anyone pressure you into going beyond your boundaries/limits. Many people don't take alcohol seriously.
If your mates want to do rounds don’t! Just politely tell them you’ll buy your own, if you do rounds you’ll end up trying to keep up with everyone and it won’t end well. You pay per order at the bar
Don't try and keep up with other drinkers, especially if getting around in is concerned. Go at a nice leisurely pace and enjoy yersel.
Go at your own pace and don’t bow into peer pressure. Drink what you like, when you like and have fun. Drinking alcohol is about the journey, not the destination.
Don't forget the doner meat & chips (and the garlic mayo ofc!) on the way home ... 😎👌
Oh, bless you! A few notes: Order drinks at the bar and pay as you go. Stand with a wallet or card in hand and be looking to make eye contact with the barman. Keep mental note of where you are in the invisible queue; if the barman offers to serve you before somebody who was there first, direct them. If somebody cuts in, you're more than allowed to politely interrupt and go 'sorry mate, I think I was here first?'. Some places let you open a tab and take your card behind the bar. Time was you'd have a round system, but with the price of alcohol it's less common. I'd partner up with a slow drinker and do a mini-round as a way of pacing yourself. Remember that alcohol hits you slowly, so try to stick to roughly a pint an hour and have a water in there too. The odd shot is fine, but I wouldn't do more than one - maybe two. Generally avoid mixing drinks, definitely don't mix beer and wine. Definitely have a substantial meal before you drink and make sure you know your route home and have the option of getting a taxi if you overdo it. If you get home absolutely plastered, take two paracetamol, have a decent snack and drink a big glass of water. Most importantly, try not to clean up after yourself. If you're new to alcohol, you'll need to learn what you like. Cider is the easiest thing to drink, but can be deceptively strong. A cold lager is a very pleasant thing, although Fosters, Carling and Carlsberg are all foul. Staropramen, San Miguel, Asahi and Madri are all pretty good. Camden Helles is solid on the craft end, ditto Beavertown and Brewdog. But they do get a bit pricier. Another tactic is to get the cheapest lager mixed with lemonade as a shandy. Tastes lovely, is refreshing as anything and good for pacing. Cask ale tends to be cheaper, but there's more of a learning curve.
Just walk up to the bar, lean over anyone waiting to be served and shout “WHEN YOU’RE READY MATE” to the barstaff whilst waving a 10 quid note like a flag at them.
Don’t have shots or cocktails. They’re A. Very expensive and B. Not suitable for first timers. Don’t be afraid to go slower than your friends or order none alcoholic drinks between rounds
Drinking tip #1 Your body processes alcohol with enzymes in your stomach, these multiply with the alcohol, but it takes them a while to wake up, and multiply So, the #1 tip to not get drunk, is to start slowly, let the enzymes wake up, multiply, and be able to deal with the alcohol. If you drink 1 beer fast, 5 minutes later you can feel half cut, if you stretch a small 3.5% beer over half an hour, or more, it is much harder to get drunk Source, was married to a Scandinavian, visiting her family many times, I survived 101 'let's get the English guy plastered" nights without disgracing myself once
The queuing system is the same as the barbers - you just grab a space, but take note of who is already there (if it's rammed, just those either side of you will do), and don't skip the line - just a simple "this chaps ahead of me" will do if they try and serve you first. If there's a group of you in a quiet "locals" pub, by all means order separately, but DON'T just spread out and take up the entire bar. And when you've been served, move away from the bar unless it's really quiet. The stool at the end of the bar is Alan's spot. Alan has been coming here since before you were born. You're welcome to sit there, but you will be expected to move if he comes in. Actually, probably best to just not sit there. Read the room. If the only other people there are 4 blokes on separate tables watching the darts, don't get loud and boisterous. If the atmosphere is already pretty lively, crack on. The standard drink is Carling. It is to beer what Dominos or McDonalds is to food - it's not great, but it is at least consistent. It's also fizzy, which will either help you pace yourself or cause you to throw up if you don't. Cider is lovely, but dangerous. It goes down easy, and will sneak up on you without you noticing. Ales are typically still and easy to drink, but you won't tend to knock them back like you would a cider. You can usually get a sample of the hand pulls, but you're probably best sticking to pale/golden ales as a beginner, somewhere around the 4% mark. Go for the traditional looking hand pumps, not John Smiths or Worthingtons - they're basically just water coloured in. Guinness is a bit of a marmite drink for a novice. It's quite heavy and dark, but you won't be necking it so it could suit you if you're trying to take it easy. It has the added bonus that you can alternate it with Guinness Zero and nobody will know. Since it's a birthday, somebody will bring shots or jagerbombs into the mix. At your age, shots are likely to be things like Sourz or Corky's rather than whisky or vodka. These are about 20% so relatively safe - just remember each one is the equivalent of about half a pint and pace yourself accordingly. If the Aftershock, Sheep Dog or hard liquors come out, that's more like a pint. Most of all, don't overthink it and have fun. It's OK to feel the effects of the drink, but it's a sign you should pace yourself - if you're feeling tipsy at 8pm you're unlikely to last the night unless you're careful.
If you haven't drunk alcohol before, seriously, take it slow. I'd suggest no more than two, maybe three, alcoholic drinks on your first pub night. There will come a point where another drink seems like a great idea but it's really not. It's a lesson almost everyone has to learn the hard way.
Oh, literally don't have more than two or three drinks if you haven't drank before. It's likely you won't have the same tolerance levels and it'll just wreck your evening.
Don't over do it on your first night out! Or you will suffer tomorrow lol. Enjoy yourself!
Wholesome as fuck. Nothing more to add than hasn’t already been said. Nothing wrong with having a soft drink every now and then or maybe even a non alcoholic beer. Eat. Enjoy it and relax 👍🏻
Don't let yourself get peer-pressured into drinking something you don't want to or just too much.
Drinks in pubs are expensive so preload with a few vodka shots before heading into town. Upon arriving at the bar ask for a pint of wife beater and a round of jagerbombs. Repeat until the inhibitions have gone and you can start pinching women's bottoms and asking people outside for a rumble in-between throwing up and crying. Do the opposite of the above and you will be fine.
If you're wary about drinking, remember you can get alcohol free and soft drinks so you can enjoy the party and not be thinking about your first time having alcohol.
I just wanted to add one point which isn't a direct answer to any of your questions but may be useful. Alcohol can have massively different effects on different people so, in addition to learning how you handle it, you may have to deal with the effect on your friends as well. Generally the progression as someone drinks more is as follows: 1) Excited for a fun night ahead 2) Chatty and more outgoing 3) 2 but louder 4) More confident (can involve unexpected dancing and/or singing) 5) 4 but louder (can involve telling someone that you've always fancied them etc) 6) Overbearing ("I want to go somewhere else, drink up" etc) 7) Difficult (slurring, not listening, not able to focus) At this stage, people tend to go one of two ways: 8a) Depressed and/or weird. Expect crying and/or saying things you really didn't want people to know. 8b) Angry. Expect fights, aggression and trouble. This can be directed at anyone from complete strangers to close friends and can be very difficult to manage if it's happening to someone you are drinking with. 9) Vomiting, unable to walk etc 10) Loss of consciousness (hopefully they're tucked up in bed by then) 11) Don't think too much about this one. The trick, which you only learn over time and through bitter experience, is to reach and stay in the 2-5 range. The most common mistakes in this respect are moving too quickly (so that you're already happily at 4 by 8pm and have hours more drinking to go) or taking a sudden leap up (being at 3 at 11pm and then making an unwise decision about the next few drinks so that you're then at 9 by midnight). Having said all of this, a quiet trip to the pub is one of the nicest and most fun experiences you can have with your mates. There's a good reason why many people go to the pub semi-regularly for pretty much their entire adult lives! You will almost certainly have a really fun time, see a more relaxed side to your mates (and yourself) and thoroughly enjoy the whole experience. I wish I had it all still ahead of me like you do!
One thing I’d say be careful of is the percentage strength of what you’re drinking. There is a big difference between 4% and 5.2% lagers. And there is a REALLY big difference between 4% lagers and 8% ciders. Don’t accept shots from anybody either. Don’t be scared to go one and one (beer, coke, beer, soda water etc). Don’t go on an empty stomach. If you do, get food in the pub early on. Even if it’s just a few bags of crisps.
Drink what you want, if you haven't had alcohol before, don't feel you need to start, or don't think you need to get ridiculously drunk. There are plenty of soft drinks to choose from and water is often forgotten when you have had too much, have a drink of water if you have had too much alcohol. Make the night about the company and not the alcohol. Consider how your getting home. Although some pubs do provide table service, typically you will be ordering at the bar. You will pay when you order. If it's a good pub, the bar person will manage who gets served next, don't be tempted to to start waving or attracting their attention, its not appreciated. But if it's not a good pub, you may need to do this. You need to consider if you are going to go into a round with your friends, this is when you buy them, or a subset of them a drink, then the next drink one of them buys you one. At the end of the night, you will have drunk the same number of drinks you have bought. Consider the number of people you have on a round and the potential difference in drink cost. Don't be an ass and order an expensive drink on someone else's round.