18 year old girl never drank before - what should be my choice of drink tomorrow?

[Northerngal123]

I’m an 18 year old girl who had a sheltered childhood. I was just really shy and didn’t have many friends at high school. The ones I did have didn’t drink (a lot were muslim and I’m an Asian girl), so I think I’m quite unusual in having this situation as it seems like most people my age have had years of experience drinking and know what they like already!

I always wanted to try alcohol and go to house parties back at high school but just never got the chance. It didn’t help for 2 years I had very bad mental health after GCSEs and didn’t want to be sociable. Now I’m about to go to Uni and thankfully am feeling better than ever. I met a really nice girl my age and she offered to go to a bar with me for my first drink. I have no idea what to order, I don’t really have a sweet tooth so am put off by really sugary cocktails. I do want to get tipsy but not really drunk, it’ll just be good to have some experience with drink before freshers in a good environment. My parents drink but have individual tastes like my dad likes strong beer and my mum used to drink tequila shots at my age she told me.

I was thinking maybe a gin and tonic, cider, mojito, vodka and orange….then drink some water and have another if I want one

I would love any suggestions for a good first time drink :) I love to be a connoisseur of whatever I eat and learn about it but am clueless about alcohol at the moment.

A white wine spritzer is a good choice, refreshing and a long drink so you can take your time with it. I wouldn't advise trying spirits yet until you've figured out your happy limits with alcohol.

You could try fruit cider, koppaberg or rekordalig? Nice tasting and not that strong. Have fun!

Just don't mix !

Agree. White wine spritzer.

Maybe a long vodka.

I dont drink that often and I would say maybe just have one drink and see how you get on - not two.

I usually have half a measure of gin with something nice like Rose lemonade in a pint glass with a lime wedge. I like very diluted drinks.

Do you like sweet, sour or bitter taste? Do you like fizzy drinks? Do you like cola? Which fruit taste do you like the best? Thinking of these will help you to narrow down a bit.
GIn and tonic is a good choice imo with single measure of gin (25ml) rather then 50 but it could be a bit bitter for some. Most place has descriptions of cocktails so you can have an idea what they are like.
By the way better to have some light food before, drink plenty of water and don’t mix different drinks.

I would go for a cider for a first go or a white wine spritzer as PP mentioned.

Nothing too heavy. You'll soon discover what you like. Don't fall into the trap of selecting a certain drink to keep up appearances. Some people I know do that and it's quite silly.

Thank you I’ve heard of spritzers being good for summer and light drinks, a long drink definitely sounds like a good idea, can’t do anything like shots for a while until I understand how I react to alcohol, seems very individual 🙂appreciate the advice

I'd start with something with not much alcohol. Shandy, low alcohol wine or cider. Then, as you get used to it over a week or so, increase it to "proper" wine, etc. Always eat with a drink, so that the alcohol will be absorbed better

Rose wine and lemonade is lovely and light

Perhaps a vodka with lots of lime soda or lemonade? Fruit cider was a good suggestion . Maybe a glass of Prosecco? Though that can be expensive.

Really ?
reported for mumsnet hq to check

Ah I initially was thinking stick to just one! But then I thought if I get a very low alcohol drink I may not even get tipsy? I think whatever I do I need to be careful how much I drink and judge how I feel in the moment before having any more

if I had something like vodka which I’m definitely put off after reading here in the replies not to try spirits yet, I would definitely stick to one

that sounds lovely and very refreshing in the weather we’ve had lately, thank you for the suggestion

A white wine spritzer or a rose spritzer. Sip them slowly and don't mix different drinks

Yes, is it that weird ? Haha I am around a lot of people who don’t drink but they are from my ethnic background so it’s usually due to religion

no problem though of course they can check 😊

A cider shandy is quite a pleasant drink, sort of tastes like a weak ginger beer or maybe that's just me

Cider - the kind of stuff @SuzyQ12 has mentioned.

One year I discussed with my SIL what alcohol to get for Christmas lunch and she said I should get her teenage sons, my nephews some. So I got some cider. 10 years later they will drink a couple of ciders but that's really it as they don't drink lots.

• A white wine spritzer or anything with wine it it may be too sour and too strong.
• Gin and tonic will be too sour
• Mojito will be too expensive
• Vodka and orange only try that after you have been out a few times and drank cider when you know the affect alcohol has on you. The problem with spirits and mixers is as they are short drinks you can drink lots of them and get very drunk very quickly.

I'd go for a vodka lime and soda water if you don't like sweet drinks. It takes a while to like wine and you might be disappointed with a spritz. Also you can swap to lime and soda without vodka easily enough.

archers and lemonade!

Gin and tonic is an acquired taste - I didn't like it at your age. At 18 we drank Malibu and coke, southern comfort and coke, white wine (sometimes as a spritzer) cocktails were not so much a thing.

My DD's like vodka and j2o

My drink of choice is always either southern comfort and lemonade or a fruit cider like kopperberg, I don't really like the 'alcohol' taste and neither of these really have it.

You should be aware though when you drink it often doesn't feel like it's having any effect until you go outside and it hits you.

Radler.

or a weak Pimms

I don't drink often now and find one bottle of cider normally makes me not completely tipsy butthe relaxed side of tipsy. I think there is a lot less pressure to drink at uni nowadays, the local unicity near me has lots of other types of entertainment like computer gaming cafes and board game cafes instead of going clubbing and getting shit faced off a fish bowl of neon alcopop like we did when I went to uni.

I don’t like drinks with a strong alcoholic taste so I find alcopops best for me to drink

Cherry sourz and lemonade tastes like cherryade.
J2O, orange and passion fruit with vodka tastes like J2O.

So if you have any of those, moderate them. Don’t binge them and drink lots