When did you first drink alcohol?

[WomenHour]

I think I was around 9/10 when I tried beer , hated it.

When I was like 6 I used to get a 'hot toddy' (weak tea, whisky and honey) I had my first proper drink at around 10 when I would be given a brandy and coke on special occasions. full disclosure my parents are alcoholics so not sure if this is normal?

From quite little (6, 7?) we used to be allowed a sip of our parents' drinks if we asked. Probably 10 for an inch of our own champagne at New Year, although I don't think we liked it much. We'd also have tonic water with ice and lime, so when we were a bit older we'd be asked if we wanted any gin in it, and it would only have been a drop at first.

I remember being given a liqueur with the bill on holiday from about 12. I don't think they'd do that now!

15 . Red wine & posh cheese every weekend at home which I loved. Then progressed to weak G&T soon after, at home & in village pubs. (They weren't too fussed re underage drinking laws back then).

Forgot. My DM horrified me saying from age 8,her Mum gave her a tablespoon of advocaat every night 'for good sleep'. Grandma didn't have alcohol issues & apparently it was the norm among her friends too 😬

I remember my mum and dad taking me for a meal when I was about five whether got me a tiny glass of sherry, and made me drinking under the table.

My BIL got drunk when he was two, because his babysitter couldn't get him to sleep. Jack Daniels and had to have his stomach pumped 😐 he is now an alcoholic

I think at about 8 or 9 I was allowed probably half a glass of white wine with lemonade ( Blue Nun or some such thing as it was the late 70s) now and then and a glass or two of Babycham at Christmas and New Year. Later allowed Woodpecker cider.

As above I'm Catholic tried the wine once never again, not due to hating wine, I drink that now, I hate Germs sharing of the chalice is vile. I probably had a shandy fairly young between 7 and 8, I remember at my cousins wedding at 12 I go incredibly drunk and was going up and down in the lift with my other young cousins 13 and 15
I also had a guiness at 13 ish with my best friend we thought it was baddd (both Irish Catholic families) I also got drunk in year 10 at a Halloween party in a field and got high and drunk in year 11 at 'after prom'. Didn't really get drunk after that probably about 10 times between 16 and 20 and now have a bottle of wine twice a week

Yep shandies as a child. They were probably quite weak, only happened when my parents wanted time out after the working week on a Sunday and there was an old fashioned pub nearby with a donkey so we enjoyed our cold drink and seeing the donkey and parents relaxing.

Can't remember what is in shandy, lemonade with a tot of beer? Happy days.

Had a taste of it about 7 or 8. Started drinking properly at 15 at friends' parties. I'd get drunk but not very.

Well accidentally when I was 18 months old (according to my parents) but first memory was under 10 I tried my grandfathers ouzo then a little older had wine with a meal at my grandparents it was normal for us really

@PolkadotsAndMoonbeams

From quite little (6, 7?) we used to be allowed a sip of our parents' drinks if we asked. Probably 10 for an inch of our own champagne at New Year, although I don't think we liked it much. We'd also have tonic water with ice and lime, so when we were a bit older we'd be asked if we wanted any gin in it, and it would only have been a drop at first.

I remember being given a liqueur with the bill on holiday from about 12. I don't think they'd do that now!

I remember going to Germany with my parents and we each got a schnapps shot with the bill. No one else in my family wanted theirs so I had all 4. I was 14

I nanaged to find half a bottle of sherry when I was three. Ended up in hospital. Apparently I refused to go home (having had my stomach pumped and been kept in for a couple of days) because the rooms go round and round!
I’m 62 this year and haven’t touched sherry since!

MorrisZapp

I'd guess 4 or 5. We always had a little glass of wine on special occasions

I remember snowballs at christmas around 6/7 years old but mum always used to say she would use rum to numb the gums when I was teething.

At 18 when it was legal.

It’s legal from 5

Age about 4 I drank the dregs of Baileys in glasses my parents had left around after a party. After that I got my own glass (with about a teaspoonful!) on special occasions.

Downed about 300ml of vodka when a group of us at school were caught with booze and locked us in a room while the Head was sought, so obviously we had to eliminate the evidence and me and another second year (age 12) were nominated.

She got trollied and puked everywhere, I managed to act sober enough to escape punishment. Got introduced to booze properly about 14. Hardly drunk at all since 30.

Elai1978 Even if it is it's not recommended to give children over 5 alcohol. If you read the rest of my post it related to going out so buying alcohol the legal age is 18. I wasn't brought up to drink alcohol at home as my DM is teetotal but my DF spent most of his spare time in the pub. Oh and we never went out for family meals as children either.

However because I don't drink I still look a lot younger than my age.