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Original poster

New York with 18 year old and alcohol

12 replies

daylily · 01/09/2011 08:21

Hi we are going to New York with our two daughters 18 and 21 years old. Can anyone tell me whether the 18 year old will be allowed in a bar? In the hotel or other? And in a restaurant will she be allowed to have a glass of wine? Thanks

OP posts:

CMOTdibbler · 01/09/2011 08:25

The 18 year old won't be allowed to have alcohol at all - hotel, bar or restaurant.

sassyTHEFIRST · 01/09/2011 08:34

Not at all. And if you try, she will be asked for ID. The only way a drink will be possible is if you buy a bottle of wine and she has a drink in your room (and technically this is also illegal).

IslandIsla · 01/09/2011 11:50

My experience is that its not impossible. I went to NY when I was 20, with a 19 year friend. (I am was not an 'old' looking 20 yr old either - often got ID'd in the UK). In a couple of restaurants we were offered the wine list and not asked for ID - we had a glass of wine. These tended to be smaller, family run restaurants. We never asked for alcohol but where it was offered in these instances we took it!

ragged · 01/09/2011 11:55

The 18yo won't be allowed into a bar at all, can go into licensed restaurants. You will need ID for the 21yo to have anything alcoholic or even enter a bar (they card everyone who looks under 30).

I am not sure what NY State rules are about alcohol with a meal, but would be surprised if it's legal for an 18yo to have it in a restaurant. How old are you, IslandIsla? The rules tightened up a lot in the 1990s.

mummytime · 01/09/2011 12:05

You 21 year old will certainly have to carry their passport or other ID with age on to drink alcohol. Even suggesting an 18 year old might drink is shocking to American's on the whole (a bit like smacking here). You may also be ID'd, I've heard of surprising people being asked for ID.
Its part of the culture. Like not wearing shorts in Churches in Europe.

IslandIsla · 01/09/2011 12:16

It was in 2001 when I was 20... I never expected to be able to have alcohol in a restaurant in NY, and went with the expectation that we wouldn't be drinking any alcohol at all, so we were surprised to be asked if we wanted wine... being a 20 yr old, I didn't pass them up on it Certainly these were independent family run places.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 01/09/2011 14:23

Your 18 year old will be allowed into the bar but will not be allowed to drink alcohol; the bar staff will ask her for ID to prove age.

winnybella · 01/09/2011 14:29

Hmm. I've lived in NYC for 7 years and tbh not only was I able to drink in reataurants, bars and clubs, I was also able to buy copious amounts of alcohol from a liqour store downstairs.

But I imagine in plenty of places you won't be able to do that. Downtown trendy places you might.

IME NY isn't (or wasn't) as strict as, say, the Southwest- I remember being 19 or 20 and not able to enter a hamburger sort of place in Phoenix airport because they served beer

AttilaTheMeerkat · 01/09/2011 14:30

The caveat I should have added re that sentence of being allowed into a bar is that it is entirely at the bar staff's discretion.

We may have a common language but attitudes to alcohol are far different in the US than in this country. Anyone who looked under 21 or 30 is usually asked for ID; infact the last time I was in NYC a year ago the staff in TGI Friday's asked for ID when my H (mid 40s) asked for a beer!.

ragged · 01/09/2011 15:49

This thread is saying that basically as long as the 18yo tarts up nicely a bar/nightclub (not restaurant too) will probably let her in (although they likely won't serve her, the fines are horrific if they get caught).

Original poster

daylily · 01/09/2011 16:25

Thank you for all the responses. It's not that she or any of us are that desperate for a drink (honest!) I was really wondering if she would be turned away I guess. I was looking at rooftop bars for the view and glam NY vibe really and whether they would even let her in.

OP posts:

Lilymaid · 01/09/2011 16:35

DS is 20 and is in the US at the moment. He hasn't been able to go out to clubs/bars in NY with his over 21 friends because he'd be IDed and found to be under age. He was out there last year and drove coast to coast with his friends - he could hire a car, but couldn't drink in a bar!

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