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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Original poster

What / how much alcohol would you provide for teen "party"?

29 replies

UserAtRandom · 05/05/2021 13:01

As per title really. DS has requested that there is "a bit of" alcohol at his upcoming birthday "party" (due to Covid restrictions = a few of them in the garden). I've checked with all the parents - all are fine with it.

They are all 17. I have no idea what sort of alcohol teenage boys drink and how much is a sensible amount to offer up? So advice from seasoned parents of teens is very welcome!

OP posts:
rachie28 · 05/05/2021 13:04

I have no advise, I'm sorry but my stepdaughter has asked for the same thing for her bday, so I'm watching to see what others would do.

JeffreyJefferson · 05/05/2021 13:06

none. all the parties my teens have been to they all take their own drink. some people take spares so mix and match what they drink but mostly they drink their own

Watto1 · 05/05/2021 13:07

Stick to a beer or two. No spirits - most people pour extra large measures at home!

Suzi888 · 05/05/2021 13:09

4 cans each? I’m not really sure. I’d want to avoid ‘bring your own’ due to vomit- could end up bringing loads!

SparklingLime · 05/05/2021 13:10

I got Kopparberg fruit ciders, and the teens themselves bought Smirnoff Ice. Not sure about amounts though.

oreosoreosoreos · 05/05/2021 13:11

At that age I would expect them just to bring their own - they all like different things, and I wouldn’t be providing a full on bar.

Having said that, DSS wanted to do champagne and cake tasting for his 17th birthday, and I bought/ made several cakes, along with a few bottles of Prosecco - if they wanted to drink more or other things they could bring their own.

I found it hilarious.... a group of well built rugby boys settling down in the garden to sample cakes! 😁

RosieGuacamosie · 05/05/2021 13:11

I’d say 4 beers/ciders per person and make sure they’re the 4% kind!

sadpapercourtesan · 05/05/2021 13:13

I'd provide beer and they'd probably bring their own as well. I'd make sure there was food/light the barbecue for them so they're not drinking on empty stomachs.

UCOinanOCG · 05/05/2021 13:13

Some of those small bottles of weak beer if you still get them. Maybe a few ciders. No spirits. When mine were that age Bacardi Breezers were the thing. Do they have anything equivalent now?

RosieGuacamosie · 05/05/2021 13:13

Honestly I wouldn’t be encouraging “bring your own” as when I was a teenager that meant we’d all frantically siphon off a finger of each spirit in our parents alcohol cupboard and mix them with fruit juice in a water bottle = puking teenagers everywhere!

Mybigbed · 05/05/2021 13:19

I’d do a few beers, ciders and Smirnoff ices.
No wine or spirits
Plenty of food to soak it up!
I absolutely loved house parties as a teenager but am dreading them as a mother!

MusicMenu · 05/05/2021 13:22

I'd expect them to bring their own tbh, not because I don't want to provide it, but because that's what they do. If you provide it too, there will be double.

I had a similar conversation with a colleague yesterday. His 17yo daughter wanted some alcohol to take to a party. He'ad bought 4 cans of beer and 4 cans of mixed drinks, which seems an awful lot to me, but he wasn't expecting her to drink it all herself.

When I was young it was 2 litres of cider. DS takes 4 cans of beer.

Whatever you provide there will be vodka and it has potential to get messy. Lucky you, that you have an excuse to keep them all in the garden Grin

MoreOnlyMore · 05/05/2021 13:39

They should bring their own. Have plenty of mixtures (and stoggy food).

Daydrambeliever · 05/05/2021 13:42

Bring their own...plausible deniability 😁😁!!!

SwanShaped · 05/05/2021 13:44

4 cans for your son but check percentage. Others to bring their own. And maybe a few extra cans for him to share and feel like a host. Lots of snacks.

ColdTattyWaitingForSummer · 05/05/2021 13:45

I’d probably go fruity ciders, bottles of premixed cocktails, or alcopops (WKD or similar). Ds is 18, and none of his lot are keen on beer. I’d try to avoid spirits, but expect someone would bring them anyway! And yes to making sure there is food to mop up the booze.
Also, do you know the other parents, at least enough to make sure they’re ok with it?

Dozer · 05/05/2021 13:48

As PPs say the challenge will be limiting what guests bring, esp spirits.

oreosoreosoreos love that image!

JenniferWeCantGoWrong · 05/05/2021 13:49

They bring their own here. I prefer it as each household can do whatever they prefer.

GeorgeTheFirst · 05/05/2021 13:50

Mine are both at university now. The main thing is NO SPIRITS.

I would also get some cool individual soft drinks like bottled Coke and san Pellegrino. Often they are quite happy to wander around with one of these whereas if you provide 2 L bottles they seem to get left

KaleSlayer · 05/05/2021 13:57

Most teens will have plenty of drinking experience by 17, so ask him. My son and his friends take their own drinks to parties. It tends to be lager, WKD and some whisky/vodka.

Get them to bring their own and provide pizza instead.

DailyMaui · 05/05/2021 13:59

@oreosoreosoreos

At that age I would expect them just to bring their own - they all like different things, and I wouldn’t be providing a full on bar.

Having said that, DSS wanted to do champagne and cake tasting for his 17th birthday, and I bought/ made several cakes, along with a few bottles of Prosecco - if they wanted to drink more or other things they could bring their own.

I found it hilarious.... a group of well built rugby boys settling down in the garden to sample cakes! 😁

I love the idea of a load of teens sitting around drinking prosecco and tasting cake... I might suggest this to my son who will be turning 18 next week.

My son went to a daytime birthday garden party a few weeks ago and they were all drinking cider and IPA! What a hideous combination and its unsurprising he was sick. For his party I have got him 3 bottles of fruity ciders and he'll be having some fizz.

Tal45 · 05/05/2021 14:01

I would ask your son what he would like and buy a bit of that.

BigusBumus · 05/05/2021 14:47

I have several tips for teen parties!

Everyone will bring their own alcohol anyway, but if you want to provide some, get loads of packs of These little weak French lagers or similar from your local supermarket. And also as someone else said, cans of soft drink and individual water bottles will be drunk far more readily than buying 2litre bottles of anything.

Provide a big bin or your wheely bin and a big sign on it saying, "BOTTLES & CANS IN HERE" or they WILL end up in your flower beds. Also a large bucket of sand for fag ends.

If you are providing a bin full of beer in water/ice, get some of the same 0% alcohol ones as well to mix in with them. When the labels come off, just scoop them out of the iced water and the kids will drink the 0% ones as well quite happily without realising. Do this before they arrive, leaving some of the normal strength labels still on the bottles or floating in the water.

Do provide lots of snacks, even of they seem quite "Childrens Birthday Party". Mini Pepperamis, Mini Baybels, Wotsits, Dip and Crudites, those mini chicken skewers, cheese straws, a bowl of Celebrations etc on big trays get eaten really quickly, even by the most sophisticated of teens. Don't bother with plates/napkins as they won't get used.

If you're allowed to be around, a big Pizza delivery ordered by you at about 10.30pm goes down well and sobers kids up very quickly. Or pizzas in the oven, done by you.

We've had parties quite successfully here, the only thing that gets problematic with my boys is the loudness of the music which needs to be kept to a certain level due to neighbours. They also don't invite the (mainly girls) known to down a bottle of vodka quickly and end up crying and sick.

Andi2020 · 05/05/2021 22:36

First party my dd had in summer I bought the drink but they all paid money towards it. She knew what they all drank mixture of boys and girls
2nd party was GCSE party alot more people they all chipped together to pay for a marquee at our house as in country and all brought their own drink no one was sick.
I provided food.

coffeefi · 16/05/2021 08:59

Get some beers and ciders in. Simples