How to Celebrate a 21st Birthday
Take it slow., Learn about what you're drinking., Eat something first and drink plenty of water., Celebrate with friends you can trust., Never leave a drink unattended., Don't mix different kinds of alcohol together., Prepare for recovery.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Take it slow.
You're 21! You should be excited, and probably anxious to get your first legal taste of alcohol in public.
But try to remember that you'll be of legal drinking age for the rest of your life.
You don't have to drink all the drinks at once.
Starting the rest of that life with a two day hangover isn't probably the best idea.
Prepare for a long night of fun and don't rush into things, especially when it comes to alcohol.
A good rule of thumb is that you should have no more than one drink per hour to keep a handle on your sobriety, although alcohol affects everyone differently.
Different strengths of alcohol can sneak up on you more quickly, while some take a while to show effects.
Keeping it to around one and no more than two drinks per hour will help keep most people in control of their faculties.
One drink in an evening can be enough to register above limit on a breathalyzer test, and one drink is often enough to get one person tipsy.
Always use extreme caution any time you're drinking alcohol, and never drive under any circumstances after consuming. -
Step 2: Learn about what you're drinking.
Different drinks work in different ways, so it's important to get informed about the differences in the types of alcohol you'll find at a bar or a liquor store, if you're not familiar already.
A shot is usually about
1.5 ounces of hard liquor, and the average liquor is about 40% alcohol by volume, or 80 proof.
A beer is usually about 12 ounces, although beer is often served in pint glasses, which are slightly larger.
Regular beers and light beers like Budweiser, Coors, or other beers are usually between 2 and 5% alcohol by volume, while certain microbrews can be much higher, 6-8% in some cases.
Drinking a single heavy Indiana Pale Ale, for example, will have about as much alcohol as two Bud Lites.
A glass of wine is about 4 ounces, usually, and is usually between 12 and 18% alcohol by volume, depending on the variety.
Cocktails are mixtures of different hard liquors, flavored liqueurs, sodas, fruit juices, and other liquids, depending on the cocktail itself.
Most cocktails contain one or two shots worth of hard liquor, however.
Ask the bartender for more specific information. , Never drink alcohol on an empty stomach.
Before you decide to have your first drinks, get something substantial to eat first and try to stay hydrated throughout the evening, if you're planning on having a couple.
Going out for a meal at a restaurant that serves alcohol can be a great way of doing both things at once.
Eggs are an excellent precursor to a night of drinking because they contain cysteine, which helps to break down alcohol in your system.
Pickles are also an excellent choice, which contain salts and electrolytes, which alcohol depletes in your body.
Drink at least one glass of water for every drink of alcohol you have.
Hangovers are primarily the result of dehydration, and it's possible to head a troubling morning-after off at the pass by drinking enough water throughout the night. , If you're going out and planning on drinking, it's especially important that you're going out with a trusted group of friends who you're confident won't take advantage of you in an inebriated state.
Don't celebrate with people who will test your limits or push you into doing things you don't want to do.
Bring a supportive and trustworthy group along for the fun, who'll be able to take care of you if necessary.
If you're in a large group, at least one person should be sober, or in the neighborhood of sober, if everyone else is getting out of control.
It's important that there be at least one voice of reason, or one good candidate to talk to the cops when the show up at the house.
If you're going anywhere, you must designate a driver to remain sober and act as the chauffeur.
Even one or two drinks can be enough to register on a breathalyzer test, leading to a bummer of a birthday night.
The cops don't care that it's your special night. , Especially true at bars, but equally true at house parties, it's important that you keep your drink with you at all times.
Go up to the bar to get your own drinks, never accept drinks offered by strangers, and abandon drinks that you're unsure about.
Tainted drinks or drinks spiked with sedatives and other drugs are an unfortunately common occurrence at bars, and inexperienced 21-year-olds make an easy target.
Have fun, but keep your friends close and stay safe. , Everyone reacts differently to different types of alcohol, especially depending on your body type and your sex: men process alcohol much differently than women do.
When you're first learning about your tolerance, it's best to not jump around doing a couple beers, a shot, then a glass of wine, then a cocktail.
It makes it harder to keep track of what you've already had to drink and control your sobriety.
A classic drinkers' slogan goes "Beer before liquor, never sicker.
Liquor before beer, no fear." The order of drinks being consumed has no effect, however, on your inebriation, compared to the amount of liquor consumed.
It's perfectly possible to get a nasty hangover by taking a shot before a beer. , Before you go out, stock up for the possibility of a rough morning, even if you're planning on taking it easy.
After a night of drinking, it's common that you might experience some nausea, headache, and sensitivity to sound and light, the result of dehydration and a lowered electrolyte count.
By preparing correctly, though, you can get on top of your hangover quickly and salvage the day.
Drink a sports drink in the morning, if you're feeling dehydrated, cut with water to make it more palatable, if necessary.
The sugar and the electrolytes will help to replenish what the alcohol sapped from your body.try to get something on your stomach the next morning, even if it's just some dry toast.
Kickstarting your metabolism is essential to starting recovery.
If you need to take an ibuprofen, also, you'll need to have something on your stomach.
Mixing ibuprofen with alcohol can irritate the stomach lining. -
Step 3: Eat something first and drink plenty of water.
-
Step 4: Celebrate with friends you can trust.
-
Step 5: Never leave a drink unattended.
-
Step 6: Don't mix different kinds of alcohol together.
-
Step 7: Prepare for recovery.
Detailed Guide
You're 21! You should be excited, and probably anxious to get your first legal taste of alcohol in public.
But try to remember that you'll be of legal drinking age for the rest of your life.
You don't have to drink all the drinks at once.
Starting the rest of that life with a two day hangover isn't probably the best idea.
Prepare for a long night of fun and don't rush into things, especially when it comes to alcohol.
A good rule of thumb is that you should have no more than one drink per hour to keep a handle on your sobriety, although alcohol affects everyone differently.
Different strengths of alcohol can sneak up on you more quickly, while some take a while to show effects.
Keeping it to around one and no more than two drinks per hour will help keep most people in control of their faculties.
One drink in an evening can be enough to register above limit on a breathalyzer test, and one drink is often enough to get one person tipsy.
Always use extreme caution any time you're drinking alcohol, and never drive under any circumstances after consuming.
Different drinks work in different ways, so it's important to get informed about the differences in the types of alcohol you'll find at a bar or a liquor store, if you're not familiar already.
A shot is usually about
1.5 ounces of hard liquor, and the average liquor is about 40% alcohol by volume, or 80 proof.
A beer is usually about 12 ounces, although beer is often served in pint glasses, which are slightly larger.
Regular beers and light beers like Budweiser, Coors, or other beers are usually between 2 and 5% alcohol by volume, while certain microbrews can be much higher, 6-8% in some cases.
Drinking a single heavy Indiana Pale Ale, for example, will have about as much alcohol as two Bud Lites.
A glass of wine is about 4 ounces, usually, and is usually between 12 and 18% alcohol by volume, depending on the variety.
Cocktails are mixtures of different hard liquors, flavored liqueurs, sodas, fruit juices, and other liquids, depending on the cocktail itself.
Most cocktails contain one or two shots worth of hard liquor, however.
Ask the bartender for more specific information. , Never drink alcohol on an empty stomach.
Before you decide to have your first drinks, get something substantial to eat first and try to stay hydrated throughout the evening, if you're planning on having a couple.
Going out for a meal at a restaurant that serves alcohol can be a great way of doing both things at once.
Eggs are an excellent precursor to a night of drinking because they contain cysteine, which helps to break down alcohol in your system.
Pickles are also an excellent choice, which contain salts and electrolytes, which alcohol depletes in your body.
Drink at least one glass of water for every drink of alcohol you have.
Hangovers are primarily the result of dehydration, and it's possible to head a troubling morning-after off at the pass by drinking enough water throughout the night. , If you're going out and planning on drinking, it's especially important that you're going out with a trusted group of friends who you're confident won't take advantage of you in an inebriated state.
Don't celebrate with people who will test your limits or push you into doing things you don't want to do.
Bring a supportive and trustworthy group along for the fun, who'll be able to take care of you if necessary.
If you're in a large group, at least one person should be sober, or in the neighborhood of sober, if everyone else is getting out of control.
It's important that there be at least one voice of reason, or one good candidate to talk to the cops when the show up at the house.
If you're going anywhere, you must designate a driver to remain sober and act as the chauffeur.
Even one or two drinks can be enough to register on a breathalyzer test, leading to a bummer of a birthday night.
The cops don't care that it's your special night. , Especially true at bars, but equally true at house parties, it's important that you keep your drink with you at all times.
Go up to the bar to get your own drinks, never accept drinks offered by strangers, and abandon drinks that you're unsure about.
Tainted drinks or drinks spiked with sedatives and other drugs are an unfortunately common occurrence at bars, and inexperienced 21-year-olds make an easy target.
Have fun, but keep your friends close and stay safe. , Everyone reacts differently to different types of alcohol, especially depending on your body type and your sex: men process alcohol much differently than women do.
When you're first learning about your tolerance, it's best to not jump around doing a couple beers, a shot, then a glass of wine, then a cocktail.
It makes it harder to keep track of what you've already had to drink and control your sobriety.
A classic drinkers' slogan goes "Beer before liquor, never sicker.
Liquor before beer, no fear." The order of drinks being consumed has no effect, however, on your inebriation, compared to the amount of liquor consumed.
It's perfectly possible to get a nasty hangover by taking a shot before a beer. , Before you go out, stock up for the possibility of a rough morning, even if you're planning on taking it easy.
After a night of drinking, it's common that you might experience some nausea, headache, and sensitivity to sound and light, the result of dehydration and a lowered electrolyte count.
By preparing correctly, though, you can get on top of your hangover quickly and salvage the day.
Drink a sports drink in the morning, if you're feeling dehydrated, cut with water to make it more palatable, if necessary.
The sugar and the electrolytes will help to replenish what the alcohol sapped from your body.try to get something on your stomach the next morning, even if it's just some dry toast.
Kickstarting your metabolism is essential to starting recovery.
If you need to take an ibuprofen, also, you'll need to have something on your stomach.
Mixing ibuprofen with alcohol can irritate the stomach lining.
About the Author
Julie Wells
Experienced content creator specializing in creative arts guides and tutorials.
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