Drinks To Know Before You Turn 21

These are not the only options to order at the bar, but these are just some of my favorites I have tried and experienced ordering since I turned 21, and I would highly recommend any of them if they sound interesting and tasty to you! There are hundreds of different options of drinks to order at the bar, but everyone has different liquor tastes and preferences, so it is hard to list options for everyone, but I have tried to include at least one drink for each liquor preference! Enjoy!

1. Vodka Cranberry

Now, I am starting with this because this is my go-to drink every time I go to the bar and want a mixed drink rather than just a beer (which I usually do because it is always safer than liquor and usually cheaper). If you are just turning 21 or just turned and do not know what to order, this one never fails. It is just vodka and cranberry juice if you could not figure that out from the name, haha.

2. Vodka Soda

If you are not a fan of cranberry juice, or maybe you have just had too many and you are sick of it for the night, this is a great alternative. I will occasionally order these when I want to switch things up and it is also a staple drink of mine. It is just soda water and vodka. It will usually come with a lime, but if it doesn’t, always ask for one! The lime adds the extra flavor to make it one of the best bar drinks possible. 

3. Orange-Ginger Whisky

Now, I know you are probably thinking, what is this? This was one of the first drinks I had tried when I first turned 21 that one of my coworkers suggested. You cannot judge it until you try it because it is GOOD! I am not a huge whisky person, but I am a huge ginger beer fan, so I do love this drink. If you do not like ginger beer or whisky this is probably not the drink for you. It consists of ginger beer, whisky (I usually request Jack Daniels), and an orange slice.

4. Screwdriver

A screwdriver is what I refer to as my “mimosa on steroids.” Instead of champagne, it has vodka, so it is just vodka and orange juice. Very delicious and refreshing option! I also will occasionally want tequila instead of vodka, so I will just ask for “orange juice and tequila,” but I still like to believe it’s a screwdriver (but it really isn’t).

5. Long Island Iced Tea

This is the drink to order if you are looking to get the job done…quickly. I do not think I personally could handle more than one of these, but I am a bit of a lightweight, so that may be a personal problem. A long island iced tea consists of gin, vodka, tequila, and white rum with coke and a lemon. 

6. Tom Collins

If you are a fan of gin, this is probably a drink you would really like. I personally do not mind gin, but it has never been a drink I particularly reach for. This drink is really tasty though, even if you are just “eh” about gin. It has gin, club soda, lemon juice, and is usually topped with either a cherry, lemon, or orange slice.

7. Margarita

This comes with no surprise to anyone that this drink exists, and it is a good bar option. You can go into any mexican restaurant and probably have a laundry list of different margarita flavors from strawberry to mango to a million other options, but most bars probably cannot accommodate these flavors and options (as far as I would think). A classic margarita is simply tequila, lime juice, and Cointreau. 

8. Rum and Coke

How many guys have you seen go to the bar and NOT order this to drink? I feel like rum and coke is the guy version of vodka cranberry. But, who said only guys can get this drink? I have found myself ordering these quite a few times at the bar and they are in fact delicious, depending on what rum you get with it. My secret to the best rum and coke though is using Appleton Estate Jamaican Rum with Coke, and you are set with the best rum and coke you will ever try.

9. Dirty Shirley

Let’s throw it back to when you were a kid and always ordered these at restaurants…or was that just me and my sisters who did that? This drink now takes me back to my childhood as a 21 year old adult. The memories that flow through my head when I order this drink, wow. This is a Shirley Temple with vodka, and it is delicious. Sprite, vodka, and grenadine are all you need to relive your childhood while having a night out at the bar with your friends.

10. Sex on the Beach

This was a drink that I always gravitated towards when I was on vacation in Jamaica and Mexico. It is so fruity and refreshing if you are looking for something that will give you all the summer and warm weather vibes. This drink has vodka, peach schnapps, cranberry juice, and orange juice. One of my all time favorite drinks to have on vacation because it is not too aggressive of a drink to have at 1 P.M. on a Tuesday afternoon on the beach.