At the end of June I’ll be turning 21. Up until now, I have never had any alcoholic beverage save perhaps a little bit of wine at a passover seder ( ;j ) or something. So, recommend a good drink for a true beginner. Nothing too too strong, but at the same time something with a good kick. So, what should I drink?
Booze Booze and more Booze.
Nothing like a depressant to chase the blues away.
I’m guessing you aren’t trying to start binge drinking? hehe.
If you haven’t had any alcohol until now, then I would suggest beer. It is, IMO, the gentlest way to get a little buzz. Mixed drinks are what will make you puke.
But, if you’re just having “a drink or two” then any good cocktail will do. Try a cranberry/vodka, a grapefruit/vodka, or an OJ/vodka. Those used to be my favorties. Heck, I even like Sprite/vodka and vodka tonics.
Stay away from Jagermeister until you’ve gotten a bit of a tolerance. That stuff can kill you. 
Hmm, a screwdriver. Sounds tempting. What exactly are you referring to when you say “mixed drinks”?
I’d say any of the really basic mixed drinks - any of the vodka stuff that Indygrrl mentioned, rum and coke, gin and tonic, any number of basic things. You want to make sure you have at least a decent quality of whatever alcohol you’re using, too - a crappy vodka or whisky or whatever can make you think you don’t like something when it was really just a crappy vodka or whisky.
If you go with beer, make sure to keep in mind that there’s a lot of variety in how beer tastes. A lot of the ‘cheap’ and common stuff isn’t good for much more than getting you drunk, while there are a bunch of microbrews and other more sophisticated stuff out there that’s much better.
With all of this, YMMV - there’s a lot of individual variance in liquor taste. Either way, make sure you enjoy yourself 
A mixed drink is anything where you’re mixing multiple things together. Beer, wine, or any straight liquor is not a mixed drink; any cocktails or combinations of liquor and other stuff is a mixed drink.
Oh, also (and sorry for the three posts in a row), what Indygrrl is referring to is that anything made with liquor will generally be several times stronger for the same volume of liquid as beer will be. Beer and malt beverages range from what, 6 to 11 percent alcohol by volume? Not really sure, that isn’t my area of expertise. The baseline for hard liquors is generally somewhere in the 40% alcohol range. Additionally, if you’re having OJ/vodka… a lot of times you can barely taste the vodka, especially after you’ve had a few. This can lead to you putting down a rather large quantity of alcohol in an unhealthily short period of time 
The same thing goes for a lot of the “fruity” and “girly” cocktails out there - they might taste nice and fruity, but they might well pack more of a punch than you’d think.
The only time I ever puked because of drinking, I was having orange juice and vodka, and I went through the better part of a fifth of SKYY in a couple of hours while barely realizing it. The really gross part was the amount of orange juice that my friend and I went through in mixers that night :eek:
Listen to Ray Davies’ warning.
Just be advised that mixed drinks prepared in bars will be made with the nastiest and cheapest booze they have unless stated otherwise. This can be killer. I agree with Indygrrl on this one: go with beer. Maybe start with a “light” beer such as Budweiser (I can’t believe those words came out of my mouth…err fingers).
And seconded about the Jager. That’s not for novice drinkers, at all. Also, do be careful with sugar-y liquors such as schnapps and liquers. That stuff is always hell the next day and hits harder than you imagine.
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And always have a designated driver!
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Yeah, ditto the recommendation to start with beer. Coors Light was my “starter” beer, what I drank until I got used to the taste.
As for wine, start with the sweet white wines until your palate adjusts (it can take years) and gradually move to the reds.
Do not mix your alcohols when you first start out. Pick your drink for that night and stick with it. For example, if you pick rum, you can have any rum drink you want, but no vodka drinks, no gin, etc. And no martinis! Those are the sweetest way to die. And there is one Jager night that I only have dim memories of; I will never do Jager again.
I’ll recommend:
[ul]the vodka gimlet, which is vodka mixed with sweetened lime juice. Cold, limey and slightly sweet. Ask for Absolut or Ketel One.[/ul]
[ul]the white russian: vodka, kahlua and cream. Sweeter than most drinks, and a bit heavy, I like this in the winter. (A black russian is made without the cream.)[/ul]
[ul]a cuba libre: rum and coke with extra lime.[/ul]
[ul]a gin and tonic: my summer drink, because it’s lighter than the gimlet but very tasty.[/ul]
When drinking out on the town, alternate: after every drink, ask for a glass of water. It won’t protect you from the horrors of the hangover if you overdo, but it will help. One last thing: write off the next year of your life to alcohol. Trust me. It will happen. But after the newness has worn off, you’ll back off to acceptable levels of drinking. And ditto the advice on the designated driver. It sucks if it’s your night to be DD, but the alternative is unthinkable.
I’m rather fond of drinking a sex on the beach with pineapple juice.
When I was in Spain, I got a drink that I’m pretty sure was vodka and blue rum, with whipped cream that was delicious.
And I am not a big fan of beer.
There seems to be a consensus on the beer. I was actually thinking of starting with a cocktail, but beer works too. Any specific recommendations there, possibly something a little more local than Budweiser and Coors? I live in northern NJ, in case that makes a difference.
Do my parents count? 
They’ll be there, along with about two dozen friends.
Of course they count, unless they’re imbibing too. Me? I don’t have a license, therefore I am always designated drunk. Hey, it works out.
When you go into a bar, order a Slow Southern Screw. Most bartenders know it. Slow Gin, Sothern Comfort and OJ.
Advise.
Never mix the types of alcohol. If you start with one, stick with it.
Always order name-brand, AKA “call brands”
I find those drinks high in sugar cause the worst hang-overs (ie: Rum is from sugar cane). Rum & Coke is even worse. Clear ones like vodka seem to do less damage IMHO
Don’t end up a pall bearer at your friends funeral or the guest of honor at the funeral of a stranger. Call a cab… for yourself or your friend.
And remember, the way people act or what they say when drunk is often an indication of how they truely are. If he/she is an asshat when drunk, chances are they are a closet asshat the rest of the time. The same may be said about you the day after.
I forgot:
I have to second the vote against Jagermeister. We have always called it
Jager-Monster
If you want something lighter, you can always get a wine cooler, too.
Wow. An alcohol virgin at 21. I know that’s what the law expects you to be in this messed up country of ours, but to actually hear about one existing… it’s like seeing an Ivory Billed Woodpecker on your front lawn.
I reccomend Mikes Hard Lemonade. Or Smirnofs. Don’t listen to those who call it “bitch beer” because they are damn fine beverages.
Beer itself takes some getting used to and I doubt you’d like it at first, but if you start drinking it on a somewhat regular basis it can become an acquired taste.
A regular beer and then a Boiler Maker (shot of whiskey and a beer chaser). That should have you plenty buzzed for the first time.
Get a bottle of ouzo. Good ouzo- the best you can find.
It will be a birthday you will never forget.
mmmm…black licorice flavored vomitus!
Midori margarita, blended. Tastes like a melon slushee and two will have you shaking your groove thing with gleeful abandon.
At least, that’s what happens to me, along with the strongest urge to tell other people about this great conditioner I found, take care of those split ends right away, here’s my stylists’ numbers, he does great color.