Don’t start with beer.
Start with an “adult” spirit (as opposed to those pre-mixed “kiddie” drinks). This will achieve two cool things:
- You will taste the acohol, so you will go slow and not fall into the “teen party drink” trap of punch or Bacardi daquiri-type drinks which you will drink fast because they taste just like soft drink. Beer is like these latter drinks to a point too.
- You will gain an appreciation for the good stuff.
Ask for a top shelf scotch on the rocks. If that proves too sharp for your non-accustomed tastebuds, then try a gin and tonic or a martini. Or just add a splash of water to your scotch.
Later on, there is nothing quite like a cold beer. But don’t start your career on beer.