How to Act the First Time You Go to a Bar

June 11, 2011 2:00 pm     Posted in Entertainment, Featured Right 2, HaHa  Jessica - Hofstra g+ page

Everyone remembers their first time at a bar. Whether they were 17 with a fake ID, or they actually waited until they turned 21, it’s a relatively exciting experience. It’s like when you don’t have to sit at the children’s table for holiday dinners anymore — you finally get to play with the big kids.


By Jessica

That being said, it can sometimes be pretty obvious when someone is at a bar for the first time. No matter how hard you might be trying to fit in, that’s probably exactly what’s making you stand out. And trust me, you don’t want to be that girl. Sometimes, no matter how much everyone drinks, there are some things people just don’t forget.

Here are a few handy little tips on how to handle yourself the first time you make an appearance at a bar — from one bar veteran to a bar virgin, trust me on these.

Dress appropriately. I can’t stress this enough. You might think you’ve finally found a place to wear that skin-tight, super-short, leopard print dress you got at Too Cute, but consider your surroundings first. Most bars are relatively casual, especially local ones. I can’t tell you how many bars I’ve been to where everyone is in jeans and a cute top, and in walks an 18-year-old girl in a tiny dress and sky-high heels looking completely out of place and completely 18. Those outfits are usually better suited for a club. Not that you can’t look cute at a bar — you should. But I would say it’s definitely more of a casual environment.

Maybe don’t get on top of the bar. Everyone has those blackout drunk nights that end in waking up in the morning and seeing a hundred pictures of themselves dancing on top of a bar tagged on Facebook. All of my friends, myself included, have found ourselves up there at one point of another. But you probably don’t want to get the reputation as the girl who’s always slutting it up there. You know, the girl who goes up there in one of those really short little dresses so that everyone can see her underwear (or lack thereof), and clumsily pours shots down guys’ throats and shirts and then proceeds to dance like she thinks she’s J-Lo. It’s not the best look…for anyone.

Not everyone cares how drunk you are. You don’t need to loudly proclaim how wasted you are to everyone in your vicinity every five minutes. I can guarantee that no one cares, except for maybe that creepy guy in the corner who’s been watching you. In other words, keep the screeching to a minimum. Nothing is worse than a group of underage girls shrieking about how much they drank and how they don’t know how they’re going to get home.

Keep your friends close. Yes, what your mom has always told you is true – you should definitely use the buddy system when you’re out at a bar. You’ll have to deal with a lot of creepy guys — guys who don’t know what the word ‘no’ means, those guys that just hang around looking at you and muttering under their breath. Or maybe you’re not sober enough to realize the guy you’re eagerly chatting up is actually NOT cute (this is where a friend comes in). Or maybe you’ll get lucky and find a cute guy who needs someone to entertain his friend — hello wing-woman! Also, you just shouldn’t sit alone in a bar. It’s sad.

Try not to spend the night in the bathroom. Don’t get so wasted that you’re leaning over a disgusting bar toilet bowl for hours on end. This one is helpful for you and your girls — none of your friends want their night out wasted by having to hold your hair back as you puke. And you don’t need to be seen looking like the definition of a hot mess when you walk out at the end of the night, dried vomit on your cute shirt, your hair stringy, and looking like you’re about to hook up with death.

Tip generously. Especially if you plan on returning. You will learn that building a friendship with your bartender will be one of the most important relationships of your college career. No, but seriously, being buddy-buddy with the bartenders can only be a good thing. Not only will they make your drinks extra strong, but you’ll usually get free drinks and shots out of it, and they’ll also notice you even when it’s super crowded. Not to mention they make for some pretty great conversation at the end of the night.

12 Comments on "How to Act the First Time You Go to a Bar"

  1. thirtyninety says:
    Sat, 11th Jun 20112:13 pm 

    Coming from experience, making friends with the bartenders is good, but getting yourself so involved with the rest of the staff that it makes it awkward to go there, not good. The bouncers may be cute, they may be a lot of fun to party with, but know when to draw the line. I'm in the process of divorcing my favorite bar because it just got too messy.

  2. Rhi says:
    Sat, 11th Jun 20114:15 pm 

    Good advice: I must add, the bouncers are cool and yes, flirting may get you in, but be careful there. My ex ended up working as a bouncer, and one of the other bouncers has the biggest crush on me. It's good in that I can still go there and cut the line even though my ex and I are now broken up, but this other bouncer is getting too clingy. Be nice, but don't lead them on.

  3. Reems says:
    Sat, 11th Jun 20119:06 pm 

    The first time I went to a bar on my 21st birthday, I pranced around excitedly and broke a glass, spilling my Bay Breeze everywhere. True story.

  4. Claire says:
    Sun, 12th Jun 20116:50 am 

    The first time I went to a bar was when I was 17 (I didn't need fake ID: my hometown is a really small town in France, and the security is somewhat lax.). My friends and I took advantage of the fact that everybody knows everybody: our friend knew all the bartenders in town, and I think I only paid for half my drinks that night ;)

  5. Elise says:
    Sun, 12th Jun 201110:49 am 

    The first time I went to a bar I was 18. I got invited by someone I casually knew from my classes on campus (which quickly turned into a car full of people I didn't know) who set me and some loser up on a blind date. I realized pretty quickly what was going on "you sit next to–" and then the rest of the party focused in on the two of us. I didn't like the looks of the guy, so didn't drink anything at all and magically hated everything he liked–but laughed at all his jokes, even when he wasn't joking. I was mad as hell at first but then I had a great time annoying the absolute hell out of everybody. They were disappointed that " things didn't work out."

  6. Mackenzie says:
    Mon, 13th Jun 20116:33 am 

    As a bartender in a University town (and a college student myself), be nice to us!
    We'll remember you if you're rude, and remember you and serve you great drinks if you're really nice. And we're also the first people to tell the bouncers when someone inside is too drunk and needs to leave, and we get the rude ones kicked out.

  7. Spiya says:
    Mon, 13th Jun 20119:01 am 

    You're allowed in bars by the age of 16 in France (as long as you're drinking beer not liquor) so why would you need fake ID?

  8. Claire says:
    Mon, 13th Jun 201110:00 am 

    It depends where you go. In the cities, there are a lot of bars who won't let you in if you're underage (a friend of mine was refused entry even though she was turning 18 the next day), whereas the bars in my hometown will serve liquor to anyone who looks older than 15.

  9. Spiya says:
    Mon, 13th Jun 201110:25 am 

    It was weird when I was in France there were lots of younger people in the bars (probably 16-18) but there was still less over the top drunkness than In the states where everyone should be at least 21.

  10. Claire says:
    Mon, 13th Jun 20113:38 pm 

    The attitude to alcohol in France has traditionally been very lax because wine is such a big part of the culture (though wine is not that popular amongst the younger set anymore), so I'm guessing that because of this, drinking is less of a big deal than in the States? That's my theory, anyway ;) (PS. I think it also depends of the age group. The high school parties I used to go to were pretty excessive)

  11. anonymous says:
    Fri, 24th Jun 20117:56 pm 

    be nice and tip generously it goes far with us. =]

  12. Elijah says:
    Sat, 11th Aug 20124:52 pm 

    Right to admission reersved this is a common sign that you may have observed outsideinside a restaurant, bar, or any other outletbusiness area. This provides the owner the right to allow only the ones he deems appropriate to enter his premises. This also holds good for service.However, there is a thin line which needs to be drawn, this should never be used in a discriminatory fashion (agesexrace etc,.)Trust this explains.As others are asking, why consume alcohol when one is pregnant?

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