OT: RU Alumni - Where did you turn 21?

[babbs09]

Didn't go to the bar my first night. Had a party at a friends house on Huntingdon St and wound up puking in the Pizza City bathroom hours later. Like full on, down on hands and knees and whatnot. I believe the first bar I went to a day or two later was Olive Branch.

 

[S.B. Crumb]

Knight Club. Little did I know that I met my future wife at my friend's house on Huntington prior to going out to the bar.

 

[mikefla]

I was backpacking through Europe in 1972......celebrated in Athens by going atop the Acropolis with a hot gal I met on the train from Belgrade. I didnt even drink back then....no booze,,,but a hot night.

 

[scarlet night]

Olive branch I do beleive (then knight club, then olde queens etc etc). 2006 was a great year at Rutgers [cheers]

 

[JPhoboken]

to rep our older posters, the drinking age was 18 when I started at Rutgers (Cook Collge) in 1976. I walked into the first floor student room in Vorhees dorm, and saw a sign that said "welcome to Rutgers" and 5 kegs. So I poured a cold one and said thank you.

Different times back then.

 

[Piscataway]

Had my first legal drink at the Ale 'N 'Wich just after midnight. i think it was a Guiness.

 

[Scarlet5]

Olde Queens. Turned 21 during finals. Met friends for 1 drink at midnight, then went back to the cages at Alexander to study.

 

[leonh71]

I was probably shuttling between the 'Wich and McCormick's.

 

[Newbrunfus]

The Bull Pen at age 18, which later became the Knight Club. The night ended with me face down in my former Grammar School, Lincoln School parking lot after a few to many shots.

 

[Blitz8RUCrazy]

Planet Earth

 

[Fishky]

North Brunswick pub then Patrick's on Somerset street.

 

[RULoyal]

to rep our older posters, the drinking age was 18 when I started at Rutgers (Cook Collge) in 1976. I walked into the first floor student room in Vorhees dorm, and saw a sign that said "welcome to Rutgers" and 5 kegs. So I poured a cold one and said thank you.

Different times back then.

Me too!

 

[LevaosLectures]

The Ale n Wich.

RIP Bob the Bartender

 

[wheezer]

After reading the Tumulty's thread, I wanted to post this question to RU alumni: Where did you have your first drink when you turned 21? I had mine at Olde Queens. I waited until midnight on Halloween night to walk in, got carded by Darth Vader, and got a "I turned 21 at Olde Queens" t-shirt. First drink? Jagermeister.

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I don't remember my first legal drink in NJ at the age of 21, but I remember taking a bus with some friends to the port authority in NY just after turning 18..... At that time the two states differed in the age limit.

We got off the bus and went into a port authority bar.... Not much for brains back then, each of my group ordered some sort of mixed drink..... I remember the bar tender muttering to himself, he probably thinking we would all be ordering an easy to serve beer.

 

[RU4Real]

Victoria Station, which was adjacent to Brunswick Square Mall, age 18.

 

[CornerTavern]

Pretty sure it was the scarlet pub just after midnight... after partying at the house on Delafield

 

[virginiaru]

I am also one the mature fans who could drink at age 18 in NJ so turning 21 wasn't a big deal. Drinking wa

to rep our older posters, the drinking age was 18 when I started at Rutgers (Cook Collge) in 1976. I walked into the first floor student room in Vorhees dorm, and saw a sign that said "welcome to Rutgers" and 5 kegs. So I poured a cold one and said thank you.

Different times back then.

Amen to that. My freshman week one of the events was a cheering contest among the freshman dorms. The winning prize: 2 kegs provided by the University. Unthinkable today.

 

[Upstream]

I was the last group in NJ that could drink at 18, legally; drinking age went up by one year at a time, so I could drink legally every year at RU. Those were the days. Pubs on every campus and frat/house/dorm parties were a little out of control. Have no clue when my first legal drink was, since I started drinking at 12, lol (not regularly, but experimenting) and was drinking fairly regularly by the time I was 15. Was also able to get into local bars at 17 or so, so again 18 wasn't much of a milestone. 17 was the big milestone - getting my license...

I'm about the same age as you. Back then the drinking age was 18. But NJ driver's licences didn't have a birth date on them, just month and year. So you could start buying alcohol on the first of the month that you turned 18. Also, licenses didn't have pictures, so you could just borrow a friend's or sibling's license when you were underage. Also underage drinking at home wasn't considered evil back then, so most of the people I knew would have beer or wine with their families (I think this was beneficial since it helped you to learn to drink responsibly; I had some friends at college who never drank until they got to college and they had to learn the hard way how to drink). Since drinking wasn't such a novelty, I don't know anyone who went out on their 18th birthday to celebrate their first legal drink. They may have celebrated their 18th birthday, but that was not really different than celebrating their 19th birthday. As you note, getting your driver's license was the big milestone.

 

[DanceAppreciationTA]

Spent the evening at Stuff. Some chick bought me a Vodka Cran to start off the night... Moved onto fish bowls and bolis shortly thereafter.

 

[ScarletteK80]

After reading the Tumulty's thread, I wanted to post this question to RU alumni: Where did you have your first drink when you turned 21? I had mine at Olde Queens. I waited until midnight on Halloween night to walk in, got carded by Darth Vader, and got a "I turned 21 at Olde Queens" t-shirt. First drink? Jagermeister.

Dating myself here, got to Rutgers when I was 17. Had to WAIT until I was an ancient 18. Was in line next morning to obtain a pub card, and so it goes.

 

[Local Shill]

Tiki Bar on the Pt. Pleasant boardwalk.

My friends went into it with a plan and accomplished their goal. Started me off with rough stuff and novelty crap with hot sauce mixed in all chased by beer of course. Then they started with the creamy crap and stuff with clams and oysters floating in it.

I puked, but not before 21.

@Local Shill could probably tell you more about what happened between #15 and when I woke up on the beach.

I'll be 42 this July and I'm dead serious when I say that was the last time I puked. Ever.

A magical night. Time has faded my memories.

 

[Scarlet1984]

Definitely, back in late-1979 (pre-prohibition by about a week), "first legal drink" was not "a thing".

Sure...there was too much teen drinking but it was 99% beer. Not harmless but has the

I'm about the same age as you. Back then the drinking age was 18. But NJ driver's licences didn't have a birth date on them, just month and year. So you could start buying alcohol on the first of the month that you turned 18. Also, licenses didn't have pictures, so you could just borrow a friend's or sibling's license when you were underage. Also underage drinking at home wasn't considered evil back then, so most of the people I knew would have beer or wine with their families (I think this was beneficial since it helped you to learn to drink responsibly; I had some friends at college who never drank until they got to college and they had to learn the hard way how to drink). Since drinking wasn't such a novelty, I don't know anyone who went out on their 18th birthday to celebrate their first legal drink. They may have celebrated their 18th birthday, but that was not really different than celebrating their 19th birthday. As you note, getting your driver's license was the big milestone.

Turned 18 just before first wave of prohibition (very late 1979), "First legal drink" was not "a thing" back then.

I recall that beer was readily accessible and hard alcohol was not something kids generally drank. Same with college.

Not saying that the old ways didn't produce a ton of heavy drinkers. Just not clear that the higher drinking age has made much of a dent.

 

[mikebal9]

Spent my 21st at the tables in Atlantic City.

 

[AntiG]

fraternity house... Survived 21 shots of 151. All I remember lol.

 

[RUhasarrived]

When the age was 21 before 1973,there was a bar near Newark-Rutgers who would serve virtually anyone as long as you had the cash.Packaged goods as well.From what I hear,the owner was far more concerned with the FBI and the IRS than he was concerned with the ABC.

As Mary Hopkin sang:"Those were the days."

 

[RUChoppin]

First legal drink was a pint of Guinness at the Guinness brewery in Dublin when I was 20, at the start of a study abroad semester.

First legal drink in the US was at Stuff Yer Face the following year.

 

[Beancounter88]

Tiki Bar on the Pt. Pleasant boardwalk.

My friends went into it with a plan and accomplished their goal. Started me off with rough stuff and novelty crap with hot sauce mixed in all chased by beer of course. Then they started with the creamy crap and stuff with clams and oysters floating in it.

I puked, but not before 21.

@Local Shill could probably tell you more about what happened between #15 and when I woke up on the beach.

I'll be 42 this July and I'm dead serious when I say that was the last time I puked. Ever.

I have a July birthday and the Tiki Bar was my place as well. When the folks at the bar heard it was my 21st, a lady with large cannons, took off her bikini top and the left said "Good" and the right said "Time". Life's been downhill ever since.

 

[198hamilton]

Was in line next morning to obtain a pub card, and so it goes.

Was cleaning my basement a few weeks ago and came across my pub card. Instantly brought back memories of Patti's for pitchers and pies then onto dancing at the pub.

 

[Ole Cabbagehead]

I cannot imagine remembering where the first legal drink was. Went out in town that night and I did my full 21 drinks (i think I made it to 23 or 24) with the lines on my arm. We hit all the bars on Easton. If I had to guess, I would guess we finished up at Scarlet Pub.

The next day my folks came down and brought me to SoHo on George for dinner. I remember being so ill the that I could only muster a single beer at dinner. It was a Duvel. I will always remember choking that beer down.

 

[virginiaru]

I'm about the same age as you. Back then the drinking age was 18. But NJ driver's licences didn't have a birth date on them, just month and year. So you could start buying alcohol on the first of the month that you turned 18. Also, licenses didn't have pictures, so you could just borrow a friend's or sibling's license when you were underage. Also underage drinking at home wasn't considered evil back then, so most of the people I knew would have beer or wine with their families (I think this was beneficial since it helped you to learn to drink responsibly; I had some friends at college who never drank until they got to college and they had to learn the hard way how to drink). Since drinking wasn't such a novelty, I don't know anyone who went out on their 18th birthday to celebrate their first legal drink. They may have celebrated their 18th birthday, but that was not really different than celebrating their 19th birthday. As you note, getting your driver's license was the big milestone.

My experience is similar (Class of 1972). Funny story about the lack of a birth date on a NJ license. I was on a senior year high school trip on April 1 to NYC the year I turned 18. A group of us went to a Howard Johnsons near Times Square (very sophisticated group) for lunch and I ordered a beer. The waitress checked my license and asked my birth date and I told her it was the first (it wasn't) and that I was celebrating my birthday with friends. I was served the beer and felt so proud of myself. As the meal ended, the wait staff of the restaurant came to our table and sang Happy Birthday to me. I was completely embarrassed. No issues by the time I got to Rutgerss

 

[BuggsyRU]

Old Queens. It was over the summer, and I was working in NB.

 

[mikeinsec127]

McGovern's in Newark. Mr Skully served me my first legal drink. The look on his face when he realized that I had been drinking in that bar for three years prior was priceless.

 

[megadrone]

I kept missing the cut as the age went up in NJ, and I commuted when at Rutgers.

First legal drink in NJ -- Tijuana Joe's in North Plainfield, with a couple of friends. First legal drink -- Shea Stadium. First drink in NJ -- Dunellen Hotel, much earlier :)

 

[RUin2WIN]

Current student not alumni, but I turned 21 when I was in the middle of Australia for a military training evolution.

 

[wasiman]

Turned 21 my senior year in Feb at R.U in 1969. Went to Patty's and a bar on Easton Ave
called Walt's (great Burgers).