One of our birdies sends in the following question:
I’m turning 21 at the end of the month and I’m looking for the best place to have my first legal drink in c-ville. - I thought this would be a good idea for discussion - i’m eager to hear what the wonderful cvillains think
So, eager Villains, help our noobian out and tell us where you throw the best coming of age party!
Popularity: 41% [?]
Tagged as: 21, alcohol, birthday, Charlottesville, Drink, Questions, turn
I think 80% of 21 parties start at St. Marten’s. Do I know why? No.
Depends on what you’re style or area of location is. If you want a higher class evening with a bit more pricer drinks, go downtown to Zocalo, Mono Loco, Rapture, etc. If you are a student, then I am guessing you are headed to the Corner. I, personally, love the bartenders at Biltmore (esp. the main male bartender, who will remain nameless), so go there and tell him it’s you bday and he’ll prob make something delicious for you. Wed. night at Coupe’s is always good (or any night in summer) b/c they always have live music and Bennie Dodd plays on wed.’s. People always say Cheeseburger in Paradise has good girlie drinks, but I went the other night and was NOT impressed. Escafe is great just for Micah’s concoctions alone. Sake bombing at Sakura is always fun if you’re with a bunch of people. Mas always has good drinks and delicious food. Depends really on what you want you’re 21st experience to be…
The first legal drink should be at a place you always wanted to go. It all depends if you want to go classy, guys night out, girls night out, mixed, or animal house. The last of the night should be in walking distance of your home.
my first 21 drink was at macado’s. god, i miss that place.
i second st. maarten’s. i think that’s the de facto 21st birthday hangout. say hi to russ while you’re there.
Are you female? Hot?
My Place.
@5 that’s like hunting on an animal preserve- you should have to go out and hunt them in the wild.Plus I pretty sure you won’t check ID’s and that is the real fun. Handing the legal ID to the barkeep and the smile when they do the math.
Also many a 21 party has been crippled by starting the night doing shots at a friends house. TMYN
that’s like hunting on an animal preserve- you should have to go out and hunt them in the wild.
someday, you’ll get old, tired and lazy too…
@7 That must be a sad, sad day in a man’s life…
Come on, it’s Darwinism out there, the weak don’t survive!
@4 I doubt it was the same night, but ditto on the first drink and ditto on missing that place.
@8 You’re right! And it’s Tuesday!!
The Corner Crawl is a glorious, glorious tradition. So many hazy undergrad memories. Maartens is a fun place because they have lots of crazy shooters to try. Also, trying out the classy tequila at Baja and getting a bunch of stamps on your green card is pretty awesome. Biltmore is a good final place on the Corner Crawl, because there is only a 10% chance that you will be the drunkest person in the room. The downside is that there is no bathroom upstairs and if you puke at the bar they will try to charge you extra to clean it up, even if most of it ends up back in your glass.
being the little birdie…
@2 I am a student but prefer the more of a classy drink, preferably somewhere downtown - @6 I don’t want my first legal to be in a basement on 14th.
@3 and unfortunately I don’t have a place where I’ve always wanted to go, haven’t been in town that long
@5 and don’t worry about doing any field hunting, this moose got balls
My vote for the best bathroom on the corner has to be Zydeco. Go there, young thing.
@13/classy - My ideal 21st would start with a nice classy place (Zocalo, Mono Loco, X, etc.) The idea being to get some classy, memorable food and drink all up ins you so you can be good and greased to go out and have some good, debaucherous fun.
Then you can roll back down to the corner, making stops along the way: Marg/Shots at Conty D –> Beers at Mellow Mush –> A slice at Christians –>Zydeco –> Virginian for a drink special or 4 to wrap up the night.
Since I’m a 14 years old girl, I’ll have to wait for a few years, with dirty uncle oy watching me through his binoculars.
@13 Good Call! Amazingggggggg ‘ladies lounge’! I know that sounds like a weird thing to draw you to a bar, but it really is that great up there haha
It’s funny how no one really mentioned mellow haha…I guess it’s good if you want to go with a bunch of people and have guaranteed seats. But you’ve probably been going there since you were 19 anyways, so it’s probably nothing new. And they don’t ever really have specials.
/not a fan
a lot of them start at st. maartens because they let non-21 people come in. at least that was the reason for me and others i know.
@12 on your info and I’m sure others would differ but nothing says adult to me like a drink made by (can’t recall his name) the longtime bartender at the C&O. It’s nice to sip that drink and talk to a professional for a bit. You’ll probably get some freebies and good advice.
Zocolo’s or Bang would also be nice if it’s not getting slammed.
Wherever you go, do not celebrate your 21st by accepting a shot from a not-so-trustworthy acquaintance, a shot which he claims to be a Bahama Mama, because in reality it could be “the cheapest gin in the bar with a healthy splash of Tabasco”.
/just trust me on this one; it does NOT go down smoothly.
I love how you guys keep mentioning “classy” in this post. I think it’s cause when we all look back at OUR 21st, it was nowhere near classy. and it’d be cool to do over again with style instead of passing the night barstool slam-dancing and being found hanging over the edge of the alley dumpster behind Rapture half-naked and wearing a viking helmet.
/thought that was everyone’s 21st
If you are totally new to the bar experience (ie, didn’t do the fake ID thing) and want somewhere a little more off the beaten path just to be with your friends, I would recommend either Zinc or Maya on West Main St. Both of them are newer restaurants, but with experienced bartenders, and keep you away from the cliche of the corner and the regulars on the Downtown.
Also, wineries are a really cool way to start the day, before you got out for the evening. I recommend King Family Vineyards, Pollock Vineyards, and Veritas.
I do hope the lurker realizes that he or she must invite all of us now.
If your bday is on a tuesday, you could come to happy hour at South Street Brewery at 7!
I was waiting for that to get a nod.
@19 or a cement mixer. i started mine with a blowjob, & it was fabulous.
@25 I didn’t know you had to be 21 to enjoy that
@26 are you questioning my gender again?
You have to find the place that will serve you booze at midnight the second you turn 21. I’m not sure all bars will do that, especially in college towns.
The ABC store will sell you liquor the day before, assuming it’s not a Sunday.
@27 I’m sorry, what is that gender again?
@28, of course they will! I went with my friend at midnight the day she turned 21 and they let her in everywhere we went on the corner…I mean, it is technically their birthday at that point, how can they NOT let them in?
@31 Where I went to school, I think various bars had their own set of rules regarding allowing people in that had just turned 21. Some would serve you liquor, others not. But perhaps it was more of an urban legend because I only went to one bar after midnight and it was one of the bars that supposedly had no rules. It was in Pennsylvania, which has far more arbitrary alcohol rules/laws than Virginia does.
wasnt there some game for 21. starting on the corner (at the bars you drank at before you were 21) and working up Main St. to the mall? like bar golf but different…. I remember when I moved here something like that…. does that not go on anymore?
btw I am turning 31 next month (which is sort of like 21) I think I will definitely begin or end or both at Ten…. with some Escafe, Mas, and Bang mixed in there for sure… oh yeah and a little Blue Light for sure… possibly some Rapture… a little Box action… oh yeah and X Lounge… ummm.. everybody just stay home on the 10th. lol