The beginning of senior year is a great time for enjoying kegs on the Esplanade, reflecting on your college experience, and above all, desperately searching for an answer to the question posed by just about everyone you come across: “So, what do you plan to do after college?” I am nowhere near close enough to having an answer to that question, but I do have one way to show the people in my life that I have grown and matured at college: my drinking habits.
While all other aspects of my life have some maturing to do, my taste for alcohol, at least, has become more discriminating during my four years in college. While I wouldn’t dream of offering career advice to anyone, my three years at Georgetown have afforded me a few bits of alcohol-related wisdom that I feel obligated to pass on.
OUT: Whatever you have in your fridge mixed with whatever your neighbor has in his. IN: Making cocktails.
From the classic martini or gin and tonic to the more ambitious mojito or White Russian, cocktails are an excellent way to demonstrate your maturity and refined taste in booze. A well-chosen cocktail can say a lot about a person’s style, mood, and personal financial situation, and practicing for a few years will make ordering at bars a lot smoother. Plus, unlike that combination of Burnett’s and last week’s Mountain Dew, cocktails are delicious.
OUT: Drinking out of water bottles. IN: Flasks.
Yeah, we all thought that carrying that water bottle full of mixed drink all night was cool (“Really guys, it looks just like juice!”). Buy a flask.
OUT: Third Edition, Rugby. IN: Any other bar in Georgetown.
Why waste your time in a dark, crowded pit of sweaty freshmen when you could spend it drinking three-dollar Stellas all night at Mr. Smith’s piano bar, harassing your local college bartenders at The Tombs, or playing a few rounds of pool at Hero? The point is, no matter what your haunt of the moment is, try to make sure your choice in bar is at least little more stringent with its I.D. requirements than a freshman clubhouse.
OUT: Pounding drinks. IN: Starting early, staying late.
There’s no denying that quickly knocking back a shot or seven has its merits at certain times, but sustaining continued drinking over a longer period of time is also an important skill to cultivate. In addition to impressing a sense of maturity and restraint as well as allowing you to drink more for longer periods of time, it also saves you the embarrassment of being the guy puking in the bathroom before 10:30.
OUT: House parties (at a stranger’s place). IN: House parties (at a friend’s)
Going to a party at a house owned by a sports team or a club often means fighting your way through a dark, smelly mess of strangers only to find a fridge that has been empty since the party’s 10 o’clock commencement. Going to a party at a friend’s house, on the other hand, equals VIP access to the alcohol and speakers. Plus, nothing says “I’m a grown-up!” louder than having friends with houses.
So there you have it, an amateur list of ways to demonstrate (or fake) all the wisdom and maturity of an unaccomplished 20-something-year-old. But in the end, it’s not about impressing your friends with your newly acquired skills, it’s about developing and growing into your own style. After all, your ability to grow (as well as a healthy amount of drinking) are why your parents sent you to college in the first place.
Get your drink on with Mary at mcass@georgetownvoice.com
