Whether or not you love to celebrate, some birthdays are bigger deals than others. You can vote and buy lottery tickets at 18, rent a car more easily at 25, and qualify for medicare at 65. But in the U.S., the federal minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) means that turning 21 is, somewhat randomly, a big deal. Even if you’ve been sneaking sips out of your parent’s liquor cabinet, asking older friends to buy you beers, or using a fake ID to get into bars for years, turning 21 is still a milestone, a step on the path to becoming an adult member of society.
But with the media’s preoccupation with the idea that Gen Z isn’t drinking, does it really mean anything to turn 21 today? If you don’t care about sipping your first legal Martini or finally being able to use your own ID to buy shots because alcohol doesn’t align with your lifestyle or vision of wellness, is it just another birthday? Instead of yet another article informed by expert youth psychologists or sociological researchers, why don’t we just ask young people themselves?
So that’s what we’ve done. We talked to a few dozen young adults in their 20s about their drinking habits, how they changed when they came of age, and if they’re talking about these things with their friends. The media is probably overreacting, but the trends do hold true in pockets of the country among people with purchasing power.
Our Collective Obsession
If there’s one thing we can say with certainty, it’s that turning 21 is intrinsically linked with drinking. Of all the 20-somethings we talked to, only four said their 21st birthdays didn’t involve alcohol. The rest responded with scenarios from classy glasses of wine with their families and being excited to finally use their own ID to go clubbing and all-out binges straight out of “21 and Over.” Even if what the media says about young people drinking less is true, a 21st birthday is both an exception and a dividing line.
Maisy Moss, a 24 year-old who went to college in the New York City suburbs, sees turning 21 as her drinking peak. “I think once you turn 21 a little bit of the fun of drinking declines,” she says. “It was kind of rebellious and fun, and then it’s like ‘OK, I can just buy it.’” Her social life still involves bar hopping and dinners with cocktails, but it’s now a quotidian ritual, not one that brings a thrill.
Another 22-year-old respondent who is a senior at a large school in Maryland thinks that turning 21 opened up their social life, even as a participant in Greek life. This dichotomy is reflected in the answers we received about respondents’ drinking habits before and after they turned 21. Over 90 percent said they were drinkers before they turned 21, with just over 20 percent saying they drank the same amount before and after that birthday. A third of respondents said they now drink more, and another third said they now drink less. In total, the same percentage that drank before they turned 21 still consumes alcohol today, with nearly two-thirds doing so multiple times a week. Our small sample of young adults is clearly still drinking, so why does everyone think Gen Z is relatively sober?
In the Media
Let’s get something straight: More than half of Gen Z (those born between 1997 and 2010) are still too young to legally drink. When looking at reports claiming that the entire generation abstains from alcohol, it’s important to note that even if 16-year-olds are sharing beers, they probably wouldn’t admit to it in the same way a 22-year-old would. That’s not to say every article claiming Zoomers drink less than previous generations is exaggerating.
Through 2024, data from polling services like Gallup and Nielsen did show that Gen Z consumed more no- and low-alcohol options and less alcohol overall than older groups. But as more members came of age and life got back to levels of normal socialization post-pandemic, studies found that young adults’ drinking habits are now broadly in line with the rest of the population’s. It’s just that everyone is drinking less. One major reason? Health.
The life expectancy for the average American is now at an all-time high. With that has come the desire to live out our days in good health — and industries trying to optimize for that outcome. One casualty of the wellness movement has been the belief that moderate drinking could offer some health benefits. Instead, drinkers at large cite alcohol’s effects on health as a major reason they’ve reduced or cut out consumption.
“Once you turn 21 a little bit of the fun of drinking declines. It was kind of rebellious and fun, and then it’s like ‘OK, I can just buy it.’”
Whether you’ve participated in Dry January, aim for a “clean” lifestyle, or drink on the regular, you’ve likely seen influencers touting the benefits of giving up the sauce. As the most plugged-in demographic, Gen Z has been particularly susceptible to these online trends. And health improvements like better sleep, weight loss, and reduced blood pressure are all enticing reasons to drink less. But multiple people who responded to our survey mentioned being fine with their relationship with alcohol, implying they would never give it up.
A senior at a very large university in Indiana responded, “I love booze. Booze makes me happy but low-key fat.” Another said, “Booze and I have a wonderful and healthy relationship.” Both report drinking a lot on their 21st birthdays and currently consuming more alcohol than they did before they came of age.
An offshoot of the increased focus on physical health has been a focus on mental health. Members of Gen Z aren’t afraid to talk about their emotions or cut out things that they feel are damaging their wellbeing. And with the changing landscape regarding legalized marijuana, they’re no longer as likely to drown their sorrows in a bottle as to roll a joint or partake in another form of weed. So where does that leave us?
What Does Gen Z Actually Think?
It’s become clear that Gen Z is hard to generalize. Sure, they love little treats and are drawn to an interesting flavor profile over strong alcohol. But depending on where they live, what their income and education levels are, and their social habits, they might experience drinking culture in vastly different ways.
Olivia Bria is a freelance writer in her late 20s, who grew up and went to college on the East Coast but now calls Los Angeles home. In comparing her friend groups, she’s noticed that on the West Coast alcohol doesn’t play as big of a role in socializing. “It does feel nearly pointless to go out on the East Coast without alcohol,” she says. “I’m not worried about that here [in L.A.], mostly because no one is really doing it, and we can easily have a fun night out without it.” A hangout in her California neighborhood could mean trying a cocktail, mocktail, juice, or coffee beverage. And the conversations around abstinence are prevalent. She finds that sharing why you do or don’t consume alcohol is not met with judgement, especially in health-conscious L.A., and that she can always find friends who want to drink (or sit out) with her.
Catherine Crowley, another L.A. resident with the same demographics as Bria, concurs: “I naturally find myself drinking less because there are so many sober activities available,” she explains. As a college athlete she was always conscious of appearing drunk or with alcohol on social media, so the fact that conversations about decisions regarding booze are now so commonplace is a nice change for her. She also notes that she and her friends growing up wanted to drink because they knew they weren’t supposed to, while nowadays younger members of Gen Z are obsessed with health and wellness and can get the same thrill from a workout class or their skincare routine.
Even outside the California bubble, respondents shared reasons why they are personally drinking less. Caroline Fox, who went to college in the heavy-drinking city of New Orleans and now lives in NYC, says looking at her budget (along with worsening hangovers) has led to a major reduction in her drinking.
“It does feel nearly pointless to go out on the East Coast without alcohol. I’m not worried about that here [in L.A.], mostly because no one is really doing it, and we can easily have a fun night out without it.
In rural Georgia, 27-year-old Brooke Norris was barely a drinker before she turned 21. Now she’s a bartender where she gets a firsthand look at the changing habits of drinkers across demographics. Her friend group, which ranges from early 20s to late 50s, is also trying to save money by not spending at bars, but they’ve mostly replaced that with wine or cocktails at one of their homes. As someone passionate about the industry and the people in it, she’s heartened when she sees younger people at a bar and hopes that the field can endure despite the financial pressures and health implications.
Again, Gen Z is not a monolith. Some members can’t get enough of boozy RTD cocktails while others prioritize spending on fitness. Overall, though, it seems like a change in drinking habits does happen around 21, but for most people it’s not a make-or-break moment, and, anecdotally, where they live later in life has more of a role in their continuing relationship with alcohol than what they do when they turn 21.
So is the 21st birthday as big a deal now as it was for generations past? Are they still looking forward to that “first” taste of alcohol the moment the clock strikes midnight and their own license gets them into a bar? It seems like the pandemic dulled the excitement and drive to party, turning a previous occasion for a blowout into a tamer event that only a few use to get wild. But Gen Z is definitely still drinking, both before and after they turn 21, so our culture’s obsession over who is or is not drinking, what celebrities and influences do for their 21st, and if young people care about alcohol is likely to continue, no matter what the media says.
