Wanderlust World Wanderlust World In 1966, the legal drinking age in New York was 18 for beer and wine, and 18 for spirits in most contexts. However, individual establishments (especially bars and nightclubs) often set their own higher entry age—commonly 21—for liquor service.
New York raised the statewide minimum to 19 in 1982, then to 21 in 1985 (prompted by federal highway funding incentives).