Back in the early ’70s, 18-year-olds in America were trusted as adults. You could vote, enlist, pay taxes, and yes…order a drink. It was part of the passage into adulthood, a recognition that responsibility and freedom go hand in hand.

But in 1984, everything changed. Congress passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act, and it wasn’t because science proved 21 was safer. It was politics. Washington told every state: raise your drinking age to 21, or lose millions in federal highway funds. That wasn’t a choice….it was an ultimatum . States didn’t want to comply, but they had no way out. Overnight, a generation’s freedom was stripped.

Meanwhile, other countries kept trusting their young adults. In Germany, you can drink beer and wine at 16, spirits at 18. In the UK and Australia, the age is 18. Canada sets it at 18 or 19 depending on the province. Across much of Europe and the world, 18 is the standard.