Your Edinburgh pre drink choice says a lot about you and we’re judging

Arguably the make-or-break for a good night out, having a reliable and enjoyable predrink is essential to avoid spending a small fortune at the club. We all know those who swear by their pre drink choice, but what do they say about them and are they worth giving a try?

Vodka lime soda

I, of course, have to start off by promoting my personal favourite. It is a classic, and one that I have converted many doubters to.

Having lime cordial is essential; a vodka soda with a slice of lime is not at all the same thing and will not cut it. I’m aware I sound like Jeremiah from The Summer I Turned Pretty (Belly, the cacao is the bean), but this really is an important distinction.

The benefits of a vodka lime soda are endless, and lovers of this drink will relay these facts to you over and over again – it’ll keep you hydrated all night long, and the mixers are cheap with limited sugar, which results in a slightly less awful hangover. But beware – make sure to shout your order loudly over Sabrina Carpenter in Subway, as I’ve been given a vodka soda without lime one too many times in there. Anyone who swears by this has definitely tried their fair share of pre drink options, but has come out sophisticated and feeling good the next day.

Cheesing at the perfect ratio of lime cordial to soda

Wine

I’m talking about white or rosé here – drinking red wine for pres is psychopathic. Wine is almost always drunk straight from the bottle, and usually the cheapest one – use those Nectar card deals.

You’ll often find that wine lovers tend to be the emotional drunks, giving off major mum vibes as they add Adele to the playlist. They often wind up in the corner of the club by the end of the night, confessing their undying love to their favourite situationship.

Wine pres with a side of Twilight?

Beer

Being at university in Scotland means you are probably never further than 20 metres from a Tennents.

We all fancy a cheeky pint in The Pear Tree garden when the sun starts to shine, but there is a surprisingly large number of people who have beer as their pre drink of choice year-round. This crowd tends to be pretty chilled, often preferring a pub gathering to a club, but after enough four-packs of Tennents, no doubt you will see them belting out ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’ on the karaoke in Dropkicks.

I’m definitely choosing the Budweiser over Heineken

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Cider

Please grow up and start drinking beer.

Vodka red bull/monster

Those who choose this drink are often the ones who already have maximum energy but somehow feel they need more.

It’s an expensive choice if you want to carry this drink on at the club, and it definitely starts to get a bit sickly after a while. The Red Bull lovers can be spotted on the fourth floor of the Main Library the next day, cracking open a new can as they attempt to focus on their 2x speed lecture recording while trying (and failing) to ignore the lingering imagined taste of alcohol.

Rum and mixer

Until coming to uni, I was not aware of how popular rum is as a pre drink of choice. Since doing some serious boots on the ground journalism, I have discovered that it’s actually very common, with a whole range of mixers. Coke is the classic choice, but switch it up and opt for pineapple juice for that tropical vibe. After several strong ones, you might almost forget that you’re trudging down a wet and windy South Bridge.

Squadka

This is quite possibly the quintessential uni pres drink.

In every flat kitchen, you can find a dusty bottle of squash that can always come in handy for last minute pres. If this is always your drink of choice, it shows you are not here for the theatrics; you’re probably just here to get as drunk as possible. Also, I’m not a seasoned drinker of the squadka, so I’m not qualified to settle the endless debate of orange vs apple and blackcurrant squash.

Buzzballs

I’m scared of these people. They know no limits. There is no way anyone is making good decisions after having more than one of these at pres. You will undoubtedly end up in Hive.

Tempting fate with a tequila rita