Drinking age calculator

Works out an age from a date of birth against a legal threshold. The threshold is a field because it genuinely varies — 18 across most of Europe, 21 in the United States, 16 for some drinks in a few countries.

The variation is wider than people assume and the rules are often more specific than a single number. Germany allows beer and wine at 16 and spirits at 18. The United States settled on 21 nationally in 1984 through federal highway funding rather than a direct law, which is why it is a state matter that nonetheless applies everywhere. Several countries distinguish buying from drinking, and a few distinguish on-premises from off. This is arithmetic against whatever threshold you enter and is not legal advice — check the rule that actually applies where you are.