Can a Minor Legally Sit at the Bar in Massachusetts?
Back when I was a teenager I used to play drums in a band with three adults that were all old enough to be my parents. We would play at venues like the former Chick's Lunch in Adams, the now-defunct Florida Lounge in Florida, MA, Freightyard Pub in North Adams, the Dalton American Legion in Dalton, and various bars and venues throughout Berkshire County and Western Massachusetts.
Most of the music we covered was middle-of-the-road dance tunes from John Mellencamp, Beatles, Matchbox Twenty, Moody Blues, and Sheryl Crow, you get the idea. Because I was in my mid-teens we would make it a point, if we had to, to let the bar owners know that I was in the band. Some bars would question a teen entering the establishment which I understand since the legal drinking age in Massachusetts is 21. Once I was in the bar and we played a set, I would sit at a table during our break to have water or soda which got me wondering if a minor can sit at the bar in Massachusetts if the person is not drinking alcohol.
Can a Minor Legally Sit at a Bar in Massachusetts?
According to My Bartender, the answer is no. Here's what the website had to say about minors sitting at bars.
In the United States, the legal drinking age is 21. This means that people under the age of 21 are not legally allowed to purchase or consume alcohol. While it is legal for minors to enter a bar, they cannot sit at the bar if it serves alcohol.
So if you are under 21 feel free to hang around the bar as long as it's a salad bar.
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