You’re 22 and broke. You have no money to buy drinks for weekend shenanigans, yet you want to get as trashed as possible. The bar is an incredible place to let off steam and to score free drinks, but not all guys who will buy you a drink are the same. Some want sex, another may like to chat, while others will simply send you a free drink to let you know you’re beautiful. Just like the intentions behind every drink are different, the types of guys who send them are too. But have no fear! Here is the analysis of ten different guys who will buy you a drink at the bar …and the pros, cons, and lowdown on all of them.

1. The Horny Harry

This guy hasn’t gotten any in a while and no doubt he is at the bar to meet girls to take back to his place. You can tell a guy is a Horny Harry if he is constantly touching your hair, legs or you in general. He wants to get in your pants via getting you a drink. You don’t know the guy, yet he is trying too hard and too soon, he is simply too forward. You know immediately that this guy does not want to get to know you, just what color panties you’re wearing. He will tell you how beautiful you are and say things like “a beautiful girl like yourself shouldn’t go home alone” and “c’mon girl, lemme get you a drink”. You will probably wish he was off to his next victim and out of your face already.

Pros: Let’s get real; this guy is DTF to the max. If you are feeling a bit slutty, this could be a fantastic win-win situation.

Cons: This guy is DTF. He will say and do virtually anything to try to convince you to come back to his place. He doesn’t want anything serious and probably at this point does not care whom he goes home with, which means you may never hear from him again.

2. The Old Oscar

This guy is possibly twice your age, or maybe in his early forties. He most likely has a decent job and receives a pay check every other Friday. He is 40-something, single, and looking for somebody to pay attention to him. There is something so Christian Grey about him though and, maybe it’s the alcohol talking, but he seems so wonderfully forbidden.

Pros: He obviously has his life together and has some extra money he is willing to spend on you. The man is probably dressed nicely, which is for sure a turn-on. He is completely different from the frat boy douche bags who normally offer you a drink and is probably more experienced. You have never considered an older guy before and are willing to give him a shot.

Cons: He might be twice your age, and this could be a big problem. People in their 40s, and even late 30s, who go to the bar and buy girls drinks are generally single pringles. He is at a completely different stage in his life, and may be looking to settle down and commit when you are only looking for a one night stand.

3. Dinosaur Dave

This guy is old, and by old I mean even older than the old Oscar, which should be a red flag. Is he channeling his inner Hugh Hefner or is he simply being polite and buying a young girl a drink? You can’t be too sure. You look at this guy and wonder how he even got into the bar and why he is drinking. Isn’t it past his bedtime? You stare at his glass and see that he is older than the scotch he is drinking and take a large gulp of your vodka cranberry.

The Pros: The only pro I can think of is that this guy most likely does not want to hookup with you. So you don’t have to worry about that. He probably has an 8 o’clock bedtime, 10PM on weekends, and has had his fair share of experiences and memories. He will probably tell you not to drink the drink he purchased too fast and to always use the lime and salt with the tequila shot.

The Cons: Um, he’s older than your parents, so …yeah, you may feel like he’s not worth your time.

4. Foreign Frank 

This guy is not from around here. Chances are, he’s either in town for a wedding or visiting old college buddies. He may be away on business or simply needing an escape from the ordinary. Foreign Frank probably doesn’t want anything serious due to the fact that he will only be in town for a few days. So your hands are tied.

Pros: He isn’t from around here. If you get your slut on, you won’t see him on the morning work commute or while you are makeup free at the local Whole Foods. He is a safe bet for a good time and wants to be shown what your town has to offer.

Cons: He isn’t from around here. What happens if you kiss him and your legs turn into jelly? Or you forget your cellphone in his car and have to drive 3 hours to go retrieve it?

5. Greek Row Gary  

This guy is a washed-up adult, living his college-days attitude with his buddies. When he drinks he has flashbacks to when it was socially acceptable buy strange girls drinks at bars. He is reliving the glory days, which everyone does at some point. He may be single but there is a chance he is married, with children.

Pros: At least you will have something to talk about! He probably has incredible stories of what your college was like back in his campus days. He will talk to you about life after college and make you appreciate these years to come a bit more.

Cons: He is still reliving his college years and he is an older man acting like a teenager. He desperately wants to relive the good old days when he was a pick up artist and would have a different girl every night.

6. Pledge Week Paul   

This guy is on top of the world. He is in college, loving life, and spending his money to buy cute girls drinks. It’s impossible to realize his intentions. However, he may be at the same place in life as you are.

Pros: You’ll have plenty to talk about since you could have some mutual friends, are a similar age, or go to the same college. You can talk about parties and the professors you hate while he does whatever typical frat boys do.

Cons: He is a college frat boy. We all know what’s on their minds, or most of their minds. Also, he’s probably incredibly intoxicated so you could be stuck taking care of him all night. Another thing to consider is that he could be talking to you because of a dare from his buddies.

7. Breakup Ben

This guy is looking for a rebound! And is that such a bad thing? I guess you will have to be the judge of that one. He just got through a breakup and you can’t be sure if it was bad, but you will probably find out soon enough. Breakup Ben is buying you a drink because he is lonely. Remember this guy has been out of the game for a while, and what’s the first thing you do when you become single? Explore the territory that has been off-limits for so many months.

Pros: This is your chance to show him he still needs to have faith in women. He is a bit broken and, if you want to, you can try to heal him. Or he could be on the opposite end of the spectrum and want something casual, a hookup to just forget about his ex.

Cons: He might get attached or go the complete opposite direction and feel the need to hit it and quit it.

8. The Creepy Carl 

This guy is creepy. He’s the guy that has a drink sent to you by a bartender or waiter who simply says “It’s from the gentleman in the corner booth.” He’s been checking you out all night and eyeing you up and down. You’re feeling violated, invaded and all in all creeped out. So how do you deal with this type of guy? There are many simple tactics to shoo off a Carl. Get your girls involved. Move tables. Tell the waiter you are the DD and send the drink back, that you’re pregnant, or you simply can’t accept drinks from strangers.

Pros: He may not come and talk to you. Often times, if a guy has a drink sent to you he wants you to make the next move and come over thank him for the drink. This avoids the face-to-face confrontation. The drink was sent to you and you can easily decline it and send it back if you wanted to.

Cons: You have no idea why he is sending you a drink. He is completely off your radar and threw a curve ball. Who even knows if the waiter sent the drink to the right person? Could he have drugged the drink? And why is Carl alone at a bar?

9. The Nice Nate

This guy is so freaking sweet. You know that from the second he sits down, because he is a nice kid and really respects you, he doesn’t just want to buy you a drink and then bounce. He is genuinely trying to have a conversation with you after he buys you a drink for the night. Often times this type of guy is a bit rough around the edges, but if you can overlook that, you might find yourself a winner. The Nice Nate is the kind of guy who would rather give you his number and meet up later than risk looking as if he took advantage of you. He will take you to a restaurant, insist it’s his treat and tell you not look at the prices. And future outings will be unique and interesting, such as movie premiers or a charity event.

Pros: He is not the typical guy you would meet at a bar. This guy listens when you talk and asks questions. This one is made of great boyfriend (or friend) material. He has great values, and isn’t trying to take you home. You instantly feel yourself smiling a bit more in his presence.

Cons: Is he too nice? Is he signing himself up for the friend zone? You won’t instantly know with this guy, but one thing is for sure, he is a great guy to have on your side. The Nice Nates of the world remind us that there are good guys at the bar and well mannered men in the world. 

10. Reggie The Romeo 

It doesn’t happen too often, but sometimes you meet someone at the bar and you just click. You’re drawn to this person, hanging on every word they say. Maybe you have an instant connection with this guy, who is trying to win you over and buy you a drink. You probably don’t want to go home without this one by your side, and without reservation give him your number. You can’t wait to ask more about his life, get to know him and get your flirt on.

Pros: You two had a connection. So run with it. He obviously had his eyes on you and you have your eyes on him. Go for it!

Cons: What if he doesn’t feel the same spark? It’s risky and you could get hurt. It’s up to you to decide if that’s a risk you are willing to take.

So, good luck! Have fun and always know you don’t have to accept drinks if you feel uncomfortable or think they may be tainted. Stay safe and always always always know your limits. Just because a guy wants to buy you six glasses of wine doesn’t mean you have to drink them or push your comfort zone just to be polite.