Via iStockphoto / @zaneyynailstiktok TikTok
A woman says she was able to order from an airport bar before it opened using a loophole. But does it actually work?
There’s an old adage that it’s “5 o’clock somewhere.” Nowhere is that truer than in an international airport.
With people coming and going from all different time zones, your sense of morning and night can get pretty mixed up. In an airport, it’s perfectly normal to see someone sitting down to breakfast at 11pm or pouring a martini to celebrate the end of a long day—at one in the afternoon.
Apart from that, there are some people who also just really, really like drinking in an airport. For some, it’s a way to reduce flight anxiety. In fact, one 2026 survey found that 11% of nervous flyers drink alcohol to cope with their in-air fears.
But is there a time, where it’s definitely, no-question too early to drink at the airport? That’s what some internet users are saying after a woman filmed her experience throwing back a few drinks at the airport.
Is It Too Early To Drink At This Airport?
In a video with over 610,000 views, TikTok user Zanah Nesheiwat (@zaneyynailstiktok) shows herself settling in for a drink at the airport before a flight to San Diego.
According to Nesheiwat, she arrived at the airport and sat down at a bar. When she tried to order a Blue Moon, she was told that they do not have it. She was also informed of another curious detail.
“First of all, bar opens at 6:00,” the bartender starts. This conversation happened at 5:33am. “We can make it right now…but you need to be here at 6. I need to charge it.”
In other words, the bartender could still serve Nesheiwat. However, she could not charge her for the beer until the bar officially opened. For that reason, Nesheiwat would need to stay until the bar’s opening, even if she finished her beer. To be clear, she would be allowed to drink it until the bar opened.
Thankfully, the timing would not prove to be an issue. The rest of Nesheiwat’s video shows her hanging out at the bar. By the video’s end, she’s on her way to her gate.
Can An Airport Bar Do That?
Let’s just say they’re probably not supposed to.
Many states have laws about where and when alcohol can be bought and sold, either at a bar or at a liquor store. In the state of New Jersey, for example, airport bars are allowed to sell alcohol between the hours of 6 AM and 3 AM.
Even though they did not charge Nesheiwat for a beer until 6 AM, the bartender likely broke the law by serving her a drink at 5:33. The act of handing over a beer with the promise of delayed payment would likely still count as a sale under New Jersey law, even if the card was not charged until the legal hours.
Violating liquor service laws can come with some pretty severe punishments for the bar. Namely, a bar caught doing this runs the risk of losing their alcohol permit, with additional punishment potentially meted out to the bartender themselves.
In this case, however, it seems like everyone is just deciding to let it slide.
Can You Drink That Much Before A Flight In The First Place?
Some commenters were quick to say that one shouldn’t drink three drinks before flying. However, the actual rules about this aren’t that straightforward.
Simply put, the rules around alcohol and boarding a plane are based on how you appear, not how drunk you really are. Federal rules prevent one from boarding if they appear to be intoxicated—not whether you actually are intoxicated.
Naturally, this can lead to some pretty backwards situations. There are plenty of people who have boarded a flight drunk solely because they do not show many signs of intoxication. Conversely, there are also those who are denied boarding because they either referenced alcohol or appeared drunk, even though they claim to be sober.
Viewers Shared Their Thoughts
In the comments section, users offered their views on airport drinking.
“I don’t care what time is if I’m at the airport ima have a drink,” wrote a user.
“How on earth do you do this before flying holy moly,” added another.
“Yall time isn’t real at the airport. I have a glass of champagne in the lounge regardless of the timeeee,” stated a third.
“I would have to pee 4 times on the plane after that,” shared a further TikToker.
BroBible reached out to Nesheiwat via email and Instagram direct message.