• Try these ways to celebrate a 21st birthday for a female.Party drinks with streamers image by Piter Pkruger from Fotolia.com
  
  In the U.S., 21st birthday parties tend to center around alcohol, since 21 is the legal drinking age. While you may want to incorporate spirits or alcoholic beverages into your celebrations for a young woman turning 21, there are a number of ways to commemorate the occasion that will ensure her 21st birthday will be a memorable day for her.
  
  

Old Standbys

• Old standbys are old standbys for a reason---they work. Having an exclusively girls' night out can be a fun way to celebrate a girl's 21st birthday. Choose a couple of the birthday girl's favorite activities and finish up with drinks (not too many) and dessert. Club hopping is a popular girls' night, as are movies or plays and amusement parks.
  
  Alternatively, choose a boisterous or hip restaurant for a surprise party, and enlist a couple of the birthday girl's friends to help compile the guest list and make sure the girl doesn't find out. Or you could invite the girl over for a special birthday dinner to your home, and when she arrives she finds out it is a surprise party. Consider a wine and cheese party, or just a traditional house party with a keg of beer, lots of music and good friends.
  
  

Sleepovers

• For a more low-key, intimate party, reminisce by having a birthday girl-themed sleepover, with an adult twist. Serve fruity cocktails and Bloody Marys, do homemade facials and manicures and have everyone bring their favorite photos and stories of the young woman turning 21. Consider compiling the photos and/or stories and new birthday party photos into an album for a special gift.
  
  

Wineries

• Touring local vineyards can be a somewhat elegant option and is especially appropriate for luncheons and other parties where parents or older adults are attending. Many vineyards can arrange for a private party room for a meal, in addition to private tours and tastings.
  
  

Destination Parties

• Traveling to hot spots like Las Vegas, Cancun, Palm Springs or New York are becoming increasingly popular ways to celebrate 21st birthdays. Girls may enjoy a day at the spa, followed by a popular show or performance, or a night of hitting the local party scene. However, it is important especially for females to remember to monitor the number of drinks they've had and stick together with friends instead of going off alone with strangers.