Common drinks you recommend at venues?

Ok so I’m only 21, idk jack about alcohol I usually judge by percentage to get drunk at home but I can’t rlly do that at a venue and even when I see a menu idk what anything is. I guess it’s something I’ll just have to learn over time but it’s really annoying. I usually went with Shirley temples bc one of my friends but just found out that wasn’t even an alcoholic beverage and annoyed me bc no wonder I’d have to constantly keep buying them. I also HATE soda and I only drink it when it’s in a mixed drink with alcohol so the thought of wasting money on some soda pissed me off. I pregame always but sometimes it fades off with all the movement and I just wanna actually be buzzed through out the night but it literally just never works out bc venue drinks are too hard to figure out and every time I try to ask bartenders they always just hand me a menu. I want drinks that are common I should ask for that actually contain some vodka or something. Like things that are usually everywhere?? Popular menu item idk. Just trying to save money and not consume soda for no reason. Don’t like beer either and all for the same reason. I don’t drink for flavor just to get drunk and everything ppl reccomend me is just nasty ass mixed drinks they like the taste of. Pls give me tips im so mad i went out last night and wasted money on so many weak ass mixed drinks and wasn’t even tipsy and I don’t want sound like a idiot asking bartenders or ppl bc they all look at me like I’m dumb in the head even tho I thought this should be something normal to want to learn about

Not expecting anything to be as strong as a a full shot ibviously but it doesn’t have to have a lot. I’m fine buying a few drinks for the night just not for no reason. I usually go out on an empty stomach / minimal to try to make my drunk last longer and it would be nice to figure stuff out so I don’t have to rely on that anymore