Was it the alcohol or the social situation?

Hi! I am a 20yo college student in the US and my first time trying alcohol confused me.

I was, and still am, scared of alcohol because of brain health, alcoholism runs in my family, and I’m afraid I’ll be tempted to drink to de-stress once I open the door to drinking.

I had never drunk before when preparing to go out with my friends, but this time I was ready to try tasting different things to see what they were like. I decided that I was ready.

I had some sips of the cocktails my friends were making. They said that in the the 20-30 minutes, I had maybe a shot total, maybe slightly less.

This thing is, I felt stressed. My friends were looking after me and did seem slightly concerned when I kept asking them if I seemed normal or not. My heart was beating fast and I just felt uncomfortable. I was self-conscious and analyzing everything I did and trying to act normal so they wouldn’t be concerned. And it wasn’t guilt, just vague anxiety.

Once we exited the uber and got to the place we were going, I felt normal again. Was this beside the alcohol went away or because I was then in a situation familiar to me and I felt more comfortable?

The rest of the night was normal and fun, but I’ve been unsettled by this first experience ever since.

In a week I am leaving to study in Europe for a few months and I want to be able to try a glass of wine or sangria out with friends or have a drink in a bar, but I’m scared that another social situation will make me unable to know what I really think of the alcohol.

One of my parents has a very healthy, moderated relationship with alcohol and my other parent doesn’t drink and never really has. I want to have many life experiences and for that reason I want to at least try drinking, both for the taste and for the feeling it gives. Will I really be relaxed?, feel courage? feel a buzz?, etc.

TLDR: I felt anxious after my first drink, but don’t know if it was the alcohol or stress about expectations.

Has anyone experienced this? Should I try a drink alone or with one friend before I go and try to focus on something else to see if I notice anything?