Constantin Radu, 32, of Salt Hill Way, Slough, admitted causing death by dangerous driving after his car mounted a pavement on Wexham Road in September last year, hitting two men.
Jacob Chapman-Pickett, 20, died the following day and the other man was treated in hospital.
Radu was sentenced at Reading Crown Court on Thursday.
Mr Chapman-Pickett was due to start university on the day he was hit by Radu's Rover 45.
His father, Keith Pickett, said: "His honesty, loyalty and sense of fairness, along with his sense of humour, cheeky grin and willingness to help anybody, were things that made this world a better place.
"A part of me died with Jacob and there will always be a part of myself missing."
Radu was also sentenced four months, to run concurrently, for driving with excess alcohol and disqualified from driving for 13 years and three months.
He had no insurance or UK driving licence and had a previous conviction for drinking and driving in Romania.
PC Victoria Jones said: "This is a tragic and unnecessary loss of life caused by the reckless behaviour of a driver who had been drinking.
"The result is that a young man, at the start of his adult life, has died."
A motorist has been jailed for six and a half years for killing a pedestrian while over the drink-drive limit.