Ladylike drinks for the ladies?

[Helen Troy]

Inspired by a coment in another thread, I started wondering: Do ladies have to drink ladylike drinks? Do true ladies make a point to do that?

You see, I wouldn't know. While I look like a lady, I talk like a sailor and behave like a young, ruthless british lord. And I drink like a man. Not in quantity, but in quality.

OK, I love a glass of champagne or red wine. But not to sweet, please! I like my red wine to be one of those that the wine sellers descibes with words like "leather", "tobacco", "horse sweat" and "dirt."

I love dark beer, in whole pints. I would never have tolerated the british "ladies beer" cutoms. Luckily, I'm Norwegian, and we don't have manners.

And whiskey. Real, tough, scotch whiskey. The kind that tastes like seaweed and salty seas and the peat that grows on grand-grand-grandfathers grave.

The most ladylike drinks I enjoy are cocktails. But again, not to sweet! A nice martini or margarita, and I'm happy as can be. Put an umbrella in it, and I guess I look pretty girly. But that's as far as it gets.

I am happy with what I drink, because it tastes so darn good. And, as said, I don't feel the need to be ladylike. But sometimes I can't help to wonder: Wouldn't a nice, girly, pink cocktail compliment my vintage dress better than the pint of Guinnes I'm having?

What about you, girls? Do you drink ladylike drinks? If so, is that because you only like ladylike drinks, or because you feel that you should? And if you don't, do you feel that you should?

And guys: What do you really think of girls with pints of beer or neat whiskeys? Charming, or something that should be left to te manly-men?

Let's hear your thoughts!

[Caroline]

OK, I love a glass of champagne or red wine. But not to sweet, please! I like my red wine to be one of those that the wine sellers descibes with words like "leather", "tobacco", "horse sweat" and "dirt."
!

You would love Pinotage! Very earthy tasting, no girly "nose" to them, or what I've had anyway.

I don't drink a lot of girly drinks. Well that's not true. I do; margaritas, and now fog cutters, but they're generally not sugary. I don't like sweet wines but for a few exceptions. I don't drink beer much. It leaves me bloated and I don't generally have that long to wait around for the more amusing aspects of drinking to take effect, and forget the calories! I like g&t in the summer, winter is red wine generally. Champange anytime of the day or nite, though no one offers it in the day to me:( . I like tequila too, if we're drinking shots, which is almost never for a mother of 2.

I do try not to take huge gulps, burp, or spill on myself. Is that ladylike, enough lol ?

[Cherry_Bombb]

I do suppose I like my girly drinks... Cosmos are right up there, mainly because I can't drink vodka flavored drinks but I love martini glasses! haha

I like pina colada, grasshoppers, red death and rum punches... but my favorite drink is always going to be a glass of merlot or cabernet *sigh*

[LizzieMaine]

I drink Guinness. Three gulps to the pint, tops. But -- always from a *clean* glass.

[Lady Day]

Hear hear, Lizzie!

Altho, I drink mine in maybe 6 gulps. I gotta practice more. :rolleyes:

LD

[desi_de_lu_lu]

I like that my Gin and Tonic looks like a refreshing sprite..when in truth it is always a double or triple.....tall.

My favorite girliest drink is the Russian Barbie. Sugar coated glass containing a few shots of Stoli, grapefruit juice and a drizzle of grenadine on top (all shaken with ice beforehand). But don't go asking for it by name at your local bar...I invented it when I used to cocktail waitress.

[Shaul-Ike Cohen]

Helen Troy, this is intolerable.
Depending on your age, you should either giggle when you hear the word champagne (virgin), not drink at all (married) or have a rare sip of currant wine (old spinster/widow).

[MissS]

Helen Troy, I need a picture of you in your most Ladylike outfit chugging a pint of beer!

Me, I'm not a big drinker. One drink, I'm fine, but any more and I'm doing most unladylike things!

So, I tend to stick with a girly glass of champagne or two, then pretend my highball of cranberry juice has vodka in it as well.

[Mojito]

I drink the whole range - I dislike being straightjacketed by ideas of what becomes a Gurley Gurl or a Boofy Bloke! Am happy to knock back pints of Guinness when the occasion calls for it (although I rarely do it out of Ireland or the UK, as it never seems quite the same), love to work my way through a range of beers at Belgian Beer Cafes, and love to drink cocktails up to and including Cosmopolitans. I do not, however, like the overly sweet...people sometimes find my drinks too sharp or too dry. I don't like cocktails with too much fruit juice in them (judicious amounts of lemon or lime in the correct bevvy excluded, or the odd dash of cranberry etc), and I don't like cream based cocktails. Baileys once in a blue moon is as close as I come.

I dislike drinking to prove anything. I do have a fair capacity to knock back drinks with the boys and robust girls (comes of being a not-too-slight and rather tall woman), but I am careful never to ostentatiously match drinks or make a big deal of being drink a good deal (even if the strength of my cocktails has a certain notoriety). I think it's potentially dangerous to go that route - and what's more, competitive drinking, whether it be for the most ostentatious cocktail, the dryest, the richest, the most complicated, the biggest beer stein, the fastest scull, is not really very attractive. So if I want to have a Sidecar I will, if I want to have a Cosmopolitan I will, and if I want a pint of Guinness or a glass of red I will.

Although one old bloke did criticise a friend and I in a pub for having pints of Guinness in our local East End pub...but it seemed to have more to do with the fact we were girls drinking it *with our lunches* rather than because we were girls per se. I gather it was just not the done thing. We shrugged and ordered another round.

[KittyT]

No "ladylike" drinks for me, except for the very occasional mojito or cocktail (Side Car, Periodista, Manhattan). It's almost always straight whiskey or Jim Beam and soda for me. Back in the day, a true lady probably wouldn't have been a drinker anyway, so why not go all the way? As much as we all adore vintage, we're not living in the 40s anymore, and most of us are modern (in our own way) and empowered women, so who cares that much? I think these days, the only think unladylike about drinking is drinking too much, making a fool of yourself and not handling your liquor.

I will venture to say that there's something intriguing about a lovely gal who will enthusiastically and expertly handle a "man's drink". I like raising a bartender's eyebrows when I order something like "Knob Creek, neat."

[Naama]

Ladylike drinks for me please! I can't really stand the taste of whiskey, vodka or there likes..... And I really love sweet whine and cocktails who barely taste like alcohol. But then again, I love beer, especially dark beer. But I think there are also a lot of guys who prefer the more ladylike drinks ;) (?)



Naama

[The Shirt]

Vodka martini straight up with a twist please. My preferred beverage - not wussy in my opinion at all as it makes a good number of people cringe. I will back down to vodka soda if I have too. Jameson on the rocks is about as dirty as I get and as for beer - I prefer a black and tan because it looks so lovely and the 1" of absolute goodness in the middle.

I have noticed though - I drink beer more often in jeans and vodka in dresses. Strange as it seems. I tend to drink for the occasion rather than what I'm wearing I suppose.

I won't waste my calories on girlie/juicy drinks though. Unless perhaps I worked out like a madwoman and deserved it or its 300 degrees outside.

[Absinthe_1900]

Go green.;)


http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff235/Herbsaint/glassofHerbsaint3.jpg

[KittyT]

Go green.;)
http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff235/Herbsaint/glassofHerbsaint3.jpg

Disgusting. I'd rather go outside and chew pine needles lol

[Josephine]

I never really tried spirits straight, except for Tequila, so I guess I'm in the "girly drink" section when it comes to spirits. Cosmo, Mudslide, Chocolate Russian, Chocolate Martini, etc. Though I don't always care for Margaritas, the mixes can be too sugary.

Beer, on the other, hand, I like dark, and I love Irish Car Bombs (Guinness, Baily's, Jamesons).

Wine I like Merlot best, and will drink white and rose if it's available and Merlot isn't. No white wine spritzer for me. lol

I drink what I like and if it's a manly drink so be it, and if it's a girly drink, so be it! :)

[Absinthe_1900]

Disgusting. I'd rather go outside and chew pine needles lol

You need a bottle of French Sapin.

http://www.absintheonline.com/acatalog/liqueu2.jpg

Un Sapin:

(Pine Liquor)

50cl 55% abv (110 proof)

Un Sapin, a pine liqueur, is a speciality of Pontarlier and very hard to find - even in France. It is prepared by an alcoholic maceration of 24 different plants including tender young pine buds harvested in Spring. The mix is then distilled and finished with macerated pine buds, sugar and natural colouring. This drink is intended to be sipped chilled, neat at the end of a meal, however it is great over vanilla ice cream! For a taste of the French Jura, try it as a glaze base on a holiday ham. :D

As far as absinthe, what's on the shelves isn't what I drink.

[KittyT]

You need a bottle of French Sapin.


Wow, that sounds even worse than absinthe.

[Ben]

I like that my Gin and Tonic looks like a refreshing sprite..when in truth it is always a double or triple.....tall.

My favorite girliest drink is the Russian Barbie. Sugar coated glass containing a few shots of Stoli, grapefruit juice and a drizzle of grenadine on top (all shaken with ice beforehand). But don't go asking for it by name at your local bar...I invented it when I used to cocktail waitress.


To be clear, are you talking about coating the entire glass or just the rim with sugar? I'm thinking the rim, but I have been wrong before.

[desi_de_lu_lu]

To be clear, are you talking about coating the entire glass or just the rim with sugar? I'm thinking the rim, but I have been wrong before.

THe rim. I rim it first in Rose' Lime and then in pink granulated sugar.

[Ben]

Thanks, Desi, I plan to add it to my cocktail list.

Maybe you should start a home cocktail concoction thread.

[desi_de_lu_lu]

Thanks, Desi, I plan to add it to my cocktail list.

Maybe you should start a home cocktail concoction thread.

That is a great idea Ben. :D

[Darhling]

the only drink I like, that isn't too girly is a caipirinha (lime mushed together with dark sugar, topped with crushed ice and then fill the glass up with brazilian Cachaça..

[Helen Troy]

Go green.;)


http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff235/Herbsaint/glassofHerbsaint3.jpg
:offtopic: Wohey, the green fairy! Never liked it myself, but find myself intrigued. I heard a great program about Absinthe on the radio the other day, where differnt experts discussed Absinthe: Does the belladone nerve posion make you crazier and more artistic? Or is it just like any other really strong liquor?The experts still doesn't agre, allthough a recent study of before-the-ban Absinthes concluded that the amount of belladonna was to small to have an effect, and that the alcoholic content was big enough to account for all the reported "artistic" and "bohemian" behavior back then.

Do you really like the taste, or is it the myth & mystery that appeals to you? And have you ever experienced "yellow sight", an urge to cut of your own ear or something like that? Please spill!

[KittyT]

Does the belladone nerve posion make you crazier and more artistic? Or is it just like any other really strong liquor?

Actually, it's not belladonna, but wormwood.

[Absinthe_1900]

The recent scientific studies are correct.

(What KittyT said, Wormwood not Belladonna, and most of the nasty stuff stays in the still post distillation)


Myself, I really like the taste of a decent glass of absinthe.

All of the other stuff is B.S., and I've tasted everything from the worst tasting modern Czech swill, to 100 year old Pernod fils, as well as privately made artisanal stuff the public never gets to try, it's just a pleasant drink with an interesting history. (I do enjoy the history, and I will be speaking about a segment of it's history at Tales of the Cocktail in NOLA)

[Miss 1929]

I find it the perfect drink.

Real whiskey - I like Maker's Mark because I can't afford Blanton's
Red Vermouth, gives it the sweet girlyness
Bitters, takes off the top layer of sweet girlyness
Cherry, for prettyness (and hopefully the real ones that taste good, not those Day-Glo monstrosities
And shaken over ice, strained into a chilled cocktail glass

I really hardly ever have anything else! Although there are Martini Moments...
Champagne is nice, but not what I would order...

[TheKitschGoth]

I'm a real girlie girl when it comes to drinks, mainly because I have a ridiculously sweet tooth

[Helen Troy]

Actually, it's not belladonna, but wormwood.Off course! Getting the english names fort posions mixed up again. Happens all the time!:p

[Ms. McGraw]

When it comes to ladylike drinks I prefer the classic champagne...straight from the bottle!
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i83/rocknrollruby619/Susansb-day-1.jpg
What can I say? I'm a high class kinda dame!

[KittyT]

I find it the perfect drink.

That's because, as far as cocktails are concerned, a Manhattan IS perfect.



Cherry, for prettyness (and hopefully the real ones that taste good, not those Day-Glo monstrosities


I think maraschinos are fine, and I don't think they're just for prettiness. We always mix in a dash of the juice when we make our Manhattans at home. They're also good with just a dash of maraschino liqueur added.

[KittyT]

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i83/rocknrollruby619/Susansb-day-1.jpg
What can I say? I'm a high class kinda dame!

HAHAHAHA looks like you're double-fisting even!

[univibe88]

Cherry, for prettyness (and hopefully the real ones that taste good, not those Day-Glo monstrosities
And shaken over ice, strained into a chilled cocktail glass



Try getting some dried cherries (I get them at Whole Foods.) Look for a nice tart cherry with no sugar added. Rehydrate them in a jar of brandy. I don't see why you couldn't use bourbon.

Also, try stirring your Manhattan. I find shaking makes them foamy and give a texture i don't prefer. But that's just me. Try it shaken and stirred and see what you like.

[Ben]

You Manhattan fans might want to try a satin Manhattan, which is a Manhattan where the vermouth is replaced with vanilla liquor -- Navan works well.

[Mojito]

I mixed up a few Gin-and-It's for the party on Saturday, as they fit in with the 30s theme (one interwar merchant mariner mentioned them as a lady's drink). Love it! It's going in the repetoire.

[Miss 1929]

I think maraschinos are fine, and I don't think they're just for prettiness. We always mix in a dash of the juice when we make our Manhattans at home. They're also good with just a dash of maraschino liqueur added.

But not the cheap, easy to find, bright red ones - the REAL Maraschino cherry is a different animal entirely! Hard to find, though. I am on the hunt! Trader Joe's had them briefly, but no more.

Here's an informative link:http://thespiritworld.net/2007/02/05/maraschino-cherries/

[univibe88]

Keep a look out for Luxardo Maraschino Cherries. As shown here (http://www.kegworks.com/product.php?productid=172224&source=base)

[Shaul-Ike Cohen]

Just to note maraschino liqueur has about nothing to do with maraschino cherries. The latter's just another term for cocktail cherries, i. e. regular cherries in syrup, while the liqueur has a distinctive, slightly bitter taste that comes from the (rare) variety of cherries used.

[Miss 1929]

Just to note maraschino liqueur has about nothing to do with maraschino cherries. The latter's just another term for cocktail cherries, i. e. regular cherries in syrup, while the liqueur has a distinctive, slightly bitter taste that comes from the (rare) variety of cherries used.
According to that article I linked, originally. the liquer was used to make the cherries. During Prohibition, they changed to the yucky method of making those bright red things out of perfectly good cherries.... can you tell I feel strongly about this?

[Miss 1929]

Keep a look out for Luxardo Maraschino Cherries. As shown here (http://www.kegworks.com/product.php?productid=172224&source=base)
THANK YOU! I will buy some!

[Shaul-Ike Cohen]

According to that article I linked, originally. the liquer was used to make the cherries. During Prohibition, they changed to the yucky method of making those bright red things out of perfectly good cherries.... can you tell I feel strongly about this?

Hm, hard to say. Still figuring out your stance - could you give me a hint? :)

But I have to apologise: I completely overlooked your post, which makes my wisecracking even more superfluous.

[Viola]

I like ladylike drinks, because I have a ridiculous sweet tooth. I like Grasshoppers and Screwdrivers and Cuba Libres as well as your garden-variety rum-and-cokes and stuff like that.

I like ales, too, but not Guinness, which always seems "chewy" to me, sorry everyone.

And I like zinfendels. And my dear sweet (disgusting, to anyone who knows wine) Manischewitz wine, especially in blackberry. And cherry cordial.

And I pour creme de menthe into green tea, and that's really good.

[Helen Troy]

And I pour creme de menthe into green tea, and that's really good.
Hercule Poirot would have been thrilled to drink tea with you!

[Ethan Bentley]

My wife's top three drinks are:
1) Pimms & Lemonade (still have persuaded her that Plymouth Fruit Cup and Ginger Ale is superior)
2) Scotch Whisky mostly single malt but she like some Blends like Johnny Walker Black Label.
3) Absinthe, with water and sugar

I know a few ladies that like Pernod and a couple who are partial to a Brandy Alexander.

I also just found this:

http://www.in-the-spirit.co.uk/cocktail_gems.html

[BinkieBaumont]

http://www.stockingfillers.net/acatalog/babycham_70.jpg

"She'd love a Babycham, add Advocat and hey presto a snowball"

[armod]

perhaps try a drink they serve in a bar here in perth called a green lantern.

made with green chartreuse, lychee liqueur, redbull and a squeeze of lime.

it does have a sweet note from the lychee but the chartreuse give it that spicy peppery taste the redbull adds a fizz and the lime gives it all a fresh kick.

it's one of my favourites and my bourbon drinking lady friends usually agree with me

[PADDY]

Babycham or a glass of crisp white wine (nice Pinot, Chardonnay or Sauvignon is fairly safe). Or a nice cocktail is very becoming of an evening.

[BinkieBaumont]

http://www.sundancechannel.com/UPLOADS/films/320x240/d/da_kath_and_kim_code.jpg

Two Foxy Ladies enjoy a crisp cold, white "Semi On"

http://www.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,,6028772,00.jpg

[CigarMan]

I think ladies should be able to enjoy whatever they like. It's how they carry themselves that makes them ladies. But I'll have to admit, there's nothing sexier than a lady drinking out of a martini glass . . . a Cosmopolitan maybe.

[clubwitsend]

Some of my personal favorite drinks (and I'm a girl!):

Champagne Apricato - champagne, gin, apricot liqueur, lemon juice
Pink Lady - Gin, Egg White, dash of grenadine, and heavy cream OR lemon juice
Madras - vodka, orange juice, cranberry juice (easy!)
Kir Royale - champagne, chambord or creme de cassis

I like sweet things, and I cant do brown liquors at all...not much of a beer person, either...

[jamespowers]

No one mentioned the Pink Squirrel yet? [huh]

1 oz creme de noyaux
1/2 ounce white creme de cacao
2 oz. light cream

Shake all ingredients with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and serve. :cheers1:

[armod]

also a campari and ginger ale. (campari has a distinct bitter fruity taste)

or a highball (canadian wiskey and ginger ale)

[Mrs Bentley]

My wife's top three drinks are:
1) Pimms & Lemonade (still have persuaded her that Plymouth Fruit Cup and Ginger Ale is superior)
2) Scotch Whisky mostly single malt but she like some Blends like Johnny Walker Black Label.
3) Absinthe, with water and sugar
Those certainly are my top three, although my number one preference at any given moment is likely to differ, depending upon my mood.

I have to admit, I was caught out by the apparent need to drink "ladylike" beverages when I was younger, but since I found most too sweet or creamy, I became disheartened and settled on a staple drink of rum and cola; I might not have enjoyed it that much, but all bars served it and nobody had trouble pronouncing it. Then I met Ethan, who both introduced me to many drinks that I wouldn't have otherwise tried and reassured me that anyone either buying or selling me a drink would probably prefer that I enjoy it more than anything else. So now I drink whatever I feel I'm going to enjoy most at the time (or try something new!).

Regarding my favourites:
1. Pimm's & lemonade - definitely the most "girly" of my list;
2. Scotch whisky - I generally have to add a few drops of water to it, but once I've got it just right, it's a wonderful drink to have conversation over, especially on cold evenings after long walks.
3. Absinthe - I have a bit of a reputation as being a non-drinker, so most people are very surprised to hear about this one, but I genuinely like the flavour (and the colour!).

I can't drink many of either 2 or 3, so generally stick to Pimm's unless I can take my time.

Looking at my choices again, I realise that I don't have the problem posed by quantity, i.e. having to hold and drink from a pint glass gracefully, which I think would be the only thing that I would be at all worried about nowadays; I have quite small hands and so even having a pint of orange juice can make me feel a tad silly, but not to the point where I'd order two half glasses! I don't like any of the beers or ales that I've tried, so that's why I don't drink those, though.

[swinggal]

Hmmm...I love cocktails. We have one of the best Tiki bars on the planet here in Perth called the Hula Bula Bar and love sampling their wares.
http://www.hulabulabar.com/

My fav cocktails/liquers etc (love the sweet ones):

- Mojito (best one I ever had was in Miami made by a Cuban barman)
- Caprioska
- Pina Colada
- Gin and Tonic (Tanqueray only for me)
- Brandy and Dry
- Sloe Gin Fizz
- Cinnamon Schnaaps (on the rocks)
- Mai Tai
- The Hula Bula Bar's 'Shrunken Head' which is gold and dark rums, fresh lime juice and bloodberry syrup blended with crushed ice.

Beer I like too (and has to be icy cold in ALL cases):

- Hoegaarden (white beer)
- Kilkenny
- Guiness (tap only)
- Little Creatures Pale Ale
- Dos Equis
- Sol
- Redback

[Anachronism]

I often play bartender at parties, and once saw a bunch of guys discover that they like cosmo's.

I don't really buy into the whole "assigning gender roles to drinks" thing. Just because I've seen enough guys drink "girly" mixed drinks and enough girls drink from a bottle of whiskey.

[HadleyH]

Inspired by a coment in another thread, I started wondering: Do ladies have to drink ladylike drinks? Do true ladies make a point to do that?


Let's hear your thoughts!

I am no expert my any means, but what is a ladylike drink? is it a "sweet" drink? is that ladylike? a drink with an umbrella in it? :rolleyes: I doubt it...




What is ladylike anyway..... ---:eek: (no don't tell me lol )

[Anachronism]

btw, here is a really sweet cocktail that I made up, maybe it's only because of the name, but all my male friends love it

***** Galore (The bond girl from Goldfinger, i'm afraid to type her name here lol)
2 oz limeade
1 oz vodka
shake over ice
pour
add a few drops of lime juice
garnish with lime slice if desired

[HadleyH]

^
^
^

Well now Anachronism.... that probably is a ladylike drink! :p lol lol lol

[Anachronism]

Is there a thread where users can post their own drink recipes?
If not, someone should TOTALLY start one :)

[Mojito]

I think ladies should be able to enjoy whatever they like. It's how they carry themselves that makes them ladies. But I'll have to admit, there's nothing sexier than a lady drinking out of a martini glass . . . a Cosmopolitan maybe.

Ah yes...the Cosmo is an ubergurlie drink!

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g44/PelagicWobbegong/Napier2009/NapierDay3Cocktail-2.jpg

[pigeon toe]

My drink of choice usually is a Cape Cod. Simple and I love me some vodka. I also love all kinds of beers, but especially Hefeweizens and Belgian beers like Duvel and Chimay. Lately though I haven't been hanging out in the classiest of joints, so I usually have a can of PBR in my hand!

I'm going to try to start trying some gin drinks as I can't stand whiskey (too many ridiculous nights from that stuff), but vodka gets a little repetitive.

[BinkieBaumont]

Ingredients:

1/2 oz Van Gogh Pomegranate Vodka
1/2 oz Van Gogh Pineapple Vodka
1/2 oz pineapple juice
Champagne

Is it a fizzy Pina calada?

[FStephenMasek]

What about guys who don't like strong booze? A well-made (that means with ice cream) Grasshopper is one of my favorites. Kir Royale (Champagne with Creme de Cassis is another). I generally avoid beer, but the dark sweet beers are sometimes interesting.

[Tamamiko]

I've never had a taste for beer, and I can't stand Tequila or most hard shots. I guess I am a ladylike drinker. My particular favorites are the sweeter ones, and just about anything with Martini in the title.

Two of my choice "Martini's" are:

(Preferred, but limited resources)
Bennigan's© Tropical Martini

1 part Smirnoff© Orange Vodka
1 part Smirnoff© Raspberry Vodka
1 part 99 Bananas©
1 part Dekuyper© Pineapple Liqueur
1 oz. mango puree

Shake with ice and strain into chilled martini glass.

and

French (vanilla) Martini
(seeing as martini glasses seem to run 6ozs. on average...)

2 and a partial oz. (vanilla) vodka
2 and a partial oz. Chambord© Raspberry Liqueur
and a dash of pineapple juice (fresh is best)

(Again) Shake with ice and strain into chilled martini glass.

Enjoy.