# Being strongly encouraged to get a non-girly drink **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 17, 2017, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-strongly-encouraged-to-get-a-non-girly-drink/791532 "2017-07-17T21:21:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-strongly-encouraged-to-get-a-non-girly-drink/791532/1 "2017-07-17T21:21:23Z")
A friend wants to take me out for drinks tomorrow for my birthday. She knows that I don’t like to drink and that when I do drink, I tend to go for the sweetest drink on the menu. In a playful way, she has let me know I should order more mature and sophisticated drinks now that I’m 40. What would be a respectable “non-girly” drink that I still might enjoy? Also, is it stupid for me to sucumb to this kind of pressure? I should just drink what I want to drink, right? Yet I know I will feel weird if I order something that isn’t cool enough. (I feel ridiculous even admitting this.) ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-strongly-encouraged-to-get-a-non-girly-drink/791532/2 "2017-07-17T21:24:13Z")
How about a Margarita? ---
**Author:** ![sevenwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@sevenwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sevenwood)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-strongly-encouraged-to-get-a-non-girly-drink/791532/3 "2017-07-17T21:25:43Z")
Southern Comfort. Technically, it’s a bourbon, but in reality it’s candy alcohol. Just order Southern Comfort on the rocks, and when questioned tell them that you’re holding a memorial for Janis Joplin. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-strongly-encouraged-to-get-a-non-girly-drink/791532/4 "2017-07-17T21:25:58Z")
What about red wine? (and if you could order it in secret, you could even order the sweetest red wine available.) ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-strongly-encouraged-to-get-a-non-girly-drink/791532/5 "2017-07-17T21:26:29Z")
You don’t need different drinks, you need different friends. That noted, order a beer or a (liquor of choice) & coke. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-strongly-encouraged-to-get-a-non-girly-drink/791532/6 "2017-07-17T21:27:23Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > How about a Margarita? This, but on the rocks. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-strongly-encouraged-to-get-a-non-girly-drink/791532/7 "2017-07-17T21:27:36Z")
Irish Cream on the rocks works too. (Also, order whatever you want - it’s your birthday. Get what you like. They can get you non-girly drinks, for whatever that’s worth, on a different occasion.) 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-strongly-encouraged-to-get-a-non-girly-drink/791532/8 "2017-07-17T21:30:46Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > Also, is it stupid for me to sucumb to this kind of pressure? I should just drink what I want to drink, right? Yet I know I will feel weird if I order something that isn’t cool enough. (I feel ridiculous even admitting this.) You say, “Fuck you! I drink what I want!” Repeat as necessary. One of the benefits of being old is that you don’t have to succumb to peer pressure. Drink a diet coke if you want. Or milk. If your friends don’t like it, get new friends. They’re just insecure. If you’re not “cool”, then they aren’t “cool”. But by doing what you want, you now define cool. So they should follow your lead!🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-strongly-encouraged-to-get-a-non-girly-drink/791532/9 "2017-07-17T21:31:15Z")
It’s your birthday, drink what you want. May I suggest an Amaretto sour? It seems up your alley, though it won’t get you off the hook for “girly” drinks. It sounds sophisticated though. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-strongly-encouraged-to-get-a-non-girly-drink/791532/10 "2017-07-17T21:31:19Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > A friend wants to take me out for drinks tomorrow for my birthday. She knows that I don’t like to drink and that when I do drink, I tend to go for the sweetest drink on the menu. In a playful way, she has let me know I should order more mature and sophisticated drinks now that I’m 40. > > What would be a respectable “non-girly” drink that I still might enjoy? Also, is it stupid for me to sucumb to this kind of pressure? I should just drink what I want to drink, right? Yet I know I will feel weird if I order something that isn’t cool enough. (I feel ridiculous even admitting this.) Maybe a sweet(ish) white wine like Reisling or Moscato? Is Drake cool? [Apparently](https://vinepair.com/wine-101/learn-about-moscato-wine/)he included Moscato in one of his songs. I think rose wines are kind of trendy now. Some of those are sweet. You can act like a sophisticated wine drinker and still satify your sweet tooth. Oh, and happy birthday! ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-strongly-encouraged-to-get-a-non-girly-drink/791532/11 "2017-07-17T21:36:06Z")
> [@sevenwood](#): > > Southern Comfort. Technically, it’s a bourbon, but in reality it’s candy alcohol. > > Just order Southern Comfort on the rocks, and when questioned tell them that you’re holding a memorial for Janis Joplin. SoCo is a good choice. IIRC, it is syrupy sweet. Another option is maybe a Seven and Seven. Order it light, and you’ll hopefully get a Seven Up with a little whiskey in it. As far as whether you should cave to peer pressure, I dunno. Sounds like your friend is just kind of ribbing you and this is an opportunity to expand your horizons. Use it as an excuse to get yourself to try something new. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-strongly-encouraged-to-get-a-non-girly-drink/791532/12 "2017-07-17T21:37:30Z")
Order a scotch and coke – it will probably taste awful but you can say you wanted to try John Lennon’s favorite cocktail. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-strongly-encouraged-to-get-a-non-girly-drink/791532/13 "2017-07-17T21:37:48Z")
White Russian. Whisky Sour. Sangria. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-strongly-encouraged-to-get-a-non-girly-drink/791532/14 "2017-07-17T21:38:25Z")
It’s your birthday, so you should drink what you want. I usually get a virgin strawberry daquiri or margarita on such occasions. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-strongly-encouraged-to-get-a-non-girly-drink/791532/15 "2017-07-17T21:38:36Z")
Mead, drunk from the hollowed skull of your vanquished foe. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-strongly-encouraged-to-get-a-non-girly-drink/791532/16 "2017-07-17T21:41:12Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > What would be a respectable “non-girly” drink that I still might enjoy? Also, is it stupid for me to sucumb to this kind of pressure? I should just drink what I want to drink, right? Yet I know I will feel weird if I order something that isn’t cool enough. (I feel ridiculous even admitting this.) It’s human nature to want to fit in, though I think your friend is being rather rude. That said, a few drinks that I find restaurants and bars tend to make sweet are the French 95 which is a cocktail made with champagne or prosecco, Tom Collins which is made with gin, Mojitos which are rum and if you get it with Southern Comfort or brandy, Old Fashioneds. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-strongly-encouraged-to-get-a-non-girly-drink/791532/17 "2017-07-17T21:45:32Z")
Champagne. But not the standard Brut or Demi-sec. Try a Blanc de Noirs or Noir or a Noir de Noirs (note that the last is also a brand of underwear.) You could also try a desert white wine. Saussignac is an interesting vintage. Then there’s Montbazillac and Cadillac. But really, if you don’t want anything alcoholic, don’t choose an alcoholic drink. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-strongly-encouraged-to-get-a-non-girly-drink/791532/18 "2017-07-17T22:00:24Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > What would be a respectable “non-girly” drink that I still might enjoy? How about an Old Fashioned? On the one hand, it’s sugar and fruit; but on the other, it’s enough bourbon that Frank Sinatra would’ve knocked back a couple. ---
**Author:** ![Majestic\_Lee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Majestic\_Lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Majestic_Lee)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-strongly-encouraged-to-get-a-non-girly-drink/791532/19 "2017-07-17T22:06:57Z")
Presumably your friend means an alcoholic beverage. It’s your liver, order whatever you like - even if that means water 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-strongly-encouraged-to-get-a-non-girly-drink/791532/20 "2017-07-17T22:11:08Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > One of the benefits of being old is that you don’t have to succumb to peer pressure. Amen. I (not very)secretly think people who claim to enjoy drinking peaty scotchs like Laphroaig are a wee bit insane. But as long as they don’t get on my case for ordering a piña colada, I don’t bother them for drinking their tire-fire-ditch-water-and-denatured-alcohol-tasting drink of choice :p. If they’re buying, feel free to try something they picked out for you and then regretfully decline after you decide it tastes like kerosene. Then good-naturedly order what you want with your money and ignore their sniffs of disdain thereafter. It is _your_ birthday after all. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-strongly-encouraged-to-get-a-non-girly-drink/791532.md?page=2)