# 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:** 5
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2017, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-strongly-encouraged-to-get-a-non-girly-drink/791532/81 "2017-07-24T02:52:42Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I guess that’s what could happen to an Old Fashioned. Technically speaking, that’s too much fruit, at least according to David Wondrich in “Imbibe!” The way he tells the tale, the original cocktails derived from the sling, which IIRC (it’s been a while since I read the book proper) was a mixture of spirits, sugar and water. A cocktail was essentially a sling with bitters. As time went on, they evolved into spirits, water (typically ice), bitters, sugar and other accent spirits and liqueurs, such as maraschino, orange curacao, absinthe, etc… They were also garnished with various fruits and berries. An enduring example would be the Sazerac- it’s a rye cocktail with absinthe and a specific brand of bitters. But still a cocktail. So after a while, people would call for “old fashioned” cocktails, meaning the original spirits, bitters, sugar and water/ice, hence the name. Then the same process happened again, with all sorts of fruit being muddled in the drink. The interesting thing according to Wondrich’s book is that none of these were locked down in terms of what the base spirit or bitters were- you could get rum cocktails, gin (old Tom or Dutch genever), whatever whiskey was handy, applejack, or brandy in your cocktail back in the day. So those upper Midwestern brandy old-fashioneds are entirely valid, as it turns out. I suspect that if you went in to most bars these days and ordered an improved gin cocktail, they’d look at you like you were insane, but apparently back in the day you could order something like that. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2017, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-strongly-encouraged-to-get-a-non-girly-drink/791532/82 "2017-07-24T13:50:29Z")
I was happy with the fruit I got, **bump** ; at least it wasn’t fruit salad in a glass with a little liquor poured in. Tastes change; I’d bet I wouldn’t be totally enthusiastic about an authentic 1870 dinner, either. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2017, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-strongly-encouraged-to-get-a-non-girly-drink/791532/83 "2017-07-24T14:05:50Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > I was happy with the fruit I got, **bump** ; at least it wasn’t fruit salad in a glass with a little liquor poured in. Tastes change; I’d bet I wouldn’t be totally enthusiastic about an authentic 1870 dinner, either. True. It’s just interesting to me how the drink’s name and origin differ from the current interpretation. Kind of one of those situations where the “Old fashioned” is actually decidedly new fangled. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2017, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-strongly-encouraged-to-get-a-non-girly-drink/791532/84 "2017-07-24T14:37:54Z")
I always think you can’t go wrong with a G&T - plenty sophisticated, not too strong, suitable in any establishment and for any occasion. I know it’s different with table service, but in British pubs you order your own drinks at the bar. My father, who’s not a big drinker at all but wants to be ‘one of the boys’ will order a G&T, and when it’s his round, he’ll order just a tonic water, as it looks the same. ---
**Author:** ![edwardcoast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cab0a1/32.png) [@edwardcoast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwardcoast)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-strongly-encouraged-to-get-a-non-girly-drink/791532/85 "2017-07-25T04:15:41Z")
> [@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.) It is your birthday, so you are allowing yourself to be pushed around to do something you don’t want to do? Don’t drink alcohol. Order tea, soda, water or a milkshake. You want to be a real man and not a girly one? Then live your life by what will make you happy. Don’t drink alcohol. ---
**Author:** ![Pantastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3bc359/32.png) [@Pantastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pantastic)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-strongly-encouraged-to-get-a-non-girly-drink/791532/86 "2017-07-25T12:11:27Z")
> [@The\_King\_of\_Soup](#): > > Happy birthday **monstro** , and please celebrate in a way that pleases you most of all. That said, it’s not necessarily evil for a friend to encourage you, on such an occasion, to try new things. It is really crappy of them to try to enforce gender norms, though. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-strongly-encouraged-to-get-a-non-girly-drink/791532/87 "2017-07-25T12:40:19Z")
Belated happy birthday, **monstro**! ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-strongly-encouraged-to-get-a-non-girly-drink/791532/88 "2017-07-25T15:57:48Z")
How old is this friend? A lot younger than you? Peer pressure toward non/light drinkers pretty much ends in your early 20’s, in my experience. It’s a little weird from a 40 year old. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-strongly-encouraged-to-get-a-non-girly-drink/791532/89 "2017-07-25T16:17:46Z")
What you’re looking for is a chocolate martini. Tres elegant and sophisticated as well as yummy and sweet! ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-strongly-encouraged-to-get-a-non-girly-drink/791532/90 "2017-07-25T16:21:16Z")
> [@edwardcoast](#): > > It is your birthday, so you are allowing yourself to be pushed around to do something you don’t want to do? Don’t drink alcohol. Order tea, soda, water or a milkshake. You want to be a real man and not a girly one? Then live your life by what will make you happy. Don’t drink alcohol. 1. I am a woman. I don’t have a problem being a woman or “girly”. But I pride myself on being adventurous. My friend noticed I always order on a certain side of the menu and wanted to nudge me towards the other side. Big whoop. 2. Don’t know if you saw my post upthread, but I ordered what I wanted and I thoroughly enjoyed it. 3. I am not a reguar drinker, but I don’t mind socializing with an alcoholic beverage in hand, especially for a special occasion and especially when I’m not paying for it. 4. You know, sometimes what makes someone happy is breaking out of their routine and doing something different. I don’t like beer, but I ordered a frambois because I was fascinated by its purple color. Turned out I made an excellent decision! Now I have a “go to” beer. “Do what makes you happy” is great advice. But sometimes what someone really needs to hear is “Try new things and have fun while you’re doing it.” ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-strongly-encouraged-to-get-a-non-girly-drink/791532/91 "2017-07-25T16:21:48Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > What you’re looking for is a chocolate martini. Tres elegant and sophisticated as well as yummy and sweet! OK, so much as we are placing labels on these things, a “chocolate martini” is pretty close to the definition of a “girl drink” to me. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-strongly-encouraged-to-get-a-non-girly-drink/791532/92 "2017-07-25T16:46:36Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > I don’t like beer, but I ordered a frambois because I was fascinated by its purple color. Turned out I made an excellent decision! Now I have a “go to” beer. Framboise is French for raspberry. Now that you know you like raspberry beer, you should try various breweries versions of framboise. Lindemans is very common, maybe it’s the brand you tried. If you ever see Cantillon Brewery Framboise, give it a try. It is tart instead of sweet. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-strongly-encouraged-to-get-a-non-girly-drink/791532/93 "2017-07-25T16:47:18Z")
Do you remember exactly which beer/brand you got, **monstro**? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-strongly-encouraged-to-get-a-non-girly-drink/791532/94 "2017-07-25T17:57:45Z")
Happy belated birthday! I’ll drink a toast to you tonight! 🙂 It will most likely be a glass of white wine, just for the record. Oh, and not chardonnay. ---
**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 25, 2017, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-strongly-encouraged-to-get-a-non-girly-drink/791532/95 "2017-07-25T20:18:51Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Framboise is French for raspberry. Now that you know you like raspberry beer, you should try various breweries versions of framboise. Lindemans is very common, maybe it’s the brand you tried. If you ever see Cantillon Brewery Framboise, give it a try. It is tart instead of sweet. In general most framboise you will encounter are going to be varieties of [fruit lambics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lambic#Fruit) and [Lindemans](http://www.lindemans.be/en_US/) is not only widely available in the U.S., it has a variety of flavors to try. ---
**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 25, 2017, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-strongly-encouraged-to-get-a-non-girly-drink/791532/96 "2017-07-25T20:23:48Z")
I just want to know what **Monstro** ended up trying… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-strongly-encouraged-to-get-a-non-girly-drink/791532/97 "2017-07-25T20:46:04Z")
> [@Sunny\_Daze](#): > > I just want to know what **Monstro** ended up trying… 🙂 A framboise. ---
**Author:** ![Dereknocue67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6de8d8/32.png) [@Dereknocue67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dereknocue67)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2017, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-strongly-encouraged-to-get-a-non-girly-drink/791532/98 "2017-07-26T08:47:35Z")
First, you need to prepare so before your night out, get a full face tattoo. Swastikas and crosses are very elegant and stylishly fashionable. When your server asks for your drink order, shout, “Gimme a fucking boilermaker with some mescaline on the side and keep em coming!” I guarantee your friend will be dazzled. ---
**Author:** ![tavalla](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tavalla/32/89_2.png) [@tavalla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tavalla)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2017, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-strongly-encouraged-to-get-a-non-girly-drink/791532/99 "2017-07-26T10:07:32Z")
I’m a fan of “drink what you enjoy”, but trying new things too. A couple of people upthread mentioned sidecars - a nice mix of sweet and tart. Or Frangelico (hazelnut liqueur) on ice. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2017, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-strongly-encouraged-to-get-a-non-girly-drink/791532/100 "2017-07-26T11:20:26Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Do you remember exactly which beer/brand you got, **monstro**? It was a Lindeman’s. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-strongly-encouraged-to-get-a-non-girly-drink/791532.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/being-strongly-encouraged-to-get-a-non-girly-drink/791532.md?page=6)