# What Drinks Automatically Confer Credibility? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 10, 2010, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drinks-automatically-confer-credibility/560224 "2010-11-10T21:13:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drinks-automatically-confer-credibility/560224/141 "2010-11-12T01:21:30Z")
It’s interesting to me that people put so much thought into something like this. Even when I could drink it didn’t interest me much. It never would have crossed my mind to have such an encyclopedic knowledge of the subject or worry about the impression my choice would make. (Okay, I would’ve felt silly with some girly drink with an umbrella, but that’s an extreme.) I barely know about different types of liquors let alone brands. I guess I’m weird. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drinks-automatically-confer-credibility/560224/142 "2010-11-12T01:32:42Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > It’s interesting to me that people put so much thought into something like this. Even when I could drink it didn’t interest me much. It never would have crossed my mind to have such an encyclopedic knowledge of the subject or worry about the impression my choice would make. (Okay, I would’ve felt silly with some girly drink with an umbrella, but that’s an extreme.) > > I barely know about different types of liquors let alone brands. I guess I’m weird. 😉 I don’t see how this is any different than deciding on, say, what to wear for an occasion. It doesn’t require “encyclopedic knowledge” of fashion to have an idea of what your attire should be given the event. There are some fairly established rules (e.g. don’t wear denim to a job interview), but even the least flexible of rules ultimately depend on context. The mores of drinking aren’t much different in that regard. There are some Drink Rules. Feel free to ignore them, as freely as you would ignore whatever else social customs that don’t suit you. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drinks-automatically-confer-credibility/560224/143 "2010-11-12T01:59:11Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > I don’t see how this is any different than deciding on, say, what to wear for an occasion. It doesn’t require “encyclopedic knowledge” of fashion to have an idea of what your attire should be given the event. There are some fairly established rules (e.g. don’t wear denim to a job interview), but even the least flexible of rules ultimately depend on context. The mores of drinking aren’t much different in that regard. There are some Drink Rules. Feel free to ignore them, as freely as you would ignore whatever else social customs that don’t suit you. I wasn’t criticizing anyone for it. I just said that I found it interesting. It wasn’t something that I was exposed to growing up and it never seemed worth the effort to me personally, but to each his own. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drinks-automatically-confer-credibility/560224/144 "2010-11-12T02:06:07Z")
I’m not sure what the mystery is here. If I go on a date with someone to a nice steakhouse, and he orders chicken nuggets and fries, I’m going to raise my eyebrows. As you grow into adulthood, you are expected to try a variety of things and expose yourself to new experiences. Somewhere along the lines, presumably you will find things you like outside of the “stuff I liked as a kid” range. If you don’t, that makes me suspicious that you are unwilling to try new experiences (unattractive) or not willing to put in the work to acquire an acquired taste (not attractive…shows a certain lack of fortitude.) If you are drinking the same drinks we drank in college, that’s a sign that you are not very sophisticated. And I’m a pretty sophisticated lady. They say a woman decides if she’s going to sleep with you during the first ten seconds. You don’t want to spend those ten seconds holding a glass of Puckers. What you do on your own time is your thing. But do you think I _like_ walking around in heels? Do you think I love the feel of mascara? Bars are social situations where usually many people are competing for sexual partners. Like any mating dance, there is a bit of ritual that goes with that. Some of it’s bullshit, but a lot of it’s just shorthand displays. If you want to win the game, you gotta play the game. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drinks-automatically-confer-credibility/560224/145 "2010-11-12T02:53:16Z")
Lucky my college drink was the ever classy gin and tonic. Yay for never having to change ever! ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drinks-automatically-confer-credibility/560224/146 "2010-11-12T04:34:03Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > I think martinis are due for a critical re-evaluation. Sure, Bond drinks them, but the number 2 martini connoisieur is Jo Anne Worley, and it takes a pretty steep drop after her. Number 3 might be David Niven or one of the ghosts from **Topper,** I dunno. They’re all more famous for other stuff. The excellent [Sticky Fingers Bar](http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g293950-d990171-Reviews-Sticky_Fingers_Cafe_and_Bar-Vientiane.html) in Vientiane, the Lao capital, makes a special “Tom Yum Martini” that contains some special herbs and spices and, instead of an olive, one of those long, thin, extremely fiery bright-red chilli peppers on a toothpick. It really is spicy! A spicy martini. Very good. I don’t know why I remember it, funny the stuff that pops up in your head, but this thread reminds me of a small news item I saw in the 1990s, about Ethan Hawke when he was just becoming famous. It said he walked into a New York City Bar and ordered a wine cooler. A table of guys started ragging him about it, so he switched the order to tequila shots for him and the guys. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drinks-automatically-confer-credibility/560224/147 "2010-11-12T08:46:34Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > Maybe you want to be with your friends but can’t drink or don’t want to. In which case drink Coke/Lemonade/Fanta. But _milk_? In a pub? People would think you were taking the piss or pulling some sort of prank on them. It’s Just Not Done. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drinks-automatically-confer-credibility/560224/148 "2010-11-12T10:25:14Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > I don’t know why I remember it, funny the stuff that pops up in your head, but this thread reminds me of a small news item I saw in the 1990s, about Ethan Hawke when he was just becoming famous. It said he walked into a New York City Bar and ordered a wine cooler. A table of guys started ragging him about it, so he switched the order to tequila shots for him and the guys. Jeezis, what a pussy! ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drinks-automatically-confer-credibility/560224/149 "2010-11-12T10:47:29Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > > [@davidm](#): > > > > Maybe you want to be with your friends but can’t drink or don’t want to. > > In which case drink Coke/Lemonade/Fanta. But _milk_? In a pub? People would think you were taking the piss or pulling some sort of prank on them. It’s Just Not Done. Well, you did say _water_ or milk. It wouldn’t be _too_ strange to order water, at least not something like Perrier. I’d order a soft drink or maybe OJ myself. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drinks-automatically-confer-credibility/560224/150 "2010-11-12T12:31:05Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > Sweet. My (apparent?) reputation as town drunk is finally paying off. Now then, if you are in the rare situation in which you must order a drink – and really (I’m going to interrupt myself now), how many times have you been in a position where you _have_ to order an alcoholic beverage? No one is going to sneer at you for ordering something else. If you are so unfamiliar with the happy sauce that you can’t order a simple drink, then don’t order one. Coffee is fine. Yes, there may be that rare Power Dinner where everyone is ordering scotch or gin, and you don’t want to be That Guy who gets the Shirley Temple, but for the most part, if you seriously drink so little that you can’t come up with a drink to order that doesn’t make you look like a weirdo, then don’t drink. Get water or tea or something. You’ll be fine. > > Now, if you have to order a drink, I’d say the date and work rule should be the same: just order something that doesn’t make you look like a complete douche. Don’t order the most complicated, expensive, fruity, or whatever else drink on the planet. Don’t ask for “wine.” Know what you want, and if you don’t know yet, just order a G&T and be done with it. > > So in short, I’d say your suggestions are fine. Yep - all makes sense. And \*\*even sven \*\*- yep, there’s a social ritual aspect to it. Everybody wants a sense of credibility in a given social situation. You have two options: 1) learn without realizing you’re learning over the years; or 2) make some conscious choices and practice. ---
**Author:** ![Sleel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@Sleel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleel)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drinks-automatically-confer-credibility/560224/151 "2010-11-12T14:06:41Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > No drink confers credibility. I know total douchebags who like to spend 10 minutes hovered over a list of bourbon (or wine, etc.) before making a big show of ordering their drinks. Not to say there is anything wrong with drinking 12-year-old Laphroaig, but most of those “liquor aficionados” bore me to tears. Especially if they order 12-year-old Laphroaig when the standard 10 and 15 year releases are rated more highly. (I prefer the sister distillery Lagavulin’s 16-year release, myself, though the Laphroaig 10 has a certain ass-kicking brashness that I appreciate sometimes.) I’m of the opinion that you should order what you like, with the caveat that there are people who will judge you by what you drink. If that matters to you, find something you like that will also produce the social effect you want. The one thing you should never do—and we have plenty of examples of this in the thread—is order based on what you think you should order, instead of what you know and like. It’s absurdly easy to come across as a pretentious pseudo-cognoscenti if you’re more concerned with the status a drink supposedly confers than the quality of the drink itself. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drinks-automatically-confer-credibility/560224/152 "2010-11-12T14:54:11Z")
> [@Sleel](#): > > Especially if they order 12-year-old Laphroaig when the standard 10 and 15 year releases are rated more highly. (I prefer the sister distillery Lagavulin’s 16-year release, myself, though the Laphroaig 10 has a certain ass-kicking brashness that I appreciate sometimes.) > > I’m of the opinion that you should order what you like, with the caveat that there are people who will judge you by what you drink. If that matters to you, find something you like that will also produce the social effect you want. > > The one thing you should never do—and we have plenty of examples of this in the thread—is order based on what you think you should order, instead of what you know and like. It’s absurdly easy to come across as a pretentious pseudo-cognoscenti if you’re more concerned with the status a drink supposedly confers than the quality of the drink itself. Wanting to be a Scotch enthusiast is very different than navigating your way through standard business and personal social situations. Knowing the stuff you know - enough so you would order it in a work situation, and want to get a bit geeky about the distinctions - that’s staking a position of “I am into this; lemme demonstrate.” The criteria for “credibility” in that case is very different - it’s not “can I order a drink with conviction?” its “can I use my Booze/Wine/Beer expertise in a work situation in a way that makes me look cool and not a douche?” I would argue both are equally difficult but in very different ways. I wish some Experts were more aware of how delicate a balance there should be… ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drinks-automatically-confer-credibility/560224/153 "2010-11-12T15:28:37Z")
If you want credibility from your fellow drinkers and for the bartender to love you, there is only one choice: [The Pousse Cafe](http://www.badideatheater.com/pousse.html). For added cred, specify that you want their _best_ and most expensive cordials, right down to the grenadine. Trust me. Ordering this drink will make you as a god among drinkers. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drinks-automatically-confer-credibility/560224/154 "2010-11-12T15:52:55Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > Straight drinks like scotch, bourbon or tequila ordered neat or on the rocks tend to be legit, but make sure you know what you want. “Your best scotch” tells me that you are probably faking it. In his novel _Kowloon Tong_, set in the closing days of British rule over Hong Kong, Paul Theroux has one of his main Chinese characters ordering “your best Scotch” in a bar. He proffered the observation that this was a tell-tale sign the person had grown up in poverty, and now that he was wealthy, he did this to try to flaunt his riches. Said real Scotch drinkers had their favorite brands that while good, wouldn’t necessarily be the most expensive. My personal observations over here bear this out. For example, one Chinese-Thai businessman of my acquaintance was like that. Became very rich, and always – and I mean _always_ – had to have the “best” of everything, the most modern, the most up to date, and he would not believe he was often sacrificing quality by foregoing something older but a little better. He had grown up in humble circumstances. ---
**Author:** ![ministryman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@ministryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ministryman)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drinks-automatically-confer-credibility/560224/155 "2010-11-12T18:16:45Z")
Bourbon…neat…water back… If you have to ask, you’re not ready… ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drinks-automatically-confer-credibility/560224/156 "2010-11-12T18:40:22Z")
I like methelayted spirits out of a tin can myself. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drinks-automatically-confer-credibility/560224/157 "2010-11-12T18:42:51Z")
Gasoline in a dirty glass. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2010, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drinks-automatically-confer-credibility/560224/158 "2010-11-13T01:39:21Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > Well, you did say _water_ or milk. It wouldn’t be _too_ strange to order water, at least not something like Perrier. If I’m out in the bars but need to stay reasonably sober for this or that reason, I’ll order soda water with a slice of lime in it. It at least _looks_ like it may be an alcoholic beverage, and the bars like it because it’s a high-profit item; you get charged the same as if it were, say, a gin and tonic. That’s also the standard bar drink of some teetotalers I know. ---
**Author:** ![Nostalgiascape](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/48db29/32.png) [@Nostalgiascape](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nostalgiascape)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2010, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drinks-automatically-confer-credibility/560224/159 "2010-11-13T02:53:40Z")
I think that anyone who believes that drinks determine credabilty is an assbone. That said I prefer Vodka in many mixxed forms as well as straight. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2010, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drinks-automatically-confer-credibility/560224/160 "2010-11-13T03:13:31Z")
No one really believes that a drink determines credability. It is something that people who appreciate fine wine or top shelf liquor or whatever like to talk about. It’s not really serious. No one cares if you have an appletini. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drinks-automatically-confer-credibility/560224.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-drinks-automatically-confer-credibility/560224.md?page=9)