Saturday, April 3, 2010

Straight, Gay, and Bourbon

-A shot of straight Bourbon.-

I'm my father's son, and as such I appreciate a good Bourbon. One that's well blended, has a slow heat that slips into you, and preferably one that's velvet with vanilla flavor. I take it over the rocks, though when mixed with a bit of sparkling wine, bitters, and orange peel it makes for a delightful cocktail to pair with a fatty piece of slow cooked pork.

Yet whenever I order bourbon at the bar it causes my friends to cast shocked stares as if I had just told them my newest hobby involved silicone fists and rohypnol. I normally pour wine or Amaretto sours for guests, so having a glass of something hard seems somewhat out of character to them, which is strange since in my head I'm Gatsby and my jaunty parties are all about bright lights and bourbon.

Now I'm the first to admit that I'm not the manliest man; I detest watching televised sports outside the Olympics and can't barbecue worth a damn. Yet, come on people, give me some credit. I'm an Eagle Scout for Christ's sake. I don't like to get my hands dirty, but I can change the oil in my car, use a jigsaw, grout a tub, and have killed so many slugs in my garden with my bare hands I now fear a slowly growing slimy uprising may be on the way. The fact that I can make an awesome cupcake, know how to foxtrot, and have two cats is incidental.

Bourbon is often seen as a man's drink. This, or a snifter of Cognac, is something to be enjoyed with the boys or after a day of duck hunting in the overcast and swamp. However, being gay, I'm expected to drink something that comes in a martini glass and more than likely matches the color of my shirt. Stereotypically it is assumed that gays can't drink hard liquor straight.

It's not like me to get on a subject like this on the blog, if I ever even have (most of the Internet thinks I'm married to Elise Bauer for God sakes) but recently I met a friend at a restaurant and we ordered our drinks and what happened got me thinking. The waiter brought my friend, a dead ringer of the Brawny Man with flannel shirt and all, my scotch, and gave me his lemon drop.

My friend, barrel chested and mustachioed, looked the part of a bourbon sipping. His look had a swagger and he gave off a pheromone of masculinity that one could only assume was fueled by strong liquor with a heated kick. My slender 30 inch waist and slim jeans equaled a sugared rim. All this to the waiter, at least. It may have been an accident, it might not have been. But seriously, can a boy in a cute t-shirt get some whiskey up in this place?

In the public consciousness bourbon, scotch, good sipping tequila and the like are such masculine drinks. The musky scent, reminiscent of sweat and labor. The burly color is anything but reserved. Electric liquor that stands out at your meal and takes charge. It's a drink to put hair on yer' chest. Ladies, stick to your wine spritzers.

Even the way we serve types of alcohol seems to encourage this gender divide of the spirits. Dark liquors get served in stout whiskey glasses shaped for the calloused hand of a working man. A strong glass for a strong drink. It's very unlike the dainty martini glass; one female friend of mine argues that martini glasses were invented as a curse for women, "It forces you to gingerly walk with feminine steps to prevent spilling. (Oh, and it's shaped like a vagina.)"

Since gay men seem to at times blur the lines when it comes to mannerisms of gender - some more than others - appreciating a hard drink becomes unlikely unless it's somewhat fruity (pun slightly intended). We get grouped in with the women who get the bartender blow off (pun not intended). Yet no one seems to fight it. I can't recall ever seeing someone order a scotch at the local gay bar.

The last time I asked for whiskey at a club in San Francisco the bartender's reaction was unexpected, "Wow." He looked at me then began to dig through the cabinet practically crawling into it, every so often peeping back to see if I was still there and not a hallucination. He came back up with a musty bottle, "I don't think we've ever even opened this." The man actually blew dust off it.

So it's not just me. We've sort of placed the stigma on ourselves. Which is fine. Part of the culture, I guess. One with too much Midori and maraschino cherries. Not that I don't love a good cocktail, my current favorite being gin and creme de violette muddled with some blackberries - it's a rather eclectic drink, the cocktail equivalent of Jackson Pollock's "Number 1, 1950." With a good slice of chocolate or a balanced cheese plate I want something stronger on the rocks.

It might be all in my head. My roommate appreciates red wine and vodka straight (though I heckle that that's not manly, that's WASP-ish). My friend Kate and her husband Ken appreciate good scotch as much as anyone. My friend Shawn, so on fire you can see him from space, adores dark, hoppy beers. I love my bourbon and tequila. Yet I doubt any one of us will turn down an expertly made chocolate martini.

Sure, I may love cocktails and have the occasional ballet tickets. But, sometimes, damn it, I like a single malt as much as the next guy.

Any comments, ideas, experiences or theories on the matter are more than welcome. I would love to hear what people have to say about this.

-For something supposedly so masculine it is quite pretty.-

65 comments:

  1. You go, Garrett.

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  2. Wine spritzer? Yuck. I'll take the bourbon or scotch. As for my aura, I'm a straight woman, dear, who favors pink & pretty painted toes. Not very butch, not a power lawyer. I like romantic movies, gardening & pretty dresses. Oh, my!

    dahlila ;-)

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  3. I got a great laugh out of this! Recently, in a notable bar in Hawaii, my husband and I ordered drinks. Imagine my surprise when he got the vodka martini straight up with olives (which was my order) and I got the flowery Mai Tai with a couple of rums, fruit liqueur, fruit flavorings and fruit juices that make my tongue cringe! I suppose it can happen to anyone. I enjoyed reading your experience!

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  4. My family is old-school southern and I don't care what your orientation is, the men drink whiskey when they're together. More power to you, and have one for me.

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  5. Embrace your contradictions, Garrett. And f*ck the haters, honestly. Generally I try to adopt the attitude of, anyone who doesn't "get" me isn't worth me caring about what they think.

    I mean, I'm a girl, but I order steak at restaurants and beer instead of martinis (although gin and tonics are my favorite). I watch UFC fighting and hockey all the time (hockey is an awesome sport, and *ahem* UFC is just plain hot IMHO). My husband jokes that I'm turning into a man... but then I give him the bitchbrow and he shuts up haha.

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  6. Garrett, you cracked me up about the "married to Elise Bauer" bit. Haha.

    Anyway, your blog is your little part of the web to express yourself. You can "talk" about anything that you'd like. If people have a problem with what you are, what you drink, or anything else, well then they are just being silly and are missing out on a seriously cool and talented writer! And if people say otherwise, just tell them to go stuff a chicken! :D

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  7. Very interesting post. I've only had bourbon once and it was served at a party hosted by three girls! It was infused with cherries and served with a bit of chocolate bitters so it wasn't completely "straight" but damn was it strong stuff. Strong, but damn good too!

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  8. Hmmm. I spent about 15 years living in the Deep South and came back to Cali with a major bourbon habit. Maker's Mark or Knob Creek, usually with ginger ale, but sometimes just on the rocks.

    Mmmm, sippin' whiskey....

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  9. Ladies stick to your wine spritzers.
    ----
    No thanks. Another lady (who likes babies and gardens and dresses) who would much prefer a nice aged scotch (neat) to pretty much any other drink.

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  10. I am so glad you wrote about this topic. Being Scottish I have always enjoyed a good whiskey, single malt or even (gasp) Irish blended. I'm learning about rye currently and I love bourbon and drink it A LOT! And, I'm quite the girly girl, always with lipstick and perhaps not lace but as feminine as they come. Most bartenders crook an eyebrow when I ask "what else do you have besides Maker's Mark?" and toss off a few names of my favorite small batch bourbons. I'm happy with Maker's Mark though and my house bourbon is Bulliet. I adore a well made stirred Manhattan with my own bing cherries stewed in cognac and vanilla beans, and I even made bacon infused bourbon for a terrific Manhattan (see my home page for a picture!). I like to think my passion for bourbon is not from my ex beau from Georgia but rather a long harkening back to my ancestral roots off Harkness Creek in West Virginia where it's reported some relatives had a still to accompany their local branch water. Cheers to you!

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  11. haters don't deserve you, man. I deal w being female and ordering stouts or scotch and somehow always end up with the LIT or Blonds in front of me. It's actually gotten me into drinking gin martini's, gimlets, and G'Ts just bc for some reason light liquor is wimmen's work.

    <3

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  12. I'm going to stick you in a room and just have you talk, stream of consciousness, all day at me.

    Not the most innovative comment, so I'll add.

    I'm not the girliest of girls, but I'm still gifted with obvious feminine qualities (read: massive boobs). I love Scotch, adore it.

    And it's always a shock to those new at drinking with me. It's probably not a good thing for a not-so-pretty single girl (who's not getting any younger) to drink; I'm worried sometimes it scares off the boys.

    Anyway, I loved hearing you thoughts on the matter. And I absolutely love it when a gay individual, scratch that ANY person, goes against stereotype. It's so zen.

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  13. You write:
    one female friend of mine argues that martini glasses were invented as a curse for women, "It forces you to gingerly walk with feminine steps to prevent spilling. (Oh, and it's shaped like a vagina.)"


    I'm confused...having both a martini glass and a vagina, I am totally missing the resemblance. I'm pretty sure that they are pretty standard in configuration. And I'm pretty sure I won't be pursuing this.

    I love a good scotch, neat. The sickest I've ever been ruined me forever for bourbon. It wasn't the bourbon's fault, but the association is indelible.

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  14. Oh Garrett, reading your blog is so often like hearing my own thoughts, loves and annoyances expressed in a more eloquent way than I could ever put it. I'm a petite, ample bosom-ed, 5'2 girl with banana curls. I'm basically the mid twenty version of Shirley Temple, and while I love her drink and all I am much more of a whiskey gal myself.

    I get down with Margarita's on the weekends with my girls, and even some cranberry and vodka's, but I crave the heat and boldness of a good Jack Daniels. However, no one ever believes that lil ole me can handle that big burly man.

    One interesting account of others' disbelief in my love was on my birthday when I had a potluck with twenty or so of my closest friends and one of my friends Mike brought wine for the ladies and Jack "for the men." When he cracked it open, I was the first to send my glass his way, he chuckled and cocked his head to me questioning my decision. He poured us both a shot and told me to "be careful, this stuff puts hair on your chest." I gave him one of my nose upturns reminiscent of my days trying to be a tomboy and cheered.

    The shot went back smooth and bold. When I put my shot to the table, I looked up smiling and waiting for another but, apparently big ole' Mike wasn't used to shots of Jack and as his glass hit the table, everything he had eaten hit the floor (as I quickly ducked for cover). While the results of Jack on Mike wasn't very pretty, my bragging rights for the rest of our lives is the best birthday present I have ever gotten.

    Happy Drinking...

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  15. I am gay boy here from boston and my (transgendered) boyfriend whom I love dearly knew when my birthday came around, the way to my heart was through my whiskey. Ill be damned if the monogramed flask he bought me doesnt make me feel like the classiest queer on the dancefloor.

    as a sophmore art student, Im drenched in a sea of Pabts Blue Ribbons every time I walk into a party, but personaly even at 120lbs I still prefer a nice strong "straight" drink (even the name supports your theory of a gender dichotomy)

    thanks for sharing
    and ps— even the wonderfully talented Elise Bauer on your arm didnt fool me ;)

    love and rockets-paul

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  16. I was actually really disturbed by this post. By discussing gender in the terms that you choose to, I think you have actually served to reinscribe the gender roles/stereotypes that you were annoyed about in the first place and that (may have) prompted your waiter to serve you the "girly" drink and your "straighty" friend the scotch. I think it is time that we all stop thinking in such strictly defined binaries.

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  17. Hm, I don't know if I have anything of value to add, but while reading this I thought:
    1) we have completely different skill sets,
    2) pun totally intended ;),
    and 3) I will never look at a martini glass the same way again.
    I don't really drink - last time I was at a bar, I ordered a diet coke. But as long as we're talking about servers' perceptions, I do look like the non-alcohol-drinking type.

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  18. I always found it interesting that on more than one occasion, when dining our with my husband, they bring him the diet coke (my drink) and me the regular coke (his drink). I think after awhile he took it personally that they were trying to hint that he needed to lose weight :-D (he doesn't need to!)

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  19. as a female civil engineer i am already "breaking" the traditional stereotypes. i sew, i cook, i clean, i ballroom dance... while doing jiujitsu, drinking beer or bourbon, eating ribs and steak, and taking out the trash.

    i love your blunt style of writing and how you can express a "fuck you" without being overly crass. rock on!

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  20. PPpfffftttt...I'm a girly girl and I prefer a Guinness with a scotch chaser. NOTHING like it. Let them hate, they want to be half as cool as you!

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  21. I fully applaud your posting. Being a girl, so often it happens that people assume that I'm going to order a Cosmo or a Michelob Light (ugh, ugh, ugh).
    However, I am a true-to-life beer snob: the kind that shakes her head at those who talk about how "heavy" Guinness is (really? Because I can float it atop Coors Light...can't be THAT heavy!) and who gets excited at the beauty of a Belgian ale or a deep, full-bodied Russian Imperial Stout.
    I love that so many others agree: it's great to acknowledge that an excellent beverage is an excellent beverage...and you so do not have to be a certain type of person to appreciate it! Drink what you love...love what you drink!
    Cheers!!

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  22. Loved this post!

    I think you're right on, too. I live in the south where these kinds of dichotomies are even further enforced. When I order a double whiskey, bartenders assume I meant a whiskey sour, or that I'm ordering for my 6'1", 250 lb fiance (who prefers wheat beers).

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  23. Does this mean you are breaking off our engagement?

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  24. This is a really well-done post, Garrett! I raise my glass of Maker's Mark in your general direction. I, of course, fit the stereoype the other way: I am pretty sure even my lifeless corpse would reject a chocolate "martini," I never put ice in my Cognac or other brandy, and rarely put more than 2 ice cubes in my Scotch, bourbon or rye.

    And yes, I drink rye. And I'm wearing flannel right now. Sue me...

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  25. I, like IslandPearl, cannot drink bourbon b/c I drank myself silly on it the first time I ever drank. But give me a bitter, hoppy ale or a nice, full-bodied stout and you've got yourself one happy girl! Kudos to breaking stereotypes!

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  26. My Uncle Alex who is, in his words, 'one of the boys', goes through the Scotch like no one I've ever seen. His partner John downs pints like he's been working on the docks all day. I struggle to keep up with them most of the time. As a hetrosexual woman I'm also prone to downing the pints, something light on hot summer days,and warm, comforting dark ales and stouts in the winter. Although as I approach my 40s, I've found sparking wines more and more acceptable. And vodka raspberries.

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  27. Very interesting read. Personally, I'm a Canadian who is rather 'meh' about beer. I used to think I could only stomach fruity drinks where you couldn't detect the alcohol at all, but over the years I have developed an appreciation for gin and tonics.

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  28. I love this post!! As an earlier poster said, Wine spritzer, pleh. I'm the scotch drinker, tho I prefer it with a splash of soda, and my husband actually ordered a pomegranate martini at dinner the other night! He ordered it but the waitress set it down in the center of the table like she didn't know who to give it to, really. And the only tequila drinker I personally know is a woman. She also likes deep dark stouts and straight whiskey. We do sort of risk pigeon-holing ourselves in to other people's expectations, but half the fun is giving all those bartenders and servers the occasional surprise! It keeps them on their toes and hopefully someday they'll learn not to judge a book by it's cover... You Go Garrett! Keep drinking that bourbon!

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  29. I adore this post.

    DPaul and I are avid bourbon drinkers. He, of course, hails from Kentucky in the first place, and I acquired a taste for it while living and working in Santa Fe with a Texan roommate. (Of course, that's also where I picked up a mild mezcal habit.)

    But I think bourbon is not so genderized. I love a good Manhattan, as do all the ladies of a certain age in my family. Don't let the stemmed cocktail glass fool you; it's a drink with hair on its chest.

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  30. Thanks so much for making me giggle on a Monday morning. My decidedly straight husband LOVES his bourbon....but wishes so much that I (his 100 pound wife) could stomach it. I cannot. but I do pour it by the glug-ful into cookies, brownies and cakes. I appreciate the flavor....I think EVERYONE should try bourbon at least once. Dismissing it as a "man's man's drink" is just ridiculous.

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  31. Aaron: A lot of this is facetious or simply critique. ;) Also, the word binaries makes me have flashbacks to far too many sociology classes back in college. *shudder*

    IslandPearl: Since you asked, look at the upside down obtuse triangle shape of the martini glass. Now use your imagination.

    Elise: Of course not, we can still get married for the tax benefits. ;)

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  32. I'm sorry, but I'm pretty sure I saw someone who fit your description on a beach in Mexico drinking a margarita. I don't recall whether he was drinking out of a glass with an umbrella or a fancy garnish, though.

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  33. David: I was in Mexico, land of the frilly drinks so you hush mister. There's also plenty of photographic evidence of me putting away straight shots of tequila, so nyah! ;)

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  34. goodness, this got the comments flowing!

    Picture the scene: a woman is out with a man. The woman orders a stout beer, the man orders pretty much anything else (in my experience it's ranged from diet Coke to Hefewizen).

    Chances are one in one hundred the woman will get the beer she ordered!

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  35. You tell 'em what's what, G-McC.

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  36. My husband and I garner many laughs and comments by our drink choices. He is 6'3 and black and loves lemon drops, barely alcoholic fruit drinks, and hefeweizens. I'm 5'2 and rather girly, and I drink vodka tonics and scotch. You really can never tell what people will like.

    Having worked in food service for years I am often guilty of guessing orders based on appearance, I love it when people surprise me though. Thin well dressed women that order bacon cheeseburgers and milkshakes are some of my favorites.

    Great post

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  37. Ah screw 'um Garrett. I'm a girl in the south and despite my masters degree and definite equality in my relationship with my husband I've had men ask for my "husband or my daddy" in regards to decision making. Seriously. There is no end to the small mindedness and stupidity in the world, and a lot of the time it is unintentional and not malicious. So I let it roll off my back and keep on trucking.

    I'm slightly ashamed to admit that I am a total stereotype right now alcoholically speaking and favor super cold white wine.

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  38. Whiskey is truly everyone's friend. Cheers!

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  39. I'm on the opposite end of this. I'm straight and I really don't enjoy any liquor that hasn't been cut by something. I tried to develop a taste for Scotch so that I could enjoy it with my step-father when he broke out a bottle. But the closest I managed was Jameson's and ginger ale.

    As for mixing up drinks, my girlfriend usually orders a sweet tea when we go out and I usually drink a diet soda. I drink way too much soda in a day to drink non-diet and not weigh 300 pounds. But the server almost always puts the diet in front of her and gives me the sweet tea. Clearly, only women can be concerned about calories.

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  40. My husband and I joke that he always orders the "girlier" drinks when we get cocktails, though he's the one who turned me on to bourbon. Generally though, we have the same tastes. I've never been in to cocktails that were more fruit juice than booze, and I think vodka is a waste of time.

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  41. Honestly, I'm so happy to see someone write about this, and even more pleased to see the number of comments. I love a great whiskey and I'm learning more about bourbon. I also, at times, love a margarita with an umbrella! So many of my girlfriends and I love the darker, "masculine" liquors. At times, we bask in the surprise of a lip glossed, dress wearing, accessorized lady ordering a Jameson, other times it's annoying to have that stigma stuck on gendered drinks. I think all the placed gender on edible items is dumb on so many levels.

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  42. i too join the legion of straight women who love high heels and cooking and sewing. i also can drive a fork lift, pour concrete, and am pretty good with a jig saw. my well manicured hands take good whisky to my lipstick covered mouth.

    and like a good girl, i take it neat.

    keep up the great writing!

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  43. It's not even 9am, and I could really go for some whiskey.

    Thanks.

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  44. Even though I don't drink (for the most part), I currently have a big, unopened bottle of Maker's Mark sitting in my cupboard. Guess who gave it to me? My most effeminate gay friend. It's his drink of choice, and he was trying to spread his liquor love like a Jehovah Witness does with "Watchtower" magazines.

    Eat, Drink, and Be Yourself...regardless of what others may assume!

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  45. This was a great post. I especially loved the part about red wine and vodka straight being WASP-y as my husband thinks he's really manly for drinking both of those :)

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  46. I always find that bartenders' lack of orders for bourbon, neat plays to my benefit at gay bars. Instead of a single or double, I frequently end up with a quadruple or quintuple for the price of one drink. It CAN get dangerous, though, if it's good bourbon and I'm thirsty.

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  47. I'm gay, I drink whiskey. Never on the rocks it ruins the taste. Maybe a lite splash of water if you can't handle it. But a nice old fashioned or a manhattan will do for a mixed cocktail..

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  48. My favorite drinks are good blanco tequilas (on the rocks w/ wedge of lime), dry gin martinis, and Templeton Rye whiskey on the rocks. Oh, and I happen to be gay. But my straight guy friends are jealous that I can order mojitos and caipirinhas on our Vegas trips; gay membership has its privileges!

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  49. Hi, found your post on a link from Towleroad blog. This is a great piece, and I can totally relate.

    Most guys in the gay bars here drink beer. I tried that. I don't really like beer. Well - I like good, darkish craft beer but frankly it makes me sleepy and full like a heavy meal.

    So I cultivated a taste for cocktails and good liquor. Frankly, it's more suited to my image of what a "sophisticated adult" drinks anyway - I grew up with gin and tonic drinking parents, Manhattan and old-fashioned drinking grandparents, and loving old movies like Auntie Mame where everyone's got a glass of hooch. (I like wine too, but wine is for meals.)

    I've had to actually teach bartenders at my favorite bar how to make a proper Manhattan. They'd been making them bourbon + (too much) sweet vermouth + juice from the jar of cherries. Shudder! I had to coach them that no no, it's supposed to be a dash of bitters! One had never heard that before but has since told me that now he drinks them that way himself because he realized how much better it is!

    And yes, I've ordered single malt Scotch in gay bars. Unfortunately, the best single malt I've ever seen in the gay bars is Glenlivet - which is nice, but as single malts go it's decidedly entry level. For real Scotch variety one has to go to the straight bars it seems.

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  50. I'm gay. Bourbon's my drink of choice. I feel ya, brother.

    *goes back to making mini quiches*

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  51. What? No picture of the "Brawny man?" (Even better if he'd had the lemon drop in-hand!)

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  52. Living in Kentucky, bourbon is one of the few sources of state pride we have! Ordering anything with bourbon at a bar (even those of the gay persuasion) is pretty standard, although sipping bourbon on the rocks is usually reserved for the front porch in the summer or the living room in the winter!

    That being said, I quickly realized how rare this was when I spent a couple of summers living in upstate New York. Bourbon seemed an exotic bar shelf decoration to most, but the night I ordered it with a splash of Coke, the world nearly caved in on itself. Apparently north of the Ohio River it's a big no no to insult liquor by mixing it with a soft drink in a public setting. Is that true, ya'll?

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  53. Very thoughtful post and comments. I've always been a scotch drinker and I've gotten similar reactions when I order that at gay bars. Perhaps that prejudice is based on subverting the usual gender roles (bourbon as "manly" drink), as you discussed. We have Hollywood, no doubt, for promoting stereotypes of scotch as mandrink (Mad Men, I'm looking at you). Much like the Cosmo became quite possibly the gayest drink, thanks to Sex and the City girls.

    Then again, a lot of people erroneously think that bourbons and whisk(e)ys are stronger (in terms of alcohol content) than mixed drinks. So they think you're being more of a "man" because you drink something "stronger".

    If anything, drinking what one likes and not what everybody else is ordering that particular month is a sign of individuality. And that's sexy. And if you're looking for ideas on what bourbon to drink next, go here:

    http://gardenandgun.com/article/bourbon-renaissance

    --Gabriel

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  54. Garrett THIS was an exceptionally good post, I'm always so impressed with your expressive ability in writing, and even more on an issue that is close to my heart - Bourbon - loved the details, and references. Here's hoping this isn't your last alcoholic post, cause you really have a nack for it!

    - Spoken by a truly committed alcoholic

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  55. Good! Drink what you like!

    As a beverage reviewer, so many times I've been looked at incredulously when I order a Mai Tai when there's scotch or bourbon on the menu. Sometimes I just want something that skillfully blends the flavors of fruit and rum. So what?

    It bothers me greatly when people assume and judge beverage choices based on gender or sexual preference. Just because you're gay doesn't mean you have to have to perpetually quaff "Sex On The Beach" or "Fuzzy Navels". And if, as a straight guy, I want a Mai Tai or a Zombie or a cocktail that involves more than three ingredients with colors you can only find in the big box of Crayola, so what?

    I say drink what you want and screw those that presume on behalf of your individual traits. Everyone's taste is different and don't let them stop you from drinking what you love.

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  56. Hi Garrett,
    (from first time commenter)
    First congrats on your marriage to Elise (LOL).

    It's both and funny and sad that this happens--as Sinatra says, "drink up all you people"--
    Cheers, I enjoy your blog,
    BarG

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  57. I love Woodford Reserve--only Kentucky bourbons will do and this is the best.

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  58. Ah! I know the feeling... my roommates are used to seeing me sipping on a glass of wine. Typical gay man with a typical glass of Sauvignon Blanc. I still laugh about my roommate's surprise when I dug a disorderly wad of cash out of my wallet and asked her to pick up a bottle of Maker's Mark for me while she was out...

    The funny thing, though, is that nearly all of my gay friends drink whiskey too, and most of my straight friends hate it.

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  59. New quote for my LIFE: can a boy in a cute t-shirt get some whiskey up in this place?

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  60. Yep, I'm a woman who prefers to drink bourbon/whisky/rye/scotch neat.
    And I wait tables and roll my eyes at the men who get upset when a drink they order comes in a martini glass--because that makes it a "girly drink". James Bond and Frank Sinatra drink out of martini glasses, thank you very much. And a good Manhattan, up? Yes, please.

    Screw the stereotypes. (I must say, however, that I do get a good chuckle from the Jersey men that come into my place and order appletinis while proceeding to treat me like crap and think they are kings of the world. And sip their appletinis.)

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  61. Oh, it's all about the neat, single malt scotch! (No ice, thank you.) There's nothing better when you need a drink. I tend to order diet Cokes at the gay bars, because I'm just not interested in the fruity drinks. Based on Patrick Metz's comment; however, I think I need to start ordering it next time I'm at the bars...

    While my father is to blame (thank?) for this, my good friend Julie and I head out to scotch tastings all the time, and I've got my 23-year old sister hooked on it as well.

    If you're ever in Minneapolis, let me know and we'll head out for the good stuff!

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  62. okay garrett....
    new to here.... lazy saturday... just baked the banana cookies from your recipe.... and laughed about manly drinks.... several of my gay guys drink cosmos... in the vagina glass.... me.... a VO stinger... half VO and half white creme de methe... my gay bar had to hunt for the stuff... probaly almost as manly as straight bourbon which I used to drink when I lived as a straight man.... by the way, my boyfriend loved the cookies...

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  63. Honey, who cares what they think? I'm a bourbon girl all the way, and yes, I get stares when I order a Knob Hill - such a lovely name - or a Blanton's on the rocks. My 97-year-old grandmother goes through more Jack Daniel's (I know, I know, it's a Tennessee sour mash whiskey, not bourbon, but still) in a month than most manly men do in a year!

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  64. Thoughtful and insightful post. Just stumbled across it, but really enjoyed reading it. As a bourbon drinker, and, like you, the son of a bourbon drinker, it is terrific to hear from anyone who appreciates the joys of a straight whiskey. Two suggestions for you. One, if you are ever in Washington DC, check out the bar "Bourbon." Two locations, both dedicated to one thing. You may find yourself as the only gay man in there (although it being DC, perhaps not), but I assure you no one will care in the least. Great place to try new bourbons and maybe find a keeper or two (by which I mean a whiskey, as opposed to a person). Second recommendation is Wathen's bourbon. A bit hard to find, although if you are in Washington, Schneider's of Capitol Hill sells it. Wonderful and unique bourbon. Every bourbon drinker who has tried has come away convinced.

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Hey, you're leaving a comment! That's pretty darn cool, so thanks. If you have any questions or have found an error on the site or with a recipe, please e-mail me and I will reply as soon as possible.
~Garrett