Top 10 Manliest Cocktails

[lilgi]

This topic came up in our home recently, and we noticed that the list varies in different parts of the country and within different age groups. So, for a male in his early 20's at a bar/club scene, what would be in your top 10 of manly mixed drinks?

[yarm]

Here are 5 of mine. For some reason, they're all whiskey. Sadly, not all bars will know what these are.

Sazerac
Old Fashioned Old Fashioned (no muddled fruit, just spirit, sugar, water, bitters, ice and a twist)
Manhattan (with plenty of vermouth and bitters)
Rusty Nail
Whiskey Smash

If the bartender is untalented:

Single malt Scotch
Bourbon
Gin & Tonic
Beer

True, only one of those is mixed, but there are times when you've got to punt...

http://cocktailvirgin.blogspot.com/

[TroyTempest]

Fountain tonic will just about ruin a Gin & Tonic. I am surprised when a good bar will uses this. Well, actually surprised is right word. Puzzled, i guess, is more like it.

My manliest (i don't much like that classification) is a Negroni. I say it is manly because the bitterness of the Campari is a turn off to most women i know that have tried it.
But beware, when served up in a cocktail glass it looks like you're drinking a Cosmo or some other pinkish drink (which would rate low on the manly scale)

[lilgi]

A nice description here, second paragraph:
http://www.askmen.com/fine_living/dri...

[invinotheresverde]

The Negroni confirms my dudeness.

[invinotheresverde]

Wow, I must be a straight up dude. Besides the Smash, those are my favorite drinks.

[lilgi]

My list is more indicative of an era, if a Kamikaze tells you anything but I'll bet that one is questionable.

[AdamD]

A properly made extra dry gin martini, strait up. None of that ice or "extra dirty" business.

And if you are just talking machismo, drinking that Moutai all night is not for the faint of heart.

[lilgi]

The post is really just about finding out what drinks are popular among young men in a social scene these days; not necessarily the "manliest" on a scale of 1 to 10 but THE most popular drinks amongst younger men. I'd compiled a list that is most definitely too basic, but that reflects very popular choices a few decades ago. Some of the most basic drinks I'd listed were:

Rusty Nail
Seven and Seven
Gin and Tonic
Rum and Coke
Vodka and Orange Juice

I knew you hounds would come up with some good ones, but some of the stronger ones I think are questionable for drinkers in their early twenties. I'm probably one of the exceptions like Invino where the hard stuff never really bothered me. I love the additions of Negroni and Whiskey Smash. Please keep em coming!

[Veggo]

Maybe partial credit to how the drink is ordered? I shared this anecdote here years ago. A friend was bartending at the Concord Inn in Mass in the early 70's, and John Wayne was registered for the weekend, during leaf-peeping season. As my friend was setting up after lunch, before happy hour, the slow cadence of foot steps arriving from the wood-planked breezeway caught his attention. Next, he was face-to-face with The Duke, who asked:
"How about carving me...a slice...of that.....Wild...Turkey...."

[lilgi]

Hmmm, trying to visualize John Wayne ordering a Mojito ;)

[Das Ubergeek]

Don't be ridiculous. The Duke drank lemon drop "martinis".

*duck*

*run*

[zin1953]

WTF is a "manly" cocktail???

[lilgi]

Well if this thread didn't have enough info for you, a google search will give you several lists and how they define manly. I didn't think it needed an explanation.

[zin1953]

It's a term without meaning . . . unless you're talking about a cocktail containing uniquely male sex hormones. Is a woman any less of a woman because she enjoys a single malt like Laphroaig neat or a pint of Guinness or a straight espresso? Is a man any less of a man because he enjoys a -- what, a Cosmopolitan? or a light beer? or a latte?

Sorry. It's nonsense. An individual enjoys what beverage he or she enjoys because of how it appeals to our sense of smell and taste, regardless of gender.

[lilgi]

Not sure why you're taking a lighthearted subject so personally. Good luck, you might have had a few too many tonight ;)

[Luna2372]

After years of bartending and uncountable trends....the manliest drink I know of

is

a

dark rum, splash of soda and twist of lime

My Grandfather drank it, it was the first drink I ever made and to this day I love the smell of it.

Prop to GrampaDan

[Veggo]

Ernest Hemingway would have approved. In defence of and to the credit of zin1953, he seriously knows his wine, and I enjoy reading him.

As to his query of what is a manly cocktail, it may be best described as unadorned by plastic swords of skewered fruit, umbrellas, or other frou-frou. Simple, neat. Olives are not a negative. He is on point that one can drink whatever one chooses, but some selections will indeed be noticed across the bar, and not necessarily by womanly women. FWIW.

[Passadumkeg]

Funny you should say that...Veggo I just finished rereading Across the River and into the Trees, for the first time in 50 years, while at camp.. The Captain(ie Hemmingway), sure knocks back the Scotch."do you think we should have one more Montgomery", as the Bits aren't around, the Contessa asks.
Volipollicella wine and Roderer Brut '42. Manly enough for me.
What a difference rereading the book in my waning years. Send the portrait and the 2 shot guns back to Maine, if I should die.

Shots. Aquivit, iced Stoli, Tequilla; make that oyster shooters. Put hair on your chest.
Real tough guy, "Gimme a Boilermaker."
Ersatz tough guy, "Gimme a Slow Mexican Srew Against the Wall."
Clueless, "Gimme a Blow Job." (It exists.)

[Veggo]

On occasion I pass through Ketchum, and I toast with heavy heart at Hemingway's grave, always with drink in hand. I especially toast to him at La Bodeguita del Medio in Havana where the mojito was conceived, and La Floridita where he invented the daiquiri, according to lore.

I may or may not have shared here that when I donated the ambulance to Playa del Carmen in the Yucatan, I called it the "Hemingway effect". I was turning 50, my hair was turning white, and I had a compelling urge to drive an ambulance through a spanish-speaking country. So I did it, all 3070 miles from Denver. And yes there were adventures along the way: sabotage, the dead woman, and 55 pounds of cocaine. All this and more in 11 days, and none of it part of the plan.

[Passadumkeg]

Great I used to seek out the Hem bars in Europe. I just found a reference to Harry's Bar in Venice (been there) in Bourdain's Medium Raw, 15 minutes after I typed the response, last night.
"Another dry Martini. Secco, moltosecco e doppio.' THAT'S MANLY.
ps. The copy of Across the River... has been sitting on the bookshelf at camp for years. It is a first edition.

[hazelhurst]

I have never heard the daiquiri attributed to Hemingway....my 1930's books say it came out of the Spanish-American War and was refined thereafter. I knew a woman in New Orleans who made them every day from a recipe she got from Bacardi in Havana in 1940.

[EarlyBird]

What an adventure, Veggo! Please write about it for a widely read newspaper or magazine.

[Veggo]

Thanks for the thought. The national Mexican newspaper, Por Esto, did a "friendly" account of the event, without the sordid details. I write for a british business magazine and a stateside newspaper, but not about personal experiences.

[StriperGuy]

Too funny. A classic.

It was my regular drink in my high school days, and I still drink it when I want something simple.

[lilgi]

Think of me as the mom who carefully places a condom into her young son's palm and says "Be careful." When my collegebound son asked me about cosmos I whipped my head around like Linda Blair and gently said, "There are other drinks you might like better." There are plenty of lazy afternoons to be enjoyed with friends, or brunches, occasions where we all enjoy wine and champagne, and travel, where rules for umbrella drinks don't apply, but the context of the post is merely for the "club rat", and from what I vaguely remember, it was all about which girl a guy was taking home. Certain rules apply here but most of us (I hope) know that later on and in other situations the rules don't apply. If a cute gut standing next to me at a club ordered a cosmo I'd probably walk away. The laws of attraction start out by being shallow, it's the way we're built.

[StriperGuy]

Aaaaah I see said the blind man. You're the mom.

Certainly folks now have a lot of options for the young whippersnapper.

[lilgi]

haha, I've preserved his innocence probably longer than most and he loathes beer. But he'll be going to the Bahamas in a month where the legal age is eighteen so I'm sure he'll be trying lots >.<

[StriperGuy]

When in the Islands there's only one option. Drink rum!

[singlemalt]

Cool, real cool. J.

[EvergreenDan]

Really a twist and not a squeeze?

[invinotheresverde]

C'mon. We both know there are chick drinks (SotB, Sombrero, Midori Sour), ergo, I fully think there are masculine drinks. Or, drinks that are typically ordered by men. As noted above, I'm a girl who prefers drinks uncommon for my gender. I can say that with absolute certainty, having spent the better part of ten years behind various bars.

[Chowrin]

Black Samurai. It'll put hair on your chest...

[StriperGuy]

That's just gross, not manly.

[Chowrin]

my husband likes it!

[Passadumkeg]

Gimlet.

[lilgi]

Like this too.

[magumpa]

Top 5 in my bar that men tend to lean towards, especially when they are on a date are:

Old Fashioned
Manhattan
Extra Dry Tanq 10 Martini
Shave and a Haircut (Sailor Jerry, coke, topped with Stout)
Cucumber and Jalapeno Gimlet

[magumpa]

I might add that I'm only 21 and when I go out I will drink a Sazerac, an Old Fashioned, a Manhattan or the occasional Martini.

[EarlyBird]

"I might add that I'm only 21 and when I go out I will drink a Sazerac, an Old Fashioned, a Manhattan or the occasional Martini."

Outstanding. You understand and respect pride and tradition.

[magumpa]

That and if I'm paying $20+ for I drink I don't want it filled with sugar and pretty colours. Also, lately in Sydney there has been a massive increase in the places you can get classic cocktails and not just midori splices and long island iced tea jugs.

[EarlyBird]

I understand where you're coming from. Unless it's a martini or something which is pretty much straight booze, I just feel ripped off at most bars. I can't tell you how many times I've had to turn back a margarita because there is barely a drop of tequila in it. I've just given up on most mixed drinks at a bar for this reason, but for the aforementioned martinis of mostly-booze drinks.

[lilgi]

Yes, at such a young age to enjoy such classic cocktails. Very nice :)

[StriperGuy]

Shave and a haircut sounds utterly and completely vile, you don't actually drink those do you?

[magumpa]

Not if I can help it. But a lot of guys seem to enjoy them. I'm completely confused as to why anyone would drink them, though I have had end of the night binges on them if I've had a lot of terrible customers walking through the door.

[Passadumkeg]

I used to bartend at a posh old hotel in Southwest Hbr., Me. I got to size up a guess the drink to be ordered by age group. The over 70's crowd, ordered Old Fasions, Manhattens and Tom Collins.
Twenty somethings: lots of shots, Margharitas and G&T's.
Posh women:Cosmos.

[nickls]

The first problem with this question is that the average man in his early twenties doesn't know enough about good liquors and cocktails to order well. The second problem is that singles bars and clubs typically don't make cocktails well but instead are going for speed above all else. The third problem is playing to stereotypes and other people's perceptions is not the way to find drinks you enjoy.

If more young guys were drinking at bars with good bartenders and were confident enough to order a Pink Lady, that would be very cool. At a serious cocktail bar, I don't think a man would need to choose a drink based on what members of the opposite sex might think.

That said, here are some stereotypical drinks for different types of young guys:
hipster: shot of Fernet with ginger ale back, pickleback (whiskey with pickle brine chaser)
finance guy: Macallan, Patron
person who actually likes cocktails: Manhattan, gin and tonic

[invinotheresverde]

I agree, particularly with your first sentence. Most guys I know in their early 20s are rockin' Captain and Cokes and Bud Lights.

As an aside, Fernet is yum.

[lilgi]

yep there are definitely different types even within the 20's age range. Some things don't change, captain and coke, gin n tonic always popular. Oddly enough I knew plenty that didn't care much for beer.

[kagemusha49]

I remember being 20 - vaguely. IMHO a manly drink is whatever I'm drinking (mezcal Negronis lately). But here's the thing - it's not the drink it's the way you carry yourself. When I was a kid in London most beer was served in dimple beermugs. Without thinking I'd never hold one by the handle - I'd just wrap my hand around the mug.

[David11238]

My twentyish mixers were Alabama Slammers, Bloody Mary, Singapore Slings, White Russians and Rainbows (Rum & Coke in a shot glass).

[Passadumkeg]

I wonder how much The Big Labowsky drove up the demand for White Russians?
And Bond for Martinis?

[David11238]

Never saw it. My early twenties were from '85 to '90. Maybe the Labowsky's writers got the idea from me?

[Passadumkeg]

A good 'un. W/ 4 sons, I've seen the film too many times. The White Russian could have gotten an Academy nomination for best supporting role.

Does nobody drink a good cognac today? Oh yes, it's not cool to be French. How times change.

[lilgi]

You didn't even have to mention the years; as son as I saw your drink list it brought back a flood of memories (and was waiting for the mention of the White Russian). Do I even want to remember the era of the BIG hair and shoulder pads ;)

[David11238]

You're preaching to the choir, lilgi. For me,pop culture didn't arrive until Guns N' Roses. Then it took hold for a short & sweet period when Nirvana, Alice in Chains, etc, exploded. Also, I wanted to mention grain & kool-aid, but the OP strictly wants mixers made in a bar. Not an empty 5 gallon paint bucket in a dorm room or the campus ravine.

[StriperGuy]

Heck, how about Skip (or Slip) and Go Naked Punch

40 Gallon Trash Can
Fresh Liner

Fill with:

1 entire Keg of (cheap) beer
1.75 L grain alcohol
1.75 L rum
1.75 L gin
1.75 L vodka
10 large cans of frozen lemonade concentrate
10 large cans frozen limeade concentrate
One whole pineapple to float on top

Enjoy.

[David11238]

The beer, spirits and fruit are all blended together?

[magumpa]

I got drunk just reading that.

[Das Ubergeek]

We used to do this in bathtubs. I cringe to remember it.

[StriperGuy]

Yaaaaah, blech.

[lilgi]

I was just thinking you forgot Kamikazes; how I remember those. Closer to the early 80's though, I could be wrong.

[Dapuma]

had a Bijou the other day

That is a pretty old school drink and very manly - and tastes great

dont think that will happen at a club though, high end cocktail bar or speak easy would work though

[EarlyBird]

Okay, brace yourself: "The Prospector." That's a shot of rye with chewing tobacco juice spat into it.

Now that takes a "man." A sick, deranged man.

[lilgi]

eeww don't know which one's worse, this one or the sponge shots. I'll have to make an "official" list soon and see which ones the hounds approve.

[Chowrin]

add in black samurai. i dare you.

[lilgi]

ouch Chorwrin, watashi wa sou wa omoi masen.

[Chowrin]

well, naturally, girls wouldn't understand... ;-) [am just teasing. have watched too much anime today.]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese...

[Passadumkeg]

I do believe we did them in our bunker in Nam. The Tabasco was highly coveted from our D-rations packages and we might have and we might have substituted Jack Daniels.

[zin1953]

Re-read: that's TOBACCO juice, not Tabasco . . .

Bleeeeccchhhhh!

[Passadumkeg]

Thanks, but I've sen worse, he says w/ bravado.

[EarlyBird]

We're talking chewing tobacco juice, spat into the drink. The recipe does not indicate who is doing the spitting, the drinker or the "bartender." Disgusting.

[magumpa]

That does sound bad. I bar I go to late at night on Tuesdays does a shot where they will squeeze a bar mat over a shot glass and then charge you $9 for it. I don't know if anyone has done it, I know I wouldn't pay for beer waste and post mix.

[Das Ubergeek]

If that's manly, then the manliest drink in the world is chicha de jora, which is made by having old toothless Andean women masticate corn and spit it into a jar, where it ferments.

I'm glad I've tried it, because it means I know and I never have to do it again.

[Passadumkeg]

Chicha! The national drink of Bolivia. I'd stop when the white flags were fluttering along the roadside, meaning the chicha was ready. I developed a soft spot for that stuff. We called it chicha de maize.

Chicha and pulque, 2 real men's drinks!!! Cringe gringo!

[StriperGuy]

Ya know, I'm pretty adventurous, like to say I'll eat ANYTHING, bugs, guts, balls, you name it.

But that whole chewed up and spat out thing about chicha... I guess I just have a hard time SWALLOWING that, SRSLY.

[Passadumkeg]

After the 3rd cup, no problem.

[Veggo]

My hesitation is the resemblance between Andean corn kernels and Andean teeth. I'll go with chicha morada. No confusion with the blue corn.

[Isolda]

When I first met my husband, I thought he was manly because he brewed and drank his own beer and it tasted excellent.

[deet13]

IMO, a Redneck Prairie Fire is a pretty manly mixed drink. It's a shot of White Dog served with a dash of Tabasco sauce...

If you can stomach a couple of those, then you'll know you're not a "Girl Drink Drunk" (see link below)...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8C4TGGtPzBU

[invinotheresverde]

That's my all time favorite bit of sketch comedy. I love KitH.

[lilgi]

I almost lost it when he pulled out the grater!

[Luna2372]

I worke with a bartender who would do these tequila shot...I think he called them stunt men..You snorted the salt, squeezed the lime in your eye and then grabbed the shot..no hands from the cleavage of a busty young 'damselle

[Veggo]

Ouch! These are people whose names will never be recited by Willard Scott.

[Passadumkeg]

After that, the cleavage had nothing to fear. No boing in that drink!

[Passadumkeg]

The bar I worked in Southwest Harbor, was the opposite, very posh. The big draw was the single malt Scotch menu. John Updike used to visit every summer and was a big Scotch drinker. Martha Stewart was a "winer" and poor tipper.

[lilgi]

A "Manly" cocktail list for 2011? Let's see if the hounds agree.These are the contenders going mostly by your input for the young men of today and of course, subject to change.

1. Negroni
2. Whiskey Smash
3. Rusty Nail
4. Gimlet
5. Old Fashioned
6. Sazerac
7. Gin and Tonic
8. Captain and Coke

9. Manhattan (I struggled with this one because it strikes me more as a 30'ish and above cocktail; maybe someone knows why this one reminds me of Madmen which I haven't watched since it first came out yet I'm making a connection). Or maybe the Seven and Seven might be a better choice?

10. I left out the tenth because I'm sure there are Absolute drinks that are popular with a young crowd and the names escape me, but one of these would be a strong choice for the slot.

Great feedback, let's see if I made the right inclusions here and if there are better ones to list, please post. I went with drinks that are popular today with men at a younger age.

[magumpa]

All of the classics are booming in Sydney. Hell, I'm even making a heap of Martini's and Gibsons for people my age lately. Rye Whiskey is booming at the moment down here, any reputable bar will stock a good selection of Rye and Bourbon.

I think that list is pretty spot on for Sydney. Maybe swapping the Martini in for the Gimlet is the only change I would make.

[lilgi]

The strange thing is a lot of the classics don't show their age but a good few of them do. Maybe this is what I see with the Manhattan but waiting to hear more on that one. Glad you approve on most of these Magumpa. (Still pondering on the swap, Martini might be more popular by you with the younger guys).

[Passadumkeg]

Again real style, a glass of fine cognac and a good cigar. I only smoke stoogies when I drink brandies.

[lilgi]

Completely agree Passadumkeg, but anything straight up or beer wouldn't make the list.

[Passadumkeg]

A shot IN a beer is a classic boilermaker or depth charge. Very old school tough guy.
Not even Jack Daniels through the barrel of an M-16?

[lilgi]

You're killin me Passa :)

[Passadumkeg]

The cordite residue in the M-16 barrel added kick.
Ahhh, I was young once.

[EvergreenDan]

Captain and Coke ?? Gimlet??

Both a Martini and a Vodka Martini should probably be on the list, although a Vodka Martini is not really a cocktail (since it seems to be cold vodka to most people).

Scotch and soda, if that's a cocktail.

[invinotheresverde]

Re-read the OP's question. A ridiculous amount of guys in that age group drink Captain and Coke. Gag.

[EvergreenDan]

Yeah, but just because 20-somethings drink it doesn't make it "manly", right? By that definition Red Bull and Vodka would be manly.

[Veggo]

Maybe Captain and Coke and Red Bull and vodka, and some others, could be called "young-manly drinks"? Surely most will outgrow those beverages, as they once outgrew training wheels. :)

[invinotheresverde]

Perhaps, but after working FOH in multiple restaurants and bars for the last 15 years, I can say with absolute certainty that the number of young 20s males drinking Negronis, Fernet, etc. is bordering on nil. Late 20s and early 30s is a completely different story.

[StriperGuy]

My college era drinks were Meyer's Rum and soda (with lime) and Kamikazi's.

[EvergreenDan]

I used to drink dark rum and tonic with lime. Still like it.

[zin1953]

>>> My college era drinks were Meyer's Rum and soda (with lime) and Kamikazi's. <<<

Hmmm . . . my *pre-college* (teenage) drinks were generally red Bordeaux, California Cabernets, Zinfandels, and Sauvignon Blancs. My college drinking days (20s) saw the addition of Cognac, British ales, microbrews from the US, and a huge expansion of wines.

My 30's saw the addition of Armagnac, Calvados, Brandy de Jerez, Campari & Soda, and Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Lambic ales, and even more wines, including Sherries, Ports, Madeiras and Champagnes . . .

I didn't truly start with mixed drinks/cocktails until I was in my 40's -- Sazeracs, Martinis (Gin), Negronis, Margaritas, mostly, and it wasn't until my 50s that I began to enjoy Bourbon, Rye, Rhum Agricole, Resposado Tequila, and more.

Who knows WTF will come my way in my 60s?!?!?

Cheers,
Jason

[Veggo]

Milk of Magnesia with Cointreau?

[zin1953]

Good Lord, I hope not!

[lilgi]

Maybe a fuzzy navel or two in your 70's, but by then all's forgiven :)

[zin1953]

Never had a fuzzy navel in my life! At least not in a glass . . . and I shower regularly.

[Luna2372]

ACk...fuzzy navel...girliest drink since the golden cadillac.

[lilgi]

and prebuscent (in drinking years of course).

[JMF]

prebuscent?

[lilgi]

or "for the pre-predrinking age" girly girl.

[JMF]

oh, you mean prepubescent.

[lilgi]

aha, remind me not to post before my first cup of coffee :)

[Luna2372]

Or after your third...well...manly man drinkey-poo!

[lilgi]

Indeed Luna :)

[lilgi]

I think you're my age Striper, and Kamikaze's were IT (yes, cubalibre also among a few others), but my son mentioned that one too, and I had to wonder if those are still popular since he didn't hear it from me. I considered it a drink that "dates" a few of us, but if those are still knocking guys out these days it should go in the tenth slot. I'll never forget how I went through those, but it was much more popular among young men. I guess I'd had it with vodka and cranberry juice by then ;)

[TroyTempest]

Isn't manly drinks for "early 20s men" something of an oxymoron?

[invinotheresverde]

Not if they're served with a goatee garnish. ;)

[EvergreenDan]

Dunno, but I drank plenty of Martini's, Scotch, and IPAs. Just because you're 20-ish doesn't mean that you have to drink soft-drink or sugar based drinks, right?

If you're drinking rum and coke, you probably don't like the flavor of alcohol. That's fine, but it doesn't bring, say, Gregory Peck to mind.

[lifeasbinge]

Perhaps I'm misreading several posts, but it seems that there is some agreement about a drink that Hemingway would have drunk / did drink being, ergo, manly. Really? I never quite got that impression from Hemingway. Quite the opposite, really.

[Veggo]

Hemingway unmanly? He fought in 3 wars - bronze star, silver star, wartime ambulance driver, survived 2 plane crashes, shrapnel wounds, 4 wives, 3 children, reknown hunter and fisherman, thick beard, contests for his best resemblance and literature imitations endure to this day, to say nothing of his literature? This is not manly?

Or does one have to do a Richard Simmons exercise video, or do what Pee Wee Herman did in a porno theater, to be manly these days? What IS manly these days? Define your version.

I may well be an anachronism.

I have admired Papa since I first read him in grade school, and he provided the impetus for me to donate and drive an amblulance 3070 miles from Denver to the Yucatan, and also the first fire truck in that area, to start the first life safety program there. And to spend enough time in Cuba to be an active advocate for their condition and attempt to improve it. I would not have done those things without his seed germinating in my head since I was 12.

You may find him unmanly, I don't. I was and still am inspired by the man. Part of being manly is leaving a legacy others would want to perpetuate. Let us know how you are progressing toward that end. Or maybe we'll just read about it as you leave Ernest in your dust. Again I toast to Papa Hemingway, whether daiquiri, mojito, or anything at all.

[Jenny Ondioline]

I believe lifeasbinge is less-than-subtly referring to the decades-long conjecture among some English majors that Hemingway was gay. I have no dog in this fight, so I'll add only that a Hemingway daiquiri is a lovely thing.

On a related note, I've always maintained that a truly manly man could drink something fuchsia-colored out of a coconut bedecked with flowers and a bright pink paper umbrella if he commits to it properly.

[StriperGuy]

Totally agree w/ regard to the fuchscia drink. As I think I said somewhere above a real man can order a Shirley Temple and get away with it.

[Veggo]

Not in an east Texas bar, unless he can change a flat without a jack or a lug wrench.

[StriperGuy]

Yes, but THAT guy (impressive flat changer) COULD get away with ordering a shirley temple in East Texas...

[lifeasbinge]

You're exactly right. I remember reading something of his where he was just HORRIFIED by Gertrude Stein. Just a bit TOO horrified.

I find the whole subject of "manly drinks" rather hilarious. "Girls" (thanks, I guess) are generally quite oblivious to "girly" drinks, or drink "girly" drinks as an intentional stereotype, or maybe because we just like Cosmos. Gracious, I know "girls" who drink straight bourbon, smoke cigars and pipes, and even like tequila. Imagine!!!

[Luna2372]

Sporting a rather large tequila hangover myself today.

[Luna2372]

Hemmingway drinking a mojito on Bimini....salty and sweaty after hauling on a bonefish for 5 hours.

he da man

[lilgi]

That's why it became important to set the parameters, because descriptions vary according to who is reading the thread. To a man who drinks straight bourbon a "manly cocktail" 'can' be an oxymoron, it doesn't mean that it is. But I think we can all agree that there's a starting point which is what this thread is about, as we grow older and wiser we care more about what we drink and less about what it means.

[Passadumkeg]

My 27 year old son and I climbed a 11.5 k mountain here in NM today. We talk a lot while we hike. One of the topics of conversation was favorite mixed drinks. We both agreed on the mojito, "Anything w/ mint has to be good."

On the other hand, a mint julip is not "manly".

Pisco sours.

The kid is about to leave NM for Argentina on a motorcycle. that's manly. The mug doesn't fall far from the Dumkeg.

ps English majors think all authors are gay.

[StriperGuy]

"English majors think all authors are gay.'

Aaaah haaa, true true.

Not so sure about the Julep. Though there is that stereotyped northern view of the fey southern foppish gentleman ordering a Julep, down south, particularly in KY there ain't anything wimpy about a Julep.

It is after all whiskey and mint, nothing wimpy there.

[Veggo]

Nor is there anything wimpy about sterling silver mint julep cups.

[StriperGuy]

Gotta get me a set of proper Julep cups... might have to wait for the price of silver to come down again ;-).

In fact this thread has me hankering for a Julep. Heck, I've got mint in the fridge (Belmont, MA farmer's market) and I picked up an ice crusher at a yard sale last year.

Figure that's my end of day libation today!

[Passadumkeg]

The Yankee Dumkeg stands corrected.
Aguardiente in much of South America.

[Luna2372]

A man in a fine suit, after the Kentucky derby, counting his winnings and being all "my pleasure mam".

Manly...in the true form

[Passadumkeg]

Hey! I'm just a poor Pollack from NJ. Notice I the only one suggesting boiler makers?

[wildcountry]

whiskey and milk now that's a mans drink. tastes great. dark rum (meyers)and milk works as well

[harry_sparrow]

Beefeater, up.

[cajundave]

Jack on the rocks

A good aged tequila for sipping

A vodka Martini with jalapeno stuffed olives

[Luna2372]

Jack...now that seems more like "bad boy"...than "manly man"

fond of AppleJack myself tho.

[cajundave]

Jack can make you a bad boy, then you end up in prison drinking home brew applejack!

I forgot to add a spicy sangrita with the tequila.

[Passadumkeg]

Last night the Food Channel show, Heet Seekers, had a seven chile super spicy Pato Loco, in Miami. Boy did those guys suffer. Not very manly at all.

[JMF]

I think I had the manliest drink in the world last night. A warm martini. gack! It took all my willpower to choke it down. That's what I get for talking too much and letting a beautiful drink made by a beautiful and talented bartender go bad.

[zin1953]

Yeah, that IS your fault! ;^)

[JMF]

By the time I surfaced from the conversation the drink was body temp. 98 degree gin is pretty rude. But I manfully forced it down. Hey, when you get into an indepth conversation about spirits history for an hour with Dave Wondrich you tend to lose track of other things, even the drink in your hand.

Weird, this reminds me of my first total drunken spree when I was in 9th grade. A friend and I took one inch from every bottle in my dads liquor closet, pour it all in a big pitcher. Then we each drank about 5-6 ounces... warm. Now THAT was actually the most rank drink. Put hair on my chest, then melted it right off again.

[Veggo]

JMF, you are experienced enough to sip a fine coctail without breaking conversational stride and eye contact with a beautiful woman. Is your touch slip-sliding away? :)

[JMF]

Thanks...

[lilgi]

A warm martini? You're my hero. Well I hope it was worth it ;)

[Silverjay]

Try a Vieux Carre- up, not on the rocks. Four types of spirits and two types of bitters.

•1 oz rye whiskey
•1 oz Cognac
•1 oz sweet vermouth
•dash Peychaud's bitters
•dash Angostura aromatic bitters
•1/2 oz Benedictine

[StriperGuy]

I can see it now, heading into a bar where you're average 24 year old hangs out, asking for a Vieux Carre (foofy French name most bar tenders have NEVER heard of) that will come off real manly...

[Silverjay]

Then you fucking tell the bartender how to make it instead of being worried about sounding FOOFY.

[StriperGuy]

Ooooh say, now you're manly.

[ncyankee101]

Is there something that is a decent substitute for benedictine?

[Silverjay]

I don't know myself. Perhaps something else herbal and syrupy.?.?....I read about this drink in this book http://www.amazon.com/Famous-New-Orleans-Drinks-How/dp/0882891324 and then saw it and drank it from the menu here recently--> http://maisonpremiere.com/ . It's usually served on the rocks.

[ncyankee101]

A google search turned up Drambuie as a suggested substitute, but then someone also said not to use it - I have Drambuie but do not remember having had Benedictine on its own so cannot compare them. The only way I see it in my state is in B+B.

[tigercrane]

Qualifications for a manly cocktail:

1) Strong
2) Not too many ingredients
3) not too sweet.

[davis_sq_pro]

You've just described a properly-made Cosmopolitan.

[tigercrane]

The Cosmo is a perfectly respectable cocktail. The only thing that makes it girly is that its pink!

[EarlyBird]

And that the ladies on "Sex and the City" ordered them. Now, if Cosmos become big hits with the biker crowd, that may change things.