In Pacific Standard on Wednesday, Lisa Wade asks what it means to drink “like a woman.” It’s a tricky question: Despite Basic stereotypes involving Cosmos and banana daiquiris, ladies are the fastest-growing segment of whiskey drinkers worldwide, and companies like Bourbon Women count on our thirst for the strong stuff. (I say “our.” I do not mean me. I have gone on record in the pages of Slate about my jejune weakness for sangria and love of sucrose generally.)
Wade makes a smart observation, which is that while bartenders and waitstaff often expect their female customers to order “juicy or sweet” beverages, those who defy convention with a whiskey neat get vaulted to cool-girl glory. “This is typical for America today,” she writes. “Women are expected to perform femininity, but when they perform masculinity, they are admired and rewarded.”
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