Are cocktails becoming more gender neutral?
As the world becomes ever more accepting of the fluidity of gender, the drinks and cocktail industry is seeing an unprecedented shift in men’s and women’s consumption habits.
For better or worse, cocktails have always had a touch of the feminine about them. No matter how delicious drink mixes may appear, men have often been reluctant to order a cooling Sex on the Beach or Tequila Sunrise, whether that be due to their perceived ‘feminine’ colours or fruity flavours.
Women, meanwhile, have historically been less inclined towards cocktails that feature dark spirits due to their perceived strength or robustness.
Now, however, cocktail consumers are starting to throw off the shackles of the gender binary. As men and women start to realise what they were missing out on when gender lines were more rigid, drinks producers are tapping into exciting and uncharted territory.
A company spokesperson said: “The fact that men and women are starting to ignore traditional ideas surrounding gender when it comes to the drinks they order is great news for the bar and restaurant industry. Whereas some demographics - particularly men - may have been out off by certain cocktails types in the past, the new liberal approach to drinks consumption means people will be increasingly willing to splash their cash on new and innovative flavours.”
Of course, there is still some way to go before drinks can be considered completely gender neutral. It may seem ridiculous to those of us who like to experiment with our drinking habits, but some consumers are still constrained by preconceived notions of what makes a drink ‘manly’ or ‘feminine’.
To ease consumers into the new gender-neutral world of drinks, restaurant owners and those in the hospitality business would do well to neutralise the look of their drinks. Perhaps ditch the floral garnishes for a sleek, minimalist and gender-ambiguous design.