I saw this image yesterday and it made me giggle. I need to keep it in mind right now:
Ok. Breathe. So. I'm excited to write, but don't have much in mind to say. I mean, I want to say everything, but that's too much. Let's go with this....
Remember a while back I wrote a little post called Bourbon Girl Jane? I was super excited to have met another bourbon woman. She's smart and funny and KNOWS that bourbon is delicious. She and I talked about how women are quite aware of it. Until that point, I hadn't really talked with another woman about ladies who love the water of life. Before I started drinking bourbon myself, I can't say I had any girlfriends who I knew drank it neat. In a cocktail sometimes, but not neat. Now, after paying attention, I'm finding these women are everywhere. There are several women who blog about it, master distillers who are female, and just lots of women who know it tastes good!
There seem to be plenty of theories out there about why bourbon and other whiskeys are "becoming" more popular with women. I've read about flavored whiskey, new pretty labels, the effect of Mad Men, and other things. I think all of that is ridiculous. It's like saying oh, guess what boys, girls like food! Of course we do. It isn't because it's been flavored with something like honey or in a pink bottle or because some hot guy drinks it on TV. (I do like it when a hot guy drinks it on TV, though. Or a hot girl. ::shrug::) It's because we are also human. (I know, I know, it may be hard to believe, but it's true.) Introduce something that tastes good to someone, man or woman, and they'll like it. It's as easy as that. And . . . women have always liked it. In fact, women were historically the people who brewed and distilled it. Whaat? Yup. Have a read of Whiskey Women. I'm not making this up.
Now don't get me wrong, I enjoy getting attention because I'm this little soccer mom from the 'burbs who likes to drink bourbon. Men always seem intrigued by this. I'm asked how I "started" and told how unique I am. Bah. I have a giggle and school them a bit, er - have a nice chat with them about it - and enjoy my pour.
One of my twitter peeps forwarded me this video of his aunties drinking whiskey and I fell in love with them. They're awesome! Please watch it - seriously, it'll make you smile:
Real women drinking real whiskey VIDEO.
Phew. I feel a bit more settled now that I've blurted that out. Now to get ready for wine club tonight. My wine club is a bunch of awesome women who each brings a bottle to the hostess' home and we brown bag them and taste them blind, scoring as we go. Well, scoring if we want. One of my friends just has two categories: "Yummy" and "Nasty". Haha. Normally, I bring bourbon to these gatherings instead of wine. Shocking, I know. So far, most of my ladies score it yummy, not nasty.
So, cheers to the women of the world who love bourbon, whiskey, scotch, whatever. And cheers to the men, too. I guess. (Teasing!!)
So glad to hear you're inspired! That's awesome. That's half the battle Bringing whiskey to the wine tasting is also part of the battle. I do stuff like that too. I think a lot of people did shots in college and associate whiskey with pain. I find that when they are taught to nose with their mouths open and sip gently they are shocked it can be so pleasurable and un-painful. Moments like that, evangelism is fun.
ReplyDeleteYeeessss! I heard several ladies saying that; in college it hurt them and so they avoid it. I felt the same about gin until this past summer when I realized the gin I'd had in college came from a plastic jug. Ouch for sure! Turns out there are a few very lovely gins out there and I kinda fell for Hendricks with tonic and a cucumber. So very refreshing and crisp tasting. With no hurting in the morning. ;) I will take your advice and instruct on how to drink. Thank you!
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