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You are what you drink
The Denver Post ^ | 3/13/06 | Sheba R. Wheeler

Posted on 03/13/2006 7:32:08 AM PST by Millee

If your date orders a Sex on the Beach, does that foreshadow romance at evening's end?

Don't count on it, but it's a good bet your date is feeling fun and flirty - and wants to let everyone know it.

Experts have made a science out of pegging people's inner qualities based on their outer actions. Personality shows up in everything we do, and folks judge us accordingly.

The music we download, the clothes we wear and the cars we drive reflect who we are, how we view the world and how we choose to interact in it at any given moment, says Cherry Creek psychologist Maximillian Wachtel.

The same principles apply to alcoholic beverages. Particularly so because they often contribute to the first impressions we make on others - sometimes on a date, other times at a business dinner or a family reunion.

But what do they say specifically?

For that we turned to the real experts: bartenders.

Our local mixologists take a lot of orders, and because they work the counters, they hang around long enough to hear customers talk and see how drinkers treat their spouses and sell their goods.

We asked them to share their observations and put together this guide.

Your drink: Beer

Your image: Easygoing

Order a brew, and folks see you as laid-back, reserved and blue-collar. You keep your drinks simple, and maybe that means you are too.

"This person is totally uncomplicated," says Dazzle bartender Jenean Sorenson. "They aren't worried about how old the scotch is. It's an easy decision for them. Their motto would be: 'Just poor it cold into a glass and give it to me.' "

Who are you? You are man, in your mid-30s to 50s, and you definitely have your favorite labels. Or you are a guy in your 20s, and you're broke and drinking $2 Pabst Blue Ribbon drafts. The message is the same: I'm just hanging out.

It's a little different for women, bartenders say. Most gals don't order beer, and the ones that do come off as sexy and approachable.

Why do you drink it? You don't want to get drunk. You just want to sit and talk with your friends, and not end up with a headache the next morning.

Your drink: Martinis, manhattans, champagne

Your image: High maintenance

Use more than two adjectives to order your drink (dry, neat, up, slushy, dirty whatever) or get picky (you want your lemons cut into wedges, not slices) and you can come off as pretentious, says Logan Grey, a bartender at the Roo Bar in Cherry Creek. A colleague, Dustin Gathright, a bartender at the 1876 Bar, agrees. He's happy to make what customers order, but "if a group is waiting to be served and someone comes up and orders something that takes like 15 minutes to make with multiple ingredients, that person is self-centered."

Who are you? When the bartender has the time, you are a sophisticated drinker. When she doesn't, you are a debutante wannabe, or a trendy metrosexual.

Why do you drink it? You just want it the way you want it. You don't realize you are fussy or picky - or maybe you do and simply don't care.

Your drink: Margaritas, piña coladas, mojitos, fruity martinis

Your image: Adventurous

Salted rim or not, asking for a margarita makes you come off as fun-loving. You're not afraid to be goofy. You are trendy and knowledgable about the newest drink-craze flavors like mango and pomegranate and secure enough to sit behind a froufrou cocktail with a tiny umbrella sticking out of the top. "You may not be able to get away to Jamaica just yet, but for tonight, you are just one cocktail away from the dream," says Tracey Toomey, co-author of "The Perfect Manhattan."

Who are you? A bachelorette, a professional woman who just got off work, or part of a girls-night-out gang. A guy looking for a party.

Why do you drink it? It's time to let your hair down for the night. "When I drink a piña colada, I go back to my Puerto Rican roots, and I feel like a hot Latin woman," says Abbie Karic, 53, of New York, who was in Denver last week for a conference.

Your drink: Scotch, bourbon, sauvignon blanc, pinot noir

Your image: Sophisticated

You are knowledgable and enjoy luxuries. You've taken the time to educate yourself about your spirits, have been drinking for a while and know exactly what you want. You are direct, precise and order your beverage straight or on the rocks because you love the taste. "These are the kind of people who would never foul up a good single-malt scotch by mixing it with a Sprite," says Billy Riesing, a bartender at Bender's 13th Avenue Tavern.

Who are you? A man or woman in your mid- to late 30s and beyond.

Why do you drink it? Your palate is complex. You want to savor the drink and sip it. You are too old to handle the hangover that comes from drinking sugary blends. And a fine wine is always an acceptable drink.

Your drink: Chardonnay or merlot; blank and tonic (gin, vodka or whatever)

Your image: Terrified

That's right. You're old standby is actually a dead giveaway, according to bartenders. The scenario: You are on on a first date. You are just getting to know each other, and you are afraid to order. You don't want to play it too safe or edgy because you know first impressions stick. But your choice doesn't show much personality.

"You want to show that you are sophisticated, but not a hard-core drinker," says Doug Kennis, master mixologist at the Grand Hyatt's Pinnacle Club, where customers can fill out a survey measuring their martini personality profile.

Who are you? Part of a potential couple

Why do you drink it? You want to keep your options open. You want to stay out of trouble.


TOPICS: Society
KEYWORDS:
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So I'm easygoing, adventurous and terrified. Sounds about right.
1 posted on 03/13/2006 7:32:10 AM PST by Millee
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To: Millee

Beer me!


2 posted on 03/13/2006 7:36:43 AM PST by conservativebabe
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To: Millee
The music we download,

Ozzy, Guns-n-Roses, Metallica.

the clothes we wear

Blue nomex mostly.

and the cars we drive

Silver SUV and an old Chevy truck.

reflect who we are, how we view the world and how we choose to interact in it at any given moment

Works for me.

3 posted on 03/13/2006 7:39:46 AM PST by humblegunner (If you're gonna die, die with your boots on.)
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To: PaulaB; Dashing Dasher; Jersey Republican Biker Chick; najida; teenyelliott; Maximus of Texas; ...
Hic ping!
4 posted on 03/13/2006 7:41:45 AM PST by Millee (Don't make me get out my voodoo doll out!)
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To: Millee
Your drink: Margaritas, piña coladas, mojitos, fruity martinis

Your image: Gay

5 posted on 03/13/2006 7:43:23 AM PST by Hemingway's Ghost (Spirit of '75)
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To: Millee
Go with a smooth old brandy - straight, of course - and confuse everyone: it is NOT on the list!
6 posted on 03/13/2006 7:43:49 AM PST by GSlob
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To: Millee

What about Crown and Coke?

Or Jaeger?


7 posted on 03/13/2006 7:44:15 AM PST by RockinRight (Attention RNC...we're the party of Reagan, not FDR)
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Comment #8 Removed by Moderator

To: Hemingway's Ghost

LOL!


9 posted on 03/13/2006 7:45:08 AM PST by conservativebabe
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To: Millee

I knew somene who was so picky about margaritas they had business type cards made up that explained exactly how to make them. They'd just hand the card to the waitress or bartender.


10 posted on 03/13/2006 7:45:36 AM PST by isthisnickcool (Jack Bauer: "By the time I'm finished with you you're going to wish you felt this good again".)
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To: Millee; Tijeras_Slim; mikrofon; Constitution Day; Petronski
Your drink:

Your image: WGAF

Who are you? You live Off The Grid.

Why do you drink it? To forget. Fast.

11 posted on 03/13/2006 7:46:43 AM PST by martin_fierro (*hic*)
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To: Millee

Your drink: Sterno.
Your image: Bum.


12 posted on 03/13/2006 7:47:13 AM PST by Spruce (Keep your mitts off my wallet)
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To: Millee

So, what am I if I don't drink anything but water?

Boring, plain and clean?


13 posted on 03/13/2006 7:47:14 AM PST by ChandyB71 (The Democratic Party = MEanderthals...)
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To: RockinRight

Jaeger signifys that you don't like keeping your food in your stomach. (I know that from personal experience!) ;op


14 posted on 03/13/2006 7:47:36 AM PST by Millee (Don't make me get out my voodoo doll out!)
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To: martin_fierro

What's the Word?
Thunderbird
What's the Price?
Fifty twice . . . oh so nice.


15 posted on 03/13/2006 7:48:19 AM PST by Petronski (I love Cyborg!)
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To: Millee

vodka soda...

I am terrified, or I am terrifying?

I am not terrified of calories, but keep them to a minimum, therefore vodka soda.

I am terrifying to the bartender? Probably because I know what I want, and when I want it, and if he doesn't make eye contact with me soon, he won't get his 20% tip


16 posted on 03/13/2006 7:48:21 AM PST by peacebaby ("What? Me worry?" Alfred E Newman)
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To: Millee

LOL...


17 posted on 03/13/2006 7:48:38 AM PST by RockinRight (Attention RNC...we're the party of Reagan, not FDR)
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To: Millee

My favorite wine is either Reisling or Magnolia :)

I'm a Southern Kraut, so it makes sense :)


18 posted on 03/13/2006 7:49:33 AM PST by najida (Somedays you're the mud, other days the pig. Either way, you can sit in the sunshine and dry out ;))
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To: martin_fierro

Acronym police!!!! What's WGAF??


19 posted on 03/13/2006 7:49:55 AM PST by Millee (Don't make me get out my voodoo doll out!)
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To: Millee

You drink: Banana Daquiris

Your image: Fredo Corleone (listlessness, resentment, naivete)


20 posted on 03/13/2006 7:50:24 AM PST by Petronski (I love Cyborg!)
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