Do Women Drink Bourbon?
Bourbon has long been a drink associated with men. Singer Frank Sinatra loved it so much that he was buried with a bottle of it. Clark Gable, a very classy Hollywood movie star, was one of the first celebrities to endorse Jim Beam. Winston Churchill certainly enjoyed whiskey, saying it gave him the energy to govern. Mark Twain offered these words of wisdom about it: “Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whiskey is barely enough.”
Television and movies have shown men drinking bourbon in smoke-filled bars. There are many scenes where wealthy, high-powered men gather in dark, wood-paneled studies with leather furniture, pouring bourbon from a decanter on the sideboard.
Frank Reagan in Blue Bloods is often shown with a glass of bourbon at the end of a long day as the police commissioner. Mad Men’s Don Draper always orders an Old Fashioned when he is entertaining clients or pondering a difficult problem.
On the other hand, Carrie Bradshaw of Sex and the City is famously known for drinking Cosmopolitans. Penny on The Big Bang Theory loves wine. So do Tami Taylor of Friday Night Lights, Olivia Pope on Scandal, and Jen Hardy on Dead to Me.
But does that tell the whole story? We think not. With a little research, we found that Margaret Thatcher, Rhianna, Lady Gaga, Hillary Clinton, Halle Berry, and even the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton all claim to enjoy whiskey on a regular basis. Lady Gaga even credits Jameson with inspiring some of her songs.
In the real world (where those of us who are not famous live), there are many women who drink bourbon, even if their numbers are smaller than the wine moms who are often portrayed onscreen.
In fact, there is a nationwide organization for females who enjoy bourbon. Appropriately enough, it is called Bourbon Women. Various chapters hold “Meet and Neat” events throughout the country. Their website, www.bourbonwomen.org, says that their group is “THE organization for women who are passionate about Bourbon culture, women and the promise of adventure when the two are combined.” That sounds interesting!
Maybe the myth that bourbon is a man’s drink is part of the reason many women have not experienced the pleasure of the sweet, sometimes smoky, oak and caramel drink. Or maybe they aren’t familiar with the different brands and are not sure what to order. If that’s the case, here’s our recommendation: Be bold! Visit us at K-9 and Coffee Lounge and order a flight. We’ll serve up a sample of four different bourbons, each with a unique flavor profile. Take a sip of each, savoring every drop. We’re confident you’ll soon discover a favorite.
At K-9 and Coffee Lounge, we proudly serve WhistlePig Boss Hog bourbon. Our friends at WhistlePig in Vermont commit to 5 promises for every release: “it will be single barrel, bottled at proof, powerfully complex, distinctly unique from anything we have created before, and it will be stupendous.” Be sure to try Boss Hog Siren’s Song the next time you stop in.