Some alcoholic drinks more acceptable than others

[Wellhellotherelove]

Why is it more acceptable to talk about having a ‘cheeky glass of wine’ or to have things around the house talking about how great gin is, but you wouldn’t really see the same for cider, vodka, a rum and Coke?

Thinking about the days pre covid when I’d quite often be at ‘work drinks’ most weeks and without fail, despite a whole pub’s worth of drinks, everyone would either be drinking beer (mostly the men), wine or gin and tonic.

I cannot ever think of or imagine someone saying ‘a vodka and coke please’ - but why??

You’re just as likely to get smashed on wine or gin as you are on rum, cider etc.

I see women on social media who for the most part try and demonstrate a healthy lifestyle yet quite often will have a photo of them with a large glass of wine. It’s never seen as a problem.

I’m not tee total by any means, so this isn’t a judgey post (i love a g&t!) I am genuinely interested as to how certain drinks have become more acceptable and how someone posting about having a cheek wine every evening is not seen as anything unusual!

Plenty of people drink rum and coke or vodka and mixer? YABU

If you mean things like Tennants Extra or grain alcohol, then yes, you have a point. YANBU!

It’s fashion , snobbery; flavoured vodka was the thing about 10 years ago; wine flights in some restaurants.
Small craft gins and specialist tonics have elevated the middle class drink of choice into something to chatter about.
But anyone who describes their wine/beer/gin as ‘cheeky’ is ridiculous ime.

@RickJames

Plenty of people drink rum and coke or vodka and mixer? YABU

If you mean things like Tennants Extra or grain alcohol, then yes, you have a point. YANBU!

I know they do but not so much in a ‘work drinks’ or ‘casual drinks at home’ context - they’re more party drinks? And I’m not sure why! Gin is a spirit so why is it seen as more professional?

I think sometimes the dreadful "cheeky wine" is a catch all for "alcohol" - I had a Bloody Mary the other day, but you aren't going to announce that wanktastic drink often, but am also unlikely to order it as a Friday night post work drink. I used to drink vodka and diet Coke because it is very SW friendly... Unless your parents had a very oddly stocked spirits cabinet, or you did different cheap shots at the Union, you don't often get chance to taste a Cinzano, or Taboo, or Archers etc nowadays

@Happytentoes

It’s fashion , snobbery; flavoured vodka was the thing about 10 years ago; wine flights in some restaurants. Small craft gins and specialist tonics have elevated the middle class drink of choice into something to chatter about. But anyone who describes their wine/beer/gin as ‘cheeky’ is ridiculous ime.

I obviously used ‘cheeky’ in a tongue in cheek way here - I hate it too!!

But you are right on the gin front - it’s become a huge market.

I have a few friends myself included who 'crack open a cider' on a weekend I really don't see the point tbf. People drink what they like, I don't have vodka or bacardi etc because I don't like them - I used to in my late teens early 20s because they did the job cheaply. Now I drink to enjoy it, not to get drunk.

I work in the drinks industry ..
This is largely due to us spending lots in marketing . If we make brands apparently “classy “ consumers will pay more !
Obviously people like the taste of some things too ... but advertising is a major influence .

Currently due to lockdown...sales are booming..

My mum buys each of us kids (and partners) a bottle of our favourite booze or box of beer at Christmas...Except me. She is happy to buy my brother Brandy, and my sister Gin, but apparently “Vodka is an alcoholics drink” so I get Baileys

So I don’t get it either OP.

Also interested. It must be marketing, but I don't know how that swing from vodka to gin was created. You also don't really get alcohol free vodka do you? Front of mind as doing dry January!

@Superstardjs omg I used to love Taboo at uni. Haven't thought about it in years, you just took me right back to my grotty student flat, drinking Taboo and lemonade with my flatmate!

I don't know OP.

Personally, I hate gin but I can imagine it's just a fashion thing. In 10 years time maybe we'll have a craze for something else - moonshine, for example. That would be fun

YANBU. Everyone at my after work drinks would have beer, wine or G&T. Idhave the occasional wine but I love Old Mout Cider. It's less calories than wine and more enjoyable. But drinking amongst wine and G&T lovers did make me feel very common. Maybe I am 🤷‍♀️

@exLtEveDallas

My mum buys each of us kids (and partners) a bottle of our favourite booze or box of beer at Christmas...Except me. She is happy to buy my brother Brandy, and my sister Gin, but apparently “Vodka is an alcoholics drink” so I get Baileys

So I don’t get it either OP.

This is exactly what I mean!!

I always used to drink vodka & lime when I used to go out for drinks after work on a Friday (early - mid 2000s). This was pretty normal.

The whole explosion in the popularity of gin is more recent - it always used to be an “old lady” drink. There was a change in tax/licensing laws about 15 years ago, which made the distillation of small batches of gin more cost effective. This resulted in lots of artisan small business gin producers, and the recent popularity of gin.

Its a valid point. I don't drink any more but I did used to drink way too much. It was wine. Wine is acceptable. Pass me the wine at the end of a tough day is far more acceptable than 'pass me the white lightening' . Problem drinking is shrouded in respectability. Your body doesn't care if its port, gin or buckfast if you are drinking too much.

I used to drink Archer’s and lemonade.
And I remember thinking I was sophisticated when I had a Blue Bols cocktail 🤣

Almost all phrases/products/ social media posts about alcohol (gin, wine, prosecco) are tedious.

Marketing and class.

It’s illogical- but then most of the above is!

YABU I would always drink vodka at after work drinks, colleagues with have cider, some would have wine, beer or gin. The not drinking vodka or cider because apparently it has a ‘bad image’ is something I have net come across

When pregnant and didn’t want work to know I’d get myself a tonic and colleagues assumed it had gin or vodka in it! Handy.

@Dozer

Almost all phrases/products/ social media posts about alcohol (gin, wine, prosecco) are tedious.

But it’s always those three drinks!

In past it was champagne, red wine, pinot grigiot whatever. The recent ‘trendy’ drinks are different. The issue is the naff products etc and social media has amplified.

I remember Chardonnay being the wine to drink, then Pinot Grigio.
It’s companies making drink ‘trendy’ so they can make profit. And often they market it for certain areas of society, such as pink gin.

I'm curious about what the next trendy drinks will be now... What's not been done already?

A can of special brew wouldn't be as as accepted as a pint of Carling Vodka and coke is a standard drink to order though