Hi! And welcome to the Single Dad’s Guide to Life Daily . . . almost. We are doing six posts a week throughout the month of January, paying homage to a series we did last year called the perspectives series. Last years series had the name as I partnered with a single mom blogger out there to take on certain topics from differing perspectives. This year, as she was unable to participate due to some crisis which came up, we were unable to continue with the series. But I wanted to keep doing something similar. So, I created the Reflections series.

The reflections series gives a new take on last year’s perspective series. Last year, the Guide focused on the reboot of our fitness series. We will be going back to doing our fitness series once a month, starting tomorrow, playing into the Fitness Friday theme. And the post which would have corresponded with tomorrows post was a whole post on foods and crock pots. As much as I love crockpot foods, I didn’t feel inspired to write about them again or find another dish which necessitated doing a recipe on the Guide. We will do our Foodie Friday post again next month. This left me with a quandary. If not food, then what?

What has been running over my mind for the past week is the reaction to the commercial Gillette put out, implicating a great deal of the population in toxic masculinity, not that they ever specifically define what the term means. But, as I try to avoid politics for the most part (unless I am making fun of politicians in general), I didn’t want to get into the weeds with that. It did make me think about drinking though. Because all of the name calling being leveled out there right now makes me want to go out and drown myself in a bottle of whiskey . . . preferably not Jack.

This lead me to think about manly drinks. Because, if you drink any alcohol at all, I am sure you have heard of the term “girly” drink. We won’t get into whether there is toxic femininity exemplified in this girly drink because it refers to an alcoholic drink so whether a manly or a womanly drink, it’s all toxic. (Even if I do like to imbibe occasionally.) This leads me to manly drinks. Drinks that will “put some hair on your chest.” And what better way to cover the bets manly drinks in the world than to come up with a top ten list of manly drinks.

Just as a forewarning, this will include some alcoholic beverages, as well as ones that are non-alcoholic. If you do not imbibe, no worries, there should be a fun drink in here just for you and those stray chest hairs. (Hopefully, they haven’t turned gray just yet.) If you should decide to try out one of those drinks, I will say this just once: PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY! Any questions?

So without further ado, but a whole lot of fanfare (somewhat paradoxical I know), I present to you the ten best manly drinks! Because you really do need some more hair on your chest. Or maybe for those with too much chest hair, it will kill off some of those stray ones on your chest. Your wife/girlfriend/daughter/woman in your life will thank me.

Thirsty Thursday: The Ten Best Manly Drinks (Not For The Faint Of Heart)

10) The Snakebite

I will admit while researching this drink I had a very specific thing I was thinking about. Turns out there is also a cocktail called a snake bite. I am not talking about that drink. The drink I am talking about comes with a dark stout beer and a sweet (and preferably tart) cider. It ends up looking something like a black and tan but hits you like a locomotive. It’s not the bitter or the sweet that really beats you over the head. It’s the moment where it switches from bitter to sweet that makes you stand up and take notice. I just hope you don’t end up dead on the floor as a result.

9) Café Cubano

I remember the first time I tried my dad’s coffee. Excited to take a drink, all I remember is this acidic bitter drink that threatened to start puberty for me 4 years early. I think I went running to the faucet to clear out the taste and didn’t drink another cup for another 7 years. At this point, giving in to peer pressure and persuasion, I decided to try coffee once again. This time I was smart. I added a little cream and sugar and I could tolerate it. Before long I began loving it. Eventually, for the coffee lover among us, you will get to the Café Cubano. An extremely strong and sweetened espresso, you will get your money’s worth with but a small-teacup’s taste. It reminded me greatly of the drink my dad tried to pour me when I was nine… only sweeter.

8) Michelada

Probably the newest drink on my list of manly drinks. It’s the closest I will probably ever get to a Bloody Mary. Something about a drink with a stalk of celery sticking out, pretending to be healthy screams “not a man’s beverage.” On the other hand, throw in a good Mexican beer, tomato juice, and some hot sauce and you have the beginnings of a deliciously addicting drink any guy would be proud to hold up in their hands. Throw me in a party or get together with a Michelada in my hand and you will find a happy David.

Pub Cider Tasting Delicious Market England

7) Cider (Hard or Not)

If you are going to make me happy and warm on a winters evening, you cannot do better than a nice hot cider. Cider is not apple juice, or whatever juice they try to throw at you. It’s a blend of juice with some various spices meant to warm up the bones and make you a happy creature. And for those of you with a more adult bent to your beverages, you can do the same with a nice alcoholic version of it as well. Whatever you do, you cannot go wrong as a man with good hot cider in your hand.

6) Vodka Martini

Ever want to pretend you were holding a girly drink for a few short seconds before they realized you were a stud? Try the Vodka Martini . . . shaken not stirred. Of course, this drink had to be on the list of manly drinks. There is no bigger man’s man than 007 himself. Yes, you guessed it. It’s the beverage of choice for James Bond. And honestly, if you tried to give me a martini straight up, I’d probably gag. Too much Gin for my taste. Give me a Vodka Martini any day. And maybe that Aston Martin too while we are at it. Just because.

5) Pineapple Orange Sherbet Punch

If that last one didn’t give you a license to thrill, this next one will have you declared girly in a heartbeat. And maybe I should turn in my man card after this one. But honestly, who doesn’t love the flavors of pineapple and orange combined. It’s an instant cross between dole whip and the Orange Julius of yesteryear. Put it out at any party and I’m guessing it’s the first beverage to go. People pretend not to like it because it’s too much of a kiddie drink. But admit it. You love it. And so do we. And if we are man enough, we will admit it too.

4) Guinness

Ok! *Cough* Back to being a manly man. Let’s go back to my beer of choice, and one of the biggest manly drinks out there: Guinness. Honestly, it’s a lot to take in. And it truly was for me the first time I had a drink. The most appropriate thing I heard someone call it was “a meal in a glass.” It’s the stout of choice for many a stout drinker, and probably my favorite “go to” beer if I am out and about. I love it, and if you are a guy . . . *screech* No peer pressure here. But I know some guys claim to love it for fear of having to turn in your man card. This makes it the ultimate guys beer. But I won’t ask you for yours if you don’t love it as I do.

3) Rum and Coke

The very first time I walked into a bar to order a drink, this was the drink I ordered. I watched the gentleman pour the liquor and then add in a splash of coke. Seeing this much alcohol in a glass should have made me run in fear, but it did not. It made me intrigued. And so did the flavor of this beverage as it went down the back of my throat. It was a slow burn with just a touch of sweetness going down. I became an instant fan. And it’s always rated among the manliest drinks out there. Glad to say for my first drink: I chose wisely.

2) Black Eye

For the coffee lover out here, this is another drink to give you a kick in the pants. A Red Eye is for the person who wants that extra jolt with their first cup in the morning. It’s one shot of espresso added to your daily dose of “get up and go.” But for the true man’s man, they want the black eye. (Not the kind received from the punch of a drunk guy at the bar who you couldn’t avoid.) It’s two shots of espresso added to that little drink of yours in the morning. Maybe a bit much but you are “man” enough to take it, right?

1) Whiskey Sour

Rated the number drink for guys out there on a whole bunch of websites and fake news outlets, the Whiskey Sour is our number one choice for male adult beveraging. When it comes to my first shot of whiskey, I realized one thing the moment the whiskey crossed my lips. I hated it. It was the foulest thing I had put into my mouth since always. And I was not going to ever try it again. (Kind of like coffee) Of course, it didn’t take and I went back. But not before someone decided to mix something along with it . . . sour. I had an Amaretto sour and a Midori sour before. But this was something new.

It was the perfect blend of “hit you in the face” man-beverage and something sweet to take the edge off. And if you are really manly you do it without the sweet. I took one sip and it was instant man love. Of course, it’s incredibly dangerous as whiskey seems to have a small margin for error between sober and drunk. So be sure to drink it slowly and don’t pound it all at once. I don’t want to see you in any jail cell holding your phone up to the officer saying you only followed advice from the Guide.

Be responsible. And if you see me in public drinking with a glass of whiskey sour in your hand, nod towards me and I will nod back. Because that’s how we speak in “guy” with a whiskey sour in our hands.

Wrapping Things Up

As you know, Milk is one of my all time favorite drinks. But it’s not particularly manly. And I can hear the eyes rolling as you are staring back at that punch at number 5. So what! I stuck in one crazy drink that everyone loves even if no one will admit to it. Haha! I know as this punch at my daughter’s parties always seemed to disappear the fastest. It was difficult finding different kinds of drinks considered manly. I struggled with trying to find a “manly” tea. And as much as I love hot chocolate, the same issue crept up . . . even if Bailey’s and hot chocolate is delicious.

The truth is, manly drinks or girly drinks are whatever you think they are. Sometimes guys like to try things which are gross. If you ever had a boy say “Ew! Look at this!” you would get we aren’t always playing with a full deck. It doesn’t mean we are stupid. As boys and men, we like to challenge ourselves, try new things and explore. That’s a definition of manhood I think everyone can get behind. If I didn’t love exploration, I would never have tried a cup of coffee after that first time. And look at me now . . . shaking from caffeine withdrawals and getting ready to write my next fitness masterpiece! Woohoo! But if you like those other sugary drinks, those are fun too. Doesn’t make you any less manly. Go ahead and take a drink. I promise I won’t ask for your man card.

Continue The Conversation

What kinds of drinks have you heard put “hair on your chest?” If you are a woman, did you decide not to drink the liquid or did you go ahead and try it anyway? If you are a man, how quickly did you pick up the drink? What are some of your favorite beverages? What are some of your favorite adult beverages?

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If you liked this post, please be sure to click the like button if possible, and leave a comment about it. Be sure to share this with your friends. And don’t forget to follow to keep up with all of the adventures throughout the month of January and beyond. You won’t want to miss the upcoming Peanut’s Celebration and some of the other amazing things we have in store to report on. Your comments are greatly appreciated. And we just want to say we love you, and couldn’t do this without you.

Until next time, this is me signing off (Hoping not to lose my man card for number 5).

David Elliott, The Single Dad’s Guide to Life

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