By Joanne Redder
You met him a couple of weeks ago, you hit it off instantly and now you’re inviting him over to your place for mixed drinks, dinner and a movie.
Now there’s no doubt that men love smooth, hard-hitting drinks. But if you want to get lucky that night and ensure that he can keep up for the evening, chances are you don’t want to get him hammered.
Lucky for you, there are mixed drinks you can make that aren’t too frou-frou and that will easily leave him asking, “Mmm, this is so good, what’s in it?” Of course, you’ll need to find out beforehand what his preferred liquor is.
You have the option of having him guess, telling him, or kissing him. I’m just going to tell you how to make the mixed drinks.
What to avoid when making drinks
Before you get started, there are certain elements that you want to avoid when you’re making drinks, chief among them:
Color: You can’t have anything that looks even remotely pastel or pink. It’s very important that the drink you serve have a masculine feel to it. No, not blue, but more of a Scotch whisky color.
Texture: The drink can’t be syrupy or thick. Ice, water, and soda are your friends. Use them.
Mixture: You want to avoid the use of sugar and syrup. They have absolutely no place in a man’s mixed drink. Do your best to avoid the whole “pink umbrella” concoctions.
Garnishes/Accessories: Manly drinks don’t come with straws. Ever. And maraschino cherries aren’t found inside them either. Olives and fruit wedges are acceptable.
The mixed drink menu for men
Mixed Drink #1
Black Russian2 ounces vodka
1 ounce coffee-flavored liquor
In a glass filled with ice, pour in the ingredients and stir. Yup, it’s that simple.
Mixed Drink #2
Dry Martini1.5 ounces vodka
¾ ounce dry vermouth
2 olives
Pour the vodka and dry vermouth into a shaker with ice. Shake for 10 seconds, then strain into a martini glass. Garnish with olives.
Mixed Drink #3
Gin & Tonic2 ounces gin
5 ounces tonic water
lime wedge
ice
Fill a highball glass ¾ of the way with ice. Pour in the gin and tonic, and stir the ingredients together. Place the lime wedge on the rim of the glass.
Mixed Drink #4
Jack & Coke
2 ounces Jack Daniel’s whisky
5 ounces Coca-Cola
ice
Fill a highball glass ¾ of the way with ice. Pour in the Jack and Coke, and stir the contents together until well blended.
Mixed Drink #5
Manhattan Dry1.5 ounces Canadian whisky
¾ ounce dry vermouth
1 dash Angostura bitters
1 lemon wedge
Places the whisky, vermouth and bitters into a mixing glass filled with ice, and stir well. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with lemon.
Mixed Drink #6
Sidecar2 ounces cognac
½ ounce Cointreau
1 ounce lemon juice
Fill a shaker halfway with ice cubes and pour in all the ingredients. Shake the contents well and strain into a martini glass.
Mixed Drink #7
Scotch Highball
2 ounces scotch
5 ounces carbonated water
1 lemon wedge
Fill a highball glass with ice. Pour in the scotch and fill the glass up with carbonated water. Place the lemon wedge on the rim of the glass.
Mixed Drink #8
TyphoonChampagne
1 ounce gin
½ ounce anisette
1 ounce lime juice
Pour the gin, anisette and lime juice into a shaker filled with ice. Shake contents well. Strain into a Collins glass over ice cubes. Fill the remainder of the glass with champagne.
Are you drunk yet?
I tried to select enough of a variety here that you’re sure to find one to please your man’s palate (if he drinks, that is). So enjoy the drinks, cheer to a long life, and have a great night.
