Yes, I do mean the alcohol drinking.

As many of you know, I'm a lot older than many bloggers that I associate with. I'm actually in my mid-twenties (shocking, I know. I started blogging late, what can I say?).

Some people may be surprised that I drink alcohol. I know some of my waitress co-workers did at first.

I grew up in a family that had alcohol in the house, but were never huge drinkers. And underage drinking was strictly frowned upon - even with pleading eyes. In college, the question of drinking didn't really come up until I was 21. Being rather anti-social (or was it prudent?) I stayed well away from frat parties, clubs and other drinking establishments even after I turned 21. My junior and senior roommates drank, and I even drank with them occasionally in the room.

But isn't drinking bad? Doesn't the Bible condemn it?

The answer is no. The Bible forbids drunkenness, NOT alcohol. If Jesus used WINE for His Last Supper and provided WINE for a wedding, I think the point is moot. The point is that we should use the virtue of temperance in order to curb in our intake. Because, like everything else, too much of it will have some really negative effects on a person.

Unfortunately, in recent times, women have been taking to drinking in a non-responsible and non-feminine manner. Examples in pop culture include figures like Marion Ravenwood (from Indiana Jones) drinking down the guys, and memes that compare young girls drinking like their dads instead of looking up to their moms. It's just another way that society attempts to masculinize women, and it's sickening.

So....how do we ladies drink in a temperate and responsible manner?

In this post, I'll be sharing some of the rules that I've made for myself for drinking alcohol, as well as my own opinions and experiences in connection to drinking. Let's get started!



1. Where Should You Drink?

For the first couple of times, I would recommend only drinking at home or in the presence of family. At least until you know what your limits are. Then I would move up to small parties hosted by good friends. Many business conferences will offer drinks at banquets and it's perfectly acceptable to have a drink or two in that setting. Also, wine and beer tasting events are also good places to try new alcohols in a safe environment.

Stay away from large or stranger's parties, college drinking parties (especially at frat houses), bars (especially late at night), and clubs. All of these places are ripe places for either drugs being dropped in drinks, or purity being harmed. Besides, you could be exposing yourself to debauchery, swearing and other non-Christian behaviors. Keturah has a super good post HERE about her first club experience that really opens the eyes to what that scene is really like.



2. What Should You Drink?

As a new lady drinker, I would start out with a Seagrams wine cooler first. These are sweet and there is very little of the bitter alcohol taste that you'll find in other drinks.

From there, the floor is open to try anything!

At first, I stuck to wine - trying fruit wines first and then moving onto white wines and blush wines before trying the stronger red types. From there, I moved on to beer and hard alcohols.

Wine and cocktails are the stereotypical "women's drinks". This is because wine is sweeter than many alcohols and doesn't have as high of an alcohol content.

Cocktails are especially fun because of all the combinations you could have - most do have at least one hard alcohol in them like whiskey or liquor that is cut by either fruit juice or a lighter alcohol. I warn you though - a lot of cocktails are known by VERY crass names! Seriously, who comes up with names like Sex on the Beach or Fuzzy Navel? *rolls eyes*
(also, pro tip: always ask the mixer which cocktails they would recommend. You get a great variety of answers!).

However, women can drink pretty much any alcohol without many problems. The harder alcohols will affect women much faster than they do men, so do watch the quantities of things like vodka, moonshine, whiskey, bourbon, hard cider, schnapps, rum and other things like that. There is also a possibility of certain alcohols giving headaches or nausea - red wines are notorious for it.

In my own household, I drink beer, whiskey, and light wine. But I have also had bourbon, rum, and blueberry schnapps before. One of my guy friends just gifted me with a bottle of homemade hard cider, which is going to be interesting to try!



3. How Much Should You Drink?

"Less is More" is going to be your best philosophy, especially when you're drinking in public. Each situation calls for a different answer, but knowing your "limit" is going to be super important regardless.

This is why I mentioned drinking at home for the first couple of times. You WILL act differently when you're under the influence of alcohol. Alcohol can affect you in one of three ways - make you a happy drunk, make you an angry drunk, or make you a sleepy drunk. Alcohol can also give you headaches, and affect your balance and dexterity.

There are two different stages of alcohol influence: buzzed and drunk. As a lady, you should stop drinking when you start feeling buzzed. You drink beyond that, and you'll be guilty of intemperance which is a sin.

That being said, it may be wise to push yourself ONCE (but do it at home!) just so you know how your body reacts to alcohol. My grandfather inadvertently did this to me as a teenager when he gave me a small bathroom cup of a dark wine to try. I did have some difficulty sitting and got a bad headache soon afterwards and so I was sent to bed. Remembering that sensation and recognizing it when I drank later really helped me to determine just how much alcohol I could take.

Also, different alcohols will affect you in different ways, especially when food enters the equation. I can drink multiple glasses of wine without too much a problem, but I cannot drink more than 12 oz of beer without feeling buzzed (as I found out the first time when I had beer...how I made it back to my hotel room that night can be attested to my guardian angel, LOL).

Also, your body type and weight is a factor. As a 5'3 woman who weighs only about 115 lbs, alcohol affects me rather quickly. I tend to have a one drink rule - one bottle of beer, one shot of whiskey, one glass of wine, etc. More than that, and then I become really sleepy and get a headache. But again, it's about determining your limit.




4. When/With Whom Should I Drink?

As to time, it really doesn't matter. Obviously, it's best not to drink all day every day, but there's nothing wrong with starting the day out with a Mimosa cocktail or ending the workday with a beer. Most drinking in America takes place in the evening, but I would avoid drinking really late at night, especially in a party setting.

I will drink with some girlfriends in a private setting, and of course with my family. But when it comes to parties, I make a couple of strict rules for myself.

One is that if I drive myself to a party, I don't partake of any alcohol. Also, if I go to adult parties with my brother, he will be the only one drinking and I will be the DD (Designated Driver).

The second rule is that I refuse to drink in the company of the opposite sex (i.e. young men), especially if they are drinking themselves. This is not because I don't trust my guy friends (far from it!) but it is a safeguard for me. Also, I refuse to drink with any boyfriend on a date.

That being said, you don't have to follow my rules to the letter - the point is to use discretion. I'm just super strict because I wish to keep myself safe and not do anything stupid, if that makes any sense.




5. What Specific Drinks Do You Recommend?

Alcohol, like so many food related things, is totally a matter of personal preference and trying all sorts of different stuff. That being said, I do have some go-tos.

Wine coolers, you can't get any better than Seagrams. My personal favorite flavors are Strawberry Daiquari, Calypso Colada, and Wild Berries.

In terms of regular wine, I like the sweeter white/blush ones like Riesling, Liebfraumilch, White Zinfindel, Moscato, and Rosé. Fruit wines are also really good - try to get local varieties!

My favorite cocktail is an Amaretto Sour, which in defiance of it's name is a very sweet and nutty cocktail primarily based in almond liqueur. I think I've had a Sea Breeze cocktail too, but don't quote me on that.

For regular beer, I like lagers the best, though IPAs aren't that bad either. Yuengling Traditional as well as Black and Tan are among my favorites, though I have had Sam Adams Summer Ale and that's not too bad. I'm breaking into craft beers and I've learned that I like citrus and flower flavors but not hoppy beers, or Pilsners or deep heavy aromatics like pine (gross).

For hard liqueurs, I've discovered that I'm a whiskey girl like the rest of my family. My absolute favorite is Drambuie, which is a Scotch based honey liqueur. Of course, being descended from the MacKinnons of Skye, I suppose that was a sort of gimme?
That being said, I do like the 1792 Barton Distillery's Chocolate Bourbon Liqueur as my second favorite.

Variety is always good, right?



And that, my dears, concludes the post!

Any fellow drinkers in the house, what alcoholic beverages do you enjoy? Any additional drinking tips that I missed? Chat with me in the comments below! 

Old-fashionably yours,

Catherine