Men Love Bourbon. Women Should Too.

Today’s blog post is from Katie Garrett. Katie hails from Pensacola, FL and is currently working on opening up the Old Hickory Whiskey Bar. I guess you could say that bourbon is very near and dear to her heart. If you like what Katie has to say please let us know in the comments and make sure to share her post with your friends. If we get enough positive feedback we might just make Katie a regular contributor here on Bourbon & Banter.

What is it about bourbon that exudes manliness? Is it the burn? The intense flavor? The intimidation factor? Or, is that just what the marketing and advertising agencies have exploited about America’s national spirit to target the male audience?

Men love bourbon. Why? Because it tastes great. No matter how many ways you slice it, it always comes back to how great a glass feels in your hand, how the bourbon rolls around your tongue, and flows down your throat. Now, why is that something only a man can enjoy? It’s not. And now more than ever, women are showing the world why they love bourbon, too.

Thanks to great television series, like AMC’s Mad Men, the cool factor of drinking brown spirits is back. Who doesn’t want to be the handsome gentleman of the office, like Don Draper? Women desire a man like Don; however, they want to be like the Mad Men office vixen Joan Harris. And Joan knows bourbon. What better way to show you can run with the boys than to sit at a bar and order a bourbon better than the gentlemen surrounding you?

Ladies, it’s time to rise up and take what’s yours. And that’s a glass of bourbon. The key to learning what you like is obvious. Try everything. Nervous about spending too much money on something you won’t like? Look for bourbon tasting events in your area. With the growth of brown spirits in America, bourbon tastings are trending all throughout the country. This is a great way to try several varieties without the fear of losing the money you planned to use to buy your new pumps. Have a local bourbon bar in your area? Pick a day and time when the bar isn’t crowded and make friends with the bartender. Anyone who knows their stuff about bourbon loves to share their knowledge and convert a previous “vodka & soda” drinker to the dark side. Plus, most bourbon bars have the option of whiskey flights. This allows you to sample smaller portions of a few different varieties at once. Have you and a few girlfriends talked about wanting to get into bourbon, but don’t know where to start? Host your own bourbon tasting. Invite some guests to bring a bottle of bourbon and have a round table discussion on the flavor profiles of each. No matter what, it’s a great excuse to eat and drink bourbon!

Learning to love bourbon isn’t hard. It’s taking the time to discover what you truly enjoy about each different variety, and honing in on that flavor profile. Men do not have a special gift that drives them to know and love everything about bourbon. So ladies, give it a try and show the men who’s boss.

Bourbon & Banter also recommends checking out Bourbon Women if your interested in learning more about bourbon and finding like minded women in your part of the country.