So you’re out on a date with the person who’s been the object of your affections for what seems like an eternity. You’ve dressed to the nines, doused yourself in your most expensive scent, met them at a top-notch swanky bar or restaurant, made sure you’ve carefully managed your manner and approach, and are pretty much pulling off the coup of the century.
Then, just when you think you’re on for bed and breakfast, you come back from the bar with drinks for you both, and you notice what can only be described as a look of pure disdain. You sit down and try to continue from where you left off, but for some reason, the shutters have come down, and you’re struggling to get them to warm up to you again. What happened?
You are what you drink
As with any other choice we make, our choice of drink tells a lot about us. It gives others a sneaky little insight into who we are, especially those we’re trying to impress and are making that extra effort with. But what exactly does that drink say about you?
To find out, identify your tipple of choice from the list below, and learn the pros and cons of what others identify in your personality from what passes between your lips.
#1 Lager beer. The standard light-colored chilled beer.
Pros: It’s a good, solid down-to-earth drink that shows you have no pretensions and are unlikely to expect anything other than a similar level of honesty. There’s also an easy-going kind of feeling about someone who chooses this particular drink.
Cons: It can make you look somewhat unsophisticated. Some will see you as the kind of person who reads tabloid newspapers, lives in a trailer, and spends their weekends taking engines apart rather than pursuing cultural events. [Read: 10 ways you can stand out more from the crowd]
#2 Craft beer. Usually darker beers that are made by specialist micro-breweries.
Pros: Craft beers can make you look like you are occupying a halfway house between being easy-going and sophisticated. The kind of person whom people can have a laugh with but can also have an intelligent conversation with.
Cons: Some see it as a bit old fashioned and fuddy-duddy, and drinking it is particularly unlikely to impress the late teen or early 20s age group… Unless they’re hipsters.
#3 Red wine.
Pros: The ultimate drink for those looking to come across as sophisticated. The red wine drinker is frequently seen as a well-cultured erudite, someone who reads the broadsheets, goes to the theatre, and can hold discussions at length about any topic.
Cons: There is just a touch of the pretentious about the red wine drinker, especially those who feel obliged to share their interpretation of the wine’s bouquet, with its hint of lemon zest, touch of wild Alpine berry, and smear of Norwegian hobo’s jockstrap.
#4 White/Rosé wine.
Pros: Drinks that achieve a certain degree of sophistication also, the white and rosé varieties suggest a lighter side to the drinker than is the case with red. These are the kind of people who effortlessly fit into their surroundings, no matter what the environment.
Cons: Some, especially red wine drinkers, can see white and rosé wine drinkers as people who are pretending to be more sophisticated than they actually are, yet lacking the conviction to commit to the more full-blooded red.
#5 Fortified wine. Strong, sweet wines such as Port or Sherry.
Pros: If drunk with food, then consuming a fortified wine is a sure-fire indicator that you are someone who knows their coq-au-vin from their burger and fries. An impressive palate to match a keen and intellectual mind.
Cons: If drunk in a context other than when eating it, it can make you look a little eccentric and/or entirely of a different age and time. You will seem stuck in the past and/or not quite with it.
#6 Tall cocktails. Large, colorful cocktails such as Mai Tai or Singapore Sling.
Pros: You will come across as a fun-loving, adventurous, aspirational, and cavalier soul who is the life and soul of any party. The color in the drink matches the color in your character, and you will add a touch of much-wanted quirk to otherwise grey surroundings.
Cons: Can come across as a bit frilly and lightweight and, if drunk regularly, can also seem a touch hedonistic – irresponsible and unable to live beyond the moment. Some may even see it as a form of compensation, making your drink the only interesting thing about you.
#7 Short cocktails. Smaller, more sedate cocktails such as a Long Island Iced Tea or Tom Collins.
Pros: These drinks signify someone with soul. A sophisticate to be sure, but not one who wishes to shove their very special selves down everyone’s throats, keeping it to themselves instead. The kind of person who keeps their cards close to their chest but who, when they open up, provide a fascinating insight into a deep and worldly soul.
Cons: These drinks can make you come across as a little moody and brooding. The kind of person who sits at the end of the bar in a film-noir flick, cynically and restrainedly musing upon the faults of the world they are not part of.
#8 Alcopops. Sodas or fruit drinks with alcoholic content.
Pros: Fun, fluffy, and guaranteed not to bring you down with depressing conversation and miserable musings. Especially attractive to the younger end of the drinking market, where fun and good times take precedence over other drinking proclivities.
Cons: The lightest weight option of all the drinks listed here, being an alcopop drinker instantly marks you out as someone who is as competent at holding good conversation and providing likely wit as a walrus is at re-roofing a four-story building.
#9 Soda. Or any other non-alcoholic drink.
Pros: Making the decision to forsake alcohol on a night really does make you stand out more than any other choice from this list. It can show you to be a person of incredible will power, self-control, and sobriety, making you look like a generally reliable member of society.
Cons: There are, I hate to say, some very negative connotations associated with this particular step outside the norm. Attitudes towards non-drinkers seem to lie in one of four camps, the first being the more positive aspect above.
However, this particular drink also leads some people to think that the individual in question is a little bit dull and boring, with some even finding them untrustworthy – as if there’s something in their character they don’t want to reveal by getting tipsy. Others may also suspect that you’re a recovering alcoholic, which doesn’t cast you in a very good light at all.
#10 Spirits. Whisky, Vodka, Rum, etc.
Pros: Drinking spirits shows you to be a traditionally-minded individual, someone who knows what they like, has strength of character, and is reliable and solid.
Cons: Can make you come across as a bit of a bore, devoid of humor, and not very much fun.
Surprised by what your drink says about you? Then maybe it’s time to switch tipples, and make sure you manage your first impressions a little more effectively the next time you imbibe to impress.
