Tags
Clark Gable, femininity, gender, Grace Kelly, masculinity, Rita Hayworth, Sauvignon Blanc, Tavel rosé, Viggo Mortensen, wine
“You’re just in time for the drinks,” said Val in greeting. She was a former bartender, and proud of her mixological prowess. “I’ve made Valerie’s Secret, which is a cucumber martini with a mystery ingredient, and the Ferdinand, which is tequila, lime, and red pepper purée with a cucumber and smoked-salt garnish.”
“So ye’ve gendered the cocktails?” said Angus. “Are we allowed to cross-drink? I’m verra keen to delve into Val’s secret.”
Flattered, Val laughed as he took one of the cuke martinis, which was garnished with paper-thin slices of cucumber, cleverly rolled and speared on a toothpick. “Nobody’s going to judge you for swinging both ways,” she said.
Often we associate certain foods and drinks with masculinity and femininity. A ribeye steak is “manly,” and chicken salad on greens is “feminine.” Chili and barbecue are men’s dishes, while quiche and chocolate-covered strawberries are for women.
Of course I do not subscribe to these food canards. Early readers of my blog may recall a very opinionated post entitled Manly Men Drink Chardonnay. As you may have guessed, however, I have a theory…
What if the foods themselves are gendered? This occurred to me as I was sampling Chateau Greysac 2009, a full-bodied Bordeaux which I described this way: The aroma was pleasing from the start, with berries and forest leaf humus. I was also reminded of the sweet savor that some cigars have before they are smoked. On the tongue, the wine became more complex with alternating intimations of fruit, leather and spice. It struck me as a very masculine beverage!
I was attracted to this wine because of its overt masculinity. A white wine can be masculine too. I’ve had chardonnays that were full-bodied and muscular, with plenty of firm oak…

Gary Farrell Russian River Chard 2012: “A fine combination of depth, vibrancy and balance.” Click for source.
But usually I am drawn to the feminine wines, the Grace Kellys of the oenophile world, the cool blonde Sauvignon Blancs.
And what could be as much fun as a flirtatious, radiant rosé?

“Gorgeous Tavel dresses in a thousand shades of pink to seduce and captivate the senses. It is luminous like no other wine.” Click for image source.
I guess I’m pansexual when it comes to food and beverage attraction. Do you have a crush on a particularly sexy cocktail or wine?
Gender positioning/bias is a big thing in food marketing. The current ‘high protein’ fad means that men can now eat yoghurt! Who’d have thunk it… sigh.
A pre-PC friend of the Long-Suffering Husband used to assert that “yogurt makes your dick soft.” I don’t believe it for a second 😉 Though there is a Frankenfood product called “Go-gurt” that probably does have that effect…
LOL!
Must we then genderfy the stemware? the utensils? Most languages automatically assign gender with every object and food would be given the same treatment, no? I wonder if there is a connection…Interesting post and now I’ll have to do some research….Cucumbers, btw, are both masculine and feminine, depending on who is holding her. Ahem. I digress. Forgive me. To the research now.
Actually, when I was little and had to set the table, I always thought that forks were the “males” and spoons were the “females.” I didn’t really consider what knives might be. The fun part of gendering food is that it can be whatever we want it to be…
Hadn’t thought of the gender of various foods in French. Just looked up cucumber (conconmbre) and it’s Masculine 😉
I think I am also a food and booze pansexual. Going through a Chardonnay Renaissance at the moment. Before that I was crushing on Pinot Gris, then GSMs..then….well, think it’s best to stop there. 🙂
Love the idea of a Chardonnay Renaissance… maybe the oaky ones are the guys and the unoaked, delicate ones are the girls??? I adore them all 🙂
Me too. Love it, manly charddys and lady charddys. 🙂
Loved the post! I’m partial to Amaretto (ideally on the rocks, with a slice of lemon), but find it hard to classify it, gender-wise. Any help?
Thanks! That drink reminds me of a young Lauren Bacall. Especially with the slice of lemon. 😉
“Distinctive husky voice,” “sultry looks”… Yes, that’s me! 😀