What Are Manly Drinks and What Makes Them Manly?

There’s not much that separates a man and his favorite drink. When you find your favorite, it sticks with you forever. There are numerous manly drinks, so how can you pick one? It’s all up to your taste preferences. 

The past century or two has given us some iconic drinks. You’d have trouble trying all of them in a lifetime. If you like manly drinks, check out this guide. We’ll talk about the most masculine and famous drinks in pop culture. 

What Makes a Drink Manly?

Masculinity is a fascinating topic. We love feeling like men: big, strong and bold. A manly drink exudes these qualities. You could be at the bar or making drinks at home. Wherever you are, you want to serve drinks for yourself and your buds that display manliness. These drinks have robust flavors with a bit of simplicity to them. Men are simple creatures — we don’t need much to satisfy us.  

What Are Famous Manly Drinks?

If you like cocktails, you’re in the right place. Let’s dive into the popular manly drinks you can order at most bars.

Jack and Coke

Is there any combination more famous than Jack Daniels and Coca-Cola? It’s a classic — you can nearly guarantee its availability at every bar in America. The combo is over 100 years old, with origins dating back to around 1907. In fact, it’s so popular that Coca-Cola is transforming the cocktail into a ready-to-drink beverage. 

Making a Jack and Coke is easy. All you need is one part Jack Daniels and two parts Coca-Cola. You can sub the whiskey or soda brands, but how can you beat the classics?

Whiskey Sour

Let’s stay on the whiskey river and have a whiskey sour. Mark Twain said it best. The famous author once said, “Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whiskey is barely enough.”

Thankfully most cocktails are straightforward in their taste. You know what you’re getting yourself into here. It’s whiskey with a bit of a sour flair to it. A whiskey sour is a manly drink you can get to satisfy your sweet tooth. You’ll need bourbon whiskey with lemon juice and gomme syrup. Optionally, you can add some egg whites. You gotta get the protein, right?

Old Fashioned

Winston Churchill once said he had to add whiskey to water to make it palatable, and that’s why whiskey reappears on the list with the old fashioned. This cocktail started in the 1800s, with early forms coming as early as 1806. A Louisville, Kentucky, club claims to have invented the old fashioned back in 1881. Since then, it’s been a favorite for those wanting manly drinks.

The old fashioned is a classic cocktail — one of many manly cocktails to order at the bar. It’s simply made for simple men like yourself. You only need rye whiskey, a sugar cube, Angostura bitters, water and whiskey ice. You can order it neat, but on the rocks will elevate the flavors.

Gin and Juice

You don’t need to be from Long Beach to have this cocktail. Gin and juice drinks are for the guys with their minds on money and money on their minds. Gin and juice is a relatively new cocktail. It became famous through the Snoop Dogg song with the same name — though the first claims to the cocktail come from London in the 1930s. A bartender mixed dry gin with grapefruit juice — the rest is history.

Gin and juice is an excellent cocktail if you like fruit-flavored drinks. Pour about an ounce and a half of gin into a glass and mix it with grapefruit and orange juices. The drink is easy to make at home, so stock your kitchen with grapefruit and oranges to make gin and juice whenever you want. It’s just a G thang, baby. 

Vesper Martini

Do you like to be shaken or stirred? Regardless, you should give the Vesper martini a try. This cocktail is prominent because of James Bond. If you want famous cocktails, this drink is up your alley. Ian Fleming, who created James Bond, also invented the Vesper martini in 1953. He named the drink after Vesper Lynd, a double agent in the series. 

If you like the authenticity, make the Vesper martini exactly as Bond ordered in the movie. You’ll need three ounces of gin, one ounce of vodka and a half ounce of Lillet wine. Add a lemon peel for garnish, and you’ll drink just like 007. 

Four Horsemen

Most cocktails you order at the bar consist of liquor and a mixer. What if you took not one but four different types of liquor and mixed them? You don’t get a chaser. You’ll have to find courage for the four horsemen. Don’t worry — it doesn’t involve taking on Ric Flair and his three teammates. In fact, it may be worse. 

The four horsemen cocktail combines four famous liquor brands: Jim Beam, Jack Daniels, Johnnie Walker and Jose Cuervo. Pour a quarter ounce of each, or step it up with a half ounce if you have something to prove. Shake the cocktail with ice and strain it over fresh ice to ensure maximum freshness.  

Godfather

We’re going to make you a cocktail you can’t refuse. The Godfather is another cocktail in the manly drinks realm. The precise origins of the cocktail are unknown. Though it’s famous because of Marlon Brando. Brando played Vito Corleone in the legendary movie. Disaronno, who produces amaretto, says Brando loved the cocktail later known as the Godfather. 

Do you want to make it at home? The Godfather is an easy cocktail to make. All you need is a couple of ounces of scotch and a quarter ounce of amaretto to top it. There are a few unique variations of the cocktail. For example, you could make the godmother with vodka instead of whiskey. Substitute whiskey with brandy if you want to channel your French roots.

Ordering Manly Drinks 

If you’re with Carrie Underwood, you better shoot whiskey. Though, you can get a cocktail with fruit flavors and retain your manhood. The world of manly drinks is wide. Pick your favorite drink and order some for your buddies.