For many, those frou frou, often only vaguely alcoholic cocktails, generally garnished with fruit and a mini umbrella have come to be known as "girl drinks." While the feminist in us might struggle with such a term, it's become a staple of the drinking world's lingo.

The term grew even more solidified into our culture when The Kids In The Hall paid homage to the "girl drink" with their 1991 skit, "Girl Drink Drunk." We were unable to reach Dave Foley for comment on the Girl Drink Phenomenon.

But many agree that those 'girly drinks' can be so refreshing in the warmer months -- even if they are slightly over the top.

As The Kids In The Hall skit might suggest, many drinkers experience the so-called "girl drink" early on in their drinking career as they ease into alcohol. Kwesi Leggett of Chicago -- a regular drinker of the more manly 7 & 7 -- explains that he discovered the Fuzzy Navel, a drink he thinks of as the ultimate "girl drink", when he first tasted liquor. The first time someone gave him a drink, it was the Fuzzy Navel.

"They wanted me to like [drinking] so they just gave me girly drinks," Kwesi explains. He added, "Fuzzy navel tastes good, but it's super girly. I could never order one."

Eva Sandoval, a Trinity grad student, also discovered what she considers a "girl drink" in her early drinking years. In fact, she feels that a single liquor qualifies as a girly drink: Peach schnapps. After discovering this -- it was her mother's favorite drink -- as a teenager, she subsequently discovered that it did not get her drunk.

While no one really seems to be able to nail down the exact ingredients found in a "girl drink," most agree that it's more a quality a drink might have that would earn it the "girly" descriptor. The color factors into the distinction: if it's pink -- no matter what may have gone into it -- it definitely falls into the category.

For Genevieve Finck, a San Fran resident who describes herself as a vodka-soda girl, the ultimate in pink "girl drinks" can be found at B Bar in San Francisco. The restaurant's Love On Cocktail is made with a mix of vodka, juices and a raspberry puree (giving it that fantastically pink color). But the best part, Genevieve explains, is the heart shape pressed into the foam on top.

Garnishes also influence whether or not a drink can be described as "girly." Fruit, especially, comes into play with establishing the "girly" quality. Jenna Ohnemus, a photographer and whiskey fan from Sarasota, Florida, considers her drink -- what she calls a "Virgin Whiskey" -- girly because of the cherry added to it. The drink is simply a whiskey on the rocks but Jenna notes, "I always feel like putting a cherry in things brings back my purity."

Former Philly resident, Maygan Bearden's "girl drink" is even more fruity: sangria, which is just fruit and wine. Maygan has actually forced her husband to endure El Vez, a bar in Philadelphia he considers "too girly," so that she could enjoy a glass of their sangria, which is garnished with an entire spear of fruit.

Tampa, Florida's Keith Sherwood goes beyond color and fruit and defines the "girl drink" by its status in pop culture. He started enjoying the cosmopolitan long before he ever saw Sex & The City and it wasn't until he caught a few episodes that he questioned his drink choice.

"There I was, with the girliest 'martini' in hand, thinking I was the sh*t without realizing that everyone who had seen the show was probably wondering if I thought I was Samantha or Carrie," Keith explains.

Texan Lauren Nance discovered her "girl drink" in France. She thinks it girly not just because it's French but because it's "high class" and made with champagne. The Kir Royal is half bubbly and half liquor but tastes delightful.

The exact definition of "girl drink" may be debated for years to come. But when you ask around, you'll find that everyone has their own idea about what the ultimate frou frou cocktail is: Katie Mack von Erk of Brooklyn enjoys a good bourbon with amaretto and lemonade, Heather Jelinek in Columbus, Ohio is another fan of the pink Cosmo, NYC resident Adam Kraemer calls a shot of SoCo and amaretto his girly drink of choice, Sarah Shah living in Tucson, Arizona gets girly with a White Russian and New Yorker Rachel Kozlowski Rydzewski sips a wine spritzer.

The fact is -- there's no one "girl drink." A girly drink is what you make of it. What's your favorite?

1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - Next Page >>