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Girly Drinks
Girly Drinks: A Women's History of Drinking Through the Ages | Mallory O'Meara
27 posts | 16 read | 25 to read
From Los Angeles Times bestselling author Mallory O'Meara comes a lively and engrossing feminist history of women drinking through the ages Strawberry daiquiris. Skinny martinis. Vodka sodas with lime. These are the cocktails that come in sleek-stemmed glasses, bright colors and fruity flavors--these are the Girly Drinks. From the earliest days of civilization, alcohol has been at the center of social rituals and cultures worldwide. But when exactly did drinking become a gendered act? And why have bars long been considered "places for men" when, without women, they might not even exist? With whip-smart insight and boundless curiosity, Girly Drinks unveils an entire untold history of the female distillers, drinkers and brewers who have played a vital role in the creation and consumption of alcohol, from ancient Sumerian beer goddess Ninkasi to iconic 1920s bartender Ada Coleman. Filling a crucial gap in culinary history, O'Meara dismantles the long-standing patriarchal traditions at the heart of these very drinking cultures, in the hope that readers everywhere can look to each celebrated woman in this book--and proudly have what she's having.
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Aims42
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Happy Easter to all who celebrate today! 🐣🐰✝️💐 I wanted to post this before going to my in-laws for lunch 😊

#TopReads2024 continues with my March pick🍹🥃🚺🤘 “Girly Drinks” was a fascinating read and I learned SO much! I loved O‘Meara‘s writing style, I read several paragraphs out loud to my husband either because they were interesting or because it was funny. I will definitely check out her other books 👏👏👏

TheBookgeekFrau Happy Easter! 3w
28 likes1 comment
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Aims42
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Pickpick

The 3 emojis to describe this book are: ‼️🙄🤣

‼️: Holy cow, did this REALLY happen?! Both in terms of good and bad
🙄: -Sigh- Of course this happened
🤣: O‘Meara writes in such a way that even though I‘m reading a non-fiction book, I am cracking up with her humorous commentary. Probably not a plus for some, but I LOVED it. If you read 1 book during March, which is Women‘s History Month, make it this one 💪

Aims42 Themes: Easily digestible Non-Fiction, Women kicking a$$ and taking names, Booze 1mo
Aims42 @jlhammar Oooo! That‘s getting stacked 🙌 1mo
peanutnine Yesss I love Mallory! She's one of the hosts of my favorite book podcast and her books are so great! 😍 1mo
41 likes2 stack adds4 comments
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Larkken
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1. I love a good sour, gose, or pool-side beer (think bud light lime, sorry-not-sorry 😆), but lately I‘ve been inspired to try to make Mai tais! I had a plan to track down the “best” of them in Honolulu, and now I‘m obsessed with recreating my fave.

2. Outside! I got a swinging seat/nest set up under our oak and I can spend hours in it. Need a good way to Mai tai there, tho…. 🍹

Thanks for the fun memories! #twofortuesday

TheSpineView A Mai Tai sounds great! Thanks for playing 9mo
22 likes1 comment
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annamatopoetry
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Mehso-so

If I wanted to be charitable, I could say that what this book lacks in depth, it makes up for in breadth, and that O'Meara is a very engaging writer. The latter is true, and the former kind of is, too. All of known history, or rather the parts involving women and alcohol, are covered. Unfortunately, it's so wide a topic that the analysis is shallow or missing altogether. O'Meara isn't a historian, and this book is much too glossy for my taste.

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annamatopoetry
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Pretty disappointed that when it comes to the Prohibition era, O'Meara glosses over or straight up ignore some real issues that lead to women being one of the strongest supporters of alcohol prohibition. Domestic violence is mentioned (barely), husbands drinking up the entire food and housing budget isn't even mentioned. Unfortunately "alcohol is awesome" seems to be her only thesis.

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annamatopoetry
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It's not unengaging, and there's footnotes, but I still wish it was more serious in tone.

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annamatopoetry
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Oh great, it's trying to be Fun.
I just want all my nonfiction to read like anthropology textbooks, is that a crime?

charl08 😆 1mo
9 likes1 comment
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TieDyeDude
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Thanks for the book giveaway @wanderinglynn
Paired here with my drink of choice, rye whiskey 😁
#300kbirthdaygiveaway

SamAnne Rye whiskey is my weakness! 1y
42 likes1 comment
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ETALTON
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While reading Girly Drinks, I grew increasingly interested in the books O‘Meara mentions. And my husband found them for me!! I can not wait to go through Beeton‘s Household Management and Bartenders Guide!

Chrissyreadit Welcome to Litsy! Feel free to check out the link in my bio for info a bunch of Littens put together about using litsy and litsy activities. Also if you want info about events on litsy follow @LitsyEvents 1y
tpixie What great gifts! I just stacked this book on the Recommendation of @Larkken after she commented on MY post! 1y
Larkken Those old books look amazing! I was doing the same thing with music while reading Girly Drinks, too. I needed a notepad to remember all the names 🤓 (edited) 1y
11 likes3 comments
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ErikaB
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#fbf to my favorite books of 2021, which I hadn‘t posted earlier because I couldn‘t find a format that I liked. I don‘t think anything sums up 2022 better than the phrase “Good enough”. #heartstopper #homesickpilots #princessfloralinda #yousexything #wearetheashes #girlydrinks #lostgirls #neverwhere #libraryofthedead

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britt_brooke
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A thorough history of booze and the badass women who‘ve revolutionized the industry. This is smart, funny, and truly informative! Whose idea was it to dip Makers Mark in red wax to differentiate their bottles? A woman. That‘s merely one example in a book full of unsurprising, if I‘m being honest, facts. A great gift book!

vivastory I 💙 Maker's Mark 1y
mcctrish I‘m stacking this and maybe stocking up for gifts for 2023 1y
LeahBergen This sounds wonderful (and me, too, @vivastory )! 1y
britt_brooke @vivastory @LeahBergen Same! We toured the distillery many years ago and it‘s beautiful! My husband even dipped a bottle in wax. 1y
britt_brooke @mcctrish Hope you enjoy! 🥃 1y
82 likes6 stack adds5 comments
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Sharpeipup
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Seemed fitting to start the tagged book just before Balance and Bubbles yoga class. 🧘🏻‍♀️

32 likes1 stack add
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ShyBookOwl
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My #LetterG rec is Girly Drinks. An excellent non-fiction that explores women's role in the history of alcohol, from the development, to gendered drinking social norms, and marketing. Very interesting and written in the author's distinct voice (which u may know from the podcast Reading Glasses): informative, thoughtful, and humorous.

#alphabetgame @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Thank you for playing! 2y
44 likes1 comment
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OneCent76
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Pickpick

An amazing book full of info and history regarding women & alcohol. Women played key roles regarding alcohol - manufacturing, promotion, production. I listened to the book and it was great but I want to buy it & highlight all the amazing info. Every woman should read this to know how badass women of history are and every man should read it to be reminded how badass we are.

39 likes1 stack add
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Lindy
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Pickpick

“All drinks are girly drinks.” Mallory O‘Meara has received a James Beard award for this entertaining & fiercely feminist cultural history of women & alcohol. She starts in the palaeolithic, moving through ancient Sumer, medieval times & all the way up to prohibition, tiki bars etc. She writes about women who are leaders in their fields now: brewmasters & bartenders around the world. Audiobook read with enthusiasm by the author.

46 likes1 stack add
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Lindy
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I sum up my latest week of reading, plus give a little tour of my garden:

Friday Reads June 10 - So many journeys through books...
https://youtu.be/eNQdQ8GH_cU

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Lindy
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Maybe someday companies shilling skinny drinks will realize that the last thing a woman needs after a long day is to pick up a bottle that is going to body shame her. Instead, they might use their enormous marketing power to sell women a drink that isn‘t infused with self-hatred.

5feet.of.fury Agreeeeeee 2y
ValerieAndBooks Yeah, like Skinnygirl brand wines. Stacking the book! 2y
Lindy @5feet.of.fury @ValerieAndBooks 👍👍 2y
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sarahbarnes I definitely have a visceral negative reaction to any drink marketed as “skinny.” 2y
Lindy @sarahbarnes I hadn‘t even heard of such marketing for alcoholic beverages before reading this book. Next time I‘m in a liquor store—the only places to buy alcohol in my province—I‘m going to look in the sections that have premixed drinks. Just for curiosity‘s sake. 2y
Christine I was so happy to learn that this won a James Beard award today! 2y
Lindy @Christine Yay! Thanks for letting me know. 🏆 2y
41 likes1 stack add7 comments
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Lindy
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Party punches like jungle juice are a common drink at college parties. It‘s usually a mildly revolting mix of extremely high ABV grain alcohol, cheap vodka, juices & sodas. The problem is that one full plastic red cup of this mix is usually 5 to 7 servings of alcohol, meaning that drinking one whole cup already constitutes binge drinking. Students, however, consider that “one drink.”

The_Penniless_Author It's probably not a good sign that I immediately felt defensive at her describing jungle juice as "mildly revolting" ? 2y
Lindy @The_Penniless_Author Nope. Not a good sign! 😂 2y
37 likes1 stack add2 comments
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danimgill
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I never seem to leave a late shift at the library without a stack of new checkouts! Excited to start some of these this weekend 📚

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Amie
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Pickpick

Fun history of women and alcohol. Easy-going, not academic. Audiobook read by the author.

34 likes1 stack add
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ajmayorquin

Great read! I love all the history of women, alcohol, and culture.

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annamatopoetry
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Someone set me loose on Elliot Bay for the first time in two years (I WALKED there!) I came for a magazine, didn't find it, left with another magazine and three books. Their cafe is still closed tho.

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peanutnine
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Between litsy swaps and gifts and an impulse bookshop.org order, Valentine's Day felt like Christmas morning 🎁📚😍
My boyfriend laughed and said he didn't have to get me anything since I had all this #bookmail to open 😂

chasjjlee The Charm Offensive is SOOOOO good!! 2y
peanutnine @chasjjlee yay! I've been dying to read it!! 2y
50 likes2 comments
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Christine
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Pickpick

Super fun book! I love Mallory and the Reading Glasses podcast and have also been known to enjoy a libation, so I was really looking forward to this one. Full of cool facts, and I appreciated that lots of sociological/intersectional feminist analysis was included.

Augustdana One of my fav podcasts too! Haven‘t picked this one up just yet, thanks for the reminder. 2y
Christine @Augustdana You‘re welcome! I of course had to do the audio to hear Mallory‘s voice, but I think I would enjoy reading this with 👀 too. 2y
Nute I really enjoy Reading Glasses podcast as well. Mallory and Brea vibe together so well. 2y
Christine @Nute They really do! ❤️ 2y
35 likes4 comments
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ShyBookOwl
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LOVING THIS new non-fiction. Funny, informative, and just a really good time.

Pairs well with a seasonal cocktail or pumpkin porter 🍻🎃

5feet.of.fury Oh neat! I loved Lady from the Black Lagoon, I will have to check this out 3y
ShyBookOwl @5feet.of.fury I loved that one too! Are you also a fan of her and Brea Grant's podcast Reading Glasses? 3y
5feet.of.fury @ShyBookOwl I haven‘t listened, I don‘t do a lot of podcasts, I googled it tho, it sounds cute. 3y
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ShyBookOwl @5feet.of.fury It's great. I highly recommend it if you like her book and are ever looking to try out a podcast 😊 3y
Augustdana Reading glasses is one of my very favourite book podcasts! 3y
ShyBookOwl @Augustdana Mine too! I'm always so excited when new episodes pop up in my feed 3y
56 likes3 stack adds6 comments
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TieDyeDude
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📚 Tagged book is the last one on Goodreads. I haven't been using the Litsy TBR much, but Trejo on that.

🍎 I'm always in the mood for a good apple. Dragonfruit is reserved as a special treat

📘 I'm about to crack into She Who Became the Sun

💞 My (now) wife and the life we are building together

#wondrouswednesday @Eggs

Eggs # 4: 👏🏻🤗👍🏼 3y
23 likes1 comment
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TieDyeDude
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I absolutely loved Lady from the Black Lagoon, and I can't wait to dig into Girly Drinks in October! Picture from the author's Instagram video