What do the gays like to drink?

As part of a minority in this city, I'm used to slumming it a bit and scrapping for whatever I can get when it comes to nightlife. That's why, whenever I attend a gay event, there better be a discount or a free drink involved. Therefore, I rarely attend events that require a button-up shirt … until now.

On Thursday, Aug. 14, ShanghaiLGBT holds its first big event of the summer: a wine tasting. The event will take place at Globus Wine on Jianguo Xi Lu and I am quite excited about attending. Normally, I don't drink wine at gay bars. In my experience, it's awkward carrying a wine glass while looking for a potential "recreational partner." However, at a relaxing wine bar with dim lighting like gay-friendly bar Frangipani, I let the wine flow freely. With this event coming up, it got me thinking about the drinking habits of the gays in Shanghai. After all, for a fabulous group such as ShanghaiLGBT, sipping wine seems a bit … tame. After years of observation, I have a few thoughts on the subject.

First, all gay bars in Shanghai are required to carry their fair share of "girly drinks." By that, I mean cocktails that are usually sweet, include fruit and often have a low amount of alcohol. And by using the term "girly drinks," I mean no offense–I drink many of them myself. My middle name might as well be "Lychee Martini."

For the gym rats that go to the gym after work and on the weekends and wear the tightest shirts in the bars, they mostly prefer beer. It's actually a very popular drink among Chinese gays. For one thing, it's the cheapest drink on the menu. And secondly, by holding a beer bottle in your hand, it doesn't automatically scream, "Flaming queen over here!" This group avoids those fruity girly drinks, not to mention the amount of calories they contain!

As for me, my number one favorite drink is a classic and almost every gay bar in Shanghai makes it well: The Long Island Iced Tea. It's strong and it doesn't waste time. To get a true gay drink expert and proper connoisseur on this subject, I decided to chat with a frequent patron of Shanghai Studio, Kenneth Tan, whose underwear store is located inside the bar. "There is no secret to how [gay men] drink, these boys will put anything in their mouth to get themselves drunk!" I couldn't have said it better. Another Long Island Iced Tea, please!

Pete

DETAILS
When: Thursday, Aug. 14
Where: Globus Wine > Jianguo Xi Lu
Email: shanghailgbt@yahoogroups.com
Web: www.globuswine.com