To 'remove stereotypes,' restaurant chain introduces gender-neutral cocktails
Five new cocktails offered in two locations of an international restaurant chain don't just pack an alcoholic punch—they're attempting to fight gender stereotypes as well.
Burger & Lobster announced on Monday that two London locations, Burger & Lobster Soho and Burger & Lobster Bread Street, had rolled out a new drink menu featuring five colorless cocktails "in a bid to remove stereotypes surrounding drinks and allowing our customers to focus on what really matters when choosing a delicious drink: taste."
At the Bread Street location, the drinks were given the names “Mojito Twist,” “White Cosmopolitan,” “Margarita Twist,” “White Negroni,” and “Pi?a Colada Twist," whereas, at the Soho location, they are simply numbered one through five.
The restaurant's social experiment yielded interesting results. According to a press release from the company, at the Soho location, No. 1, the "Mojito Twist," was the most popular drink "across the board." However, at Bread Street, results showed that 31 percent of male customers would not choose the Cosmopolitan or Pina Colada because their names were too "feminine." Female customers were also affected by the names, with 11 percent feeling "too embarrassed" to order more "masculine" sounding drinks, like the Negroni.
External research, commissioned by Burger & Lobster showed that 21 percent of people in the UK do not feel comfortable drinking cocktails that may be "more suitable for the opposite gender."
While the new menu was meant to "encourage more people to feel comfortable in what they are drinking," Twitter users, naturally, had a lot to say about the "gender-neutral" drinks.
It’s all getting a bit much now??https://t.co/X2uAtUS2UA
— Brétt Mend?za (@BrettMendoza) November 10, 2019
in a shocking turn of events, I'm so glad I can now order cocktails that were meant for men! is it also okay if I order a beer now? https://t.co/DUQq2YEqZh
— marty 🥰 (@itsmartyxo) November 11, 2019
Is this a joke? Can’t drink a cocktail as it’s “better suited to the opposite sex”?! 🤦🏼?♀?🤦🏼?♀?🤦🏼?♀? https://t.co/3CAteHuRE9
— Rachel Coombs (@Rachel_Coombs) November 10, 2019
stupid me. hadn't realised cocktails were gender specific.https://t.co/BAVeNKmgGl
— hammy. ? (@iamhamesh) November 10, 2019
Cocktails are already gender neutral. Take your scotch and grenadine with am umbrella like a champ. pic.twitter.com/CqObp5a0Qq
— 🦇hallow-iquey?👻 (@Iquey) November 10, 2019
Of course, there were some vocal supporters of the new menu.
Why wasn't anyone doing this research 20 years ago so I could've had my Zima, Mike's, and Smirnoff Ice in peace? https://t.co/ajYUmRMr4a #BulliedIntoBeer
— James Duke (@hillbillydew) November 11, 2019
Not as stupid as I thought it was going to be. Remove the frills or the macho image to make the drinks more accessible. https://t.co/35LRtaNmPK
— Quaffable Reading (@QuaffableRdg) November 11, 2019
Burger & Lobster will roll out the new cocktail menu to all of its London restaurants next year.
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