Cocktail culture has made great strides, but for some, men sip a Don Draper old fashioned, while girls order a cosmopolitan and natter about Jimmy Choos. Preconceptions not helped by alcohol companies splitting their advertising down strictly gendered lines. Clear spirits such as vodka and gin, with their lower caloric content and vagina-friendly flavours, are associated with ‘girly’ drinks; whisky, with its musky aroma and beard-growing characteristics, is considered ‘manly’.

“The number of times you go to a table and get the drinks the wrong way around because of these strange pre-conceived ideas,” says Tim Laferla, bar manager at London’s City Social. “It’s crazy. Drink what tastes good – not what you’re told you should because of your gender.”

It’s why Laferla, alongside brand ambassadors David Beatty (Ketel One vodka) and Andrea Montague (Bulleit bourbon), has created two cocktails which poke fun at these traditional gender norms: the vodka-fuelled Billy Big Coconuts is a strong, bold drink served up in a rocks glass; the Freedom of Peach is a fruity, floral whiskey cocktail served in a wine glass.

David Beatty, Ketel One Vodka Brand Ambassador

“Vodka is often viewed through the lens of neutrality and as a mixer only – great for something you don’t want to taste the spirit in. Many vodka cocktails you’ll find on bar menus around the world are the ‘fruity’ ones, a clean and blank spirit layered with fruit juices and flavoured syrups, and often pitched towards women.

“However, when you dig a little deeper into the vodka category you will find there are brands with discerning character and flavour. It is through this exploration that we can challenge stereotypes around the type of drinker vodka cocktails are made for.”

Andrea Montague, Bulleit Brand Ambassador

“Cocktail culture has come a long way, with customers more willing than ever to be experimental with the type of drinks they like to try. Despite this, there is still a common misconception that whiskey is a ‘man’s drink’, and people tend to associate it with boozier, heavier cocktails which are usually targeted at male drinkers.