Female-friendly or simply sexist?

Later, I was in the pub myself. The chap I was drinking with ordered a Coke for himself. Then, when I ordered a Coke, I was asked: “D’ya want Diet Coke, or fat Coke?”

“A pint of fat Coke, please. With diet ice,” I replied indignantly.

Now, I know there’s a thin line between great service and simple sexism.

After all, some women, when quizzed about their volume of drink intake, will often complain of not wanting the ‘unladylike’ look of a pint glass in their hand, or try and steer clear of high-calorie drinks with lots fizz because they feel bloated afterwards. (When I say some women, really I mean my rather girly older sister). But still, it was hard not to be interested in the presumptions.

I’ve been asked to attend events specifically tailored to ‘my kind’ before (and the commentators often just make me cringe) so now I turn them down.

What really interests me though is that, on appearance, I clearly fit into a demographic. Except it’s terribly skewed. Can the drinks trade cope with catering for consumers like me? The petulant, skirt-wearing pint drinkers?

I hope so.