[nmhen]

Another angle to consider is "well or top shelf"? Take gin, for example. There's some gut rotting, bathtub horse piss that will have your diaphragm yodeling before it even hits the back of your throat. And if looking as manly as possible IS an issue when you're ordering a drink, then I submit that Confidence is manly and, in drink ordering, confidence is borne of experience. Practice like you play, man. If you can, practice in a bar on a real live bartender. If not, practice at home.

But you're going to look a lot more amateurish if you're fumbling with your wallet, bumping into some Sheila and spilling her Chardonnay all over her silk blouse as you try to wedge yourself between barstools so that the barkeep can hear your oder, and sputtering out the words than if you slide between two ladies, give the bartender either the wink or the nod (don't, for the love of God, waive your $20 at him), lean in slightly by bending at the waist (a real man never goes up on his tiptoes to order a drink), and calmly, smoothly, and confidently say "Tangueray 10. Tonic. Just a little ice."

Now if your Rico Suave game is on, perhaps the aforementioned ladies have noticed the well kempt, pleasant-smelling, polite, well-spoken young man ordering a big boy drink next to them. And if that's the case then perhaps one of them gives you a little smile. And if all that happens and you DON'T say something along the lines of "I'm sorry, I didn't even ask...do you two need another round?"....then you're, well you're like I was when I was your age.