Cocktail Diggers. Yes, they exist. Yes, they are everywhere. And yes, you’ve either been one or bought a drink for one.

A few weeks ago I came across a great article written by Josefina Loza and it inspired me to dedicate a post to cocktail diggers. Cheers, diggers! Now, some of you are nodding your heads, completely familiar with the term. And others are saying, “Cocktail Digger, what’s that?” So bear with me while we all get on the same page.

A ‘cocktail digger’ is a female (in most cases) who consistently enjoys cocktails on someone else’s dime. A digger often heads out with just enough cash to get to and from the bar. Other cash is unnecessary. While at the bar, she’ll make her way through the crowd finding Mr. (fellas, insert your name here). And sure enough after a short time, he’ll be buying her drinks.

There are different types of cocktail diggers. Some flirtatiously, yet blatantly, tell you they’re thirsty. Others take a more discreet approach and wait until you come over.

And for the male in the equation, well let’s just say cocktail digging can be a touchy subject. Especially for the guy who falls for a digger’s smooth moves. He buys a few rounds while looking forward to what may come as a result. And more often than not, at the end of the night, not only is his wallet empty, so is his bed. I’m not saying every guy who buys a girl a drink has an ulterior motive, but a good majority does. C’mon, buying a random girl a drink at a bar solely for casual conversation? Ha! That’s a whole other topic. Back to digging.

Some people get frustrated with cocktail digging, but I personally find it fantastic. And yes I’m biased because I’m a female. When a guy buys me a drink at a bar I graciously accept. If I decide to stick around and milk him for another one, so be it.  And when the lights come on and we go our separate ways, well, it’s been real. No guilt here. I didn’t force him to do it. I didn’t steal money from his wallet or sneakily put my drink on his tab. He acted; got me a drink and I drank it. Did I mention it was delicious? Maybe because it was free it tasted that much better. Yes, sometimes a digger can lead a guy on. So what? He’s the one falling for it. Shame on him, not her.

Guys will also comment on how girls dress a certain way to get free drinks. Now I’m not going on record saying I’ve done that, but let’s just say I know people who have. Shirts may be a little lower, jeans a little tighter, skirts a little shorter, but so what. Again, no one forces the guy to buy the drinks. Yes, an outfit can increase your chances (I’m grinning), but the guy still takes action and buys the drink.

And guys, you have plenty of your own perks in this world. Among the many: you can take your shirt off in public on a hot summer day, you can pee standing up, you’ll never have to experience menstruation, labor or menopause, and if you’re talented and work really hard you can get paid a LOT of money to play a sport.  We don’t have those perks, just free cocktails.

So that’s where I stand. But I’m opening the floor to all comments and opinions. No need to hold back. Tell it like it is. No hard feelings. And for the cocktail diggers of America, dig on ladies! In these hard economic times, it’s nice to catch a break.

Cheers

Elizabeth