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Food

Drinking Rosé Isn’t Just for Girls Anymore, Bro

More and more men are feeling comfortable drinking the pink stuff. It's official: The era of brosé has arrived.

Men and women alike love to drink, but when it comes to drinking wine, there has historically been a cultural divide between which genders should supposedly be drinking what. Moscatos and chardonnays are emblazoned with names like "Party Girl" and "Butterfly Kiss," while bold reds like Cabernet Sauvignon somehow end up being dubbed "Sledgehammer."

Then there's rosé, of course. It's not terribly sweet (especially if you stick to Old World varieties), and it's the perfect wine for drinking on a hot summer's day—crisp, cool, tart, refreshing.

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But it's pink. And historically, that has made some men squirm. There are those who feel like the less-fair sex needs guides to the "manliest" wines, and the psychology that sways men away from Cosmopolitans due to their resemblance to uteruses.

But come on guys—get with the times. Bruce is now Caitlyn, Will Smith's son wears skirts on the regs and still pulls loads of tail, and Rick Ross and Meek Mill drink rosé.

READ: We Made a French Sommelier Drink the Girliest-Looking Wines We Could Find

But according to the rap world and a new article in DETAILS, the time of brosé has arrived. Drink up, bro. Pink is chill—if we wear pink polo shirts, why can't we drink pink wine?

"Real men drink pink" is now a mantra heard in even the most masculine of circles, Thomas Pastuszak—wine director at NYC's NoMad Hotel—recently told DETAILS. Rustun Nichols of the Wythe Hotel agrees, observing that a group of "seven dudes" might now order a magnum of rosé like it ain't no thang. Last year alone, premium imported rosé sales grew by a staggering 41 percent. The times are a changin', and men who once felt restricted to sharing rosé with their girlfriends now feel comfortable ordering it loud and proud.

Writer Chloe Wyma likens this cultural transition to that of the ever-more-prevalent female whiskey-drinker, who no longer fears miscategorization or the perception of being "less feminine" because of her drink of choice. Rosé's bad rap isn't totally undeserved; there was a time when most pink wines that you would come across were the loathsome, cloyingly sweet white zinfandel, which despite its almost unanimous hatred from wine critics was once the third most popular varietal sold in the US.

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White zinfandel's characteristic sweetness came about from a (somewhat) happy accident in 1975 when Sutter Home winemaker Bob Trinchero accidentally botched the fermentation process and left in much of the sugar that is usually lost in the process. The resulting wine actually became phenomenally popular for its easy drinkability, but rosé reputation remained tarnished for decades.

READ: Martini Glasses Look Like Uteruses to Insecure Bankers

Until now, anyway. Like gin or Greek yogurt, its popularity has surged in the recent decade seemingly from nowhere—but undoubtedly aided by a marked improvement in the quality and availability of rosé and the breakdown of the battle of the wine sexes. Its light, acidic flavor also makes it food-friendly, so it's a great buy when out to dinner. Why not have a glass of rosé with that steak, bro? And it's not gay if we split the chocolate torte, too, right bro? Cool. Totally.

With the man bun, rosé has steadily crept into the cultural vernacular of the contemporary American male until we don't even bat an eye at a frat boy in a magenta tank top drinking flamingo-colored wine. Pink is perfect, and the whole squad wants a glass.

And yes, someone has already thought of naming their line of wine Brosé.

Ditto Mangria.