While it was men who coined the term “birdie,” it was women who invented birdie juice...
The inaugural “birdie” was first coined in a match in 1903 by a male group at Atlantic City Country Club in New Jersey.
However, it was women who really gave this one-under-par score meaning and suggested it deserved more of a tangible celebration which led to the birth of “Birdie Juice.”
Rumour puts the story of birdie juice’s inception as taking place in 2002. A group of all-women golfers were heading out for a round on Women’s Golf Day at Gentle Creek Club in Prosper, Texas. The bartender at the course had a bottle of whipped cream vodka that was not selling. so he gave it to the women and nonchalantly recommended they toast their birdies. A tradition was born that day and celebrating birdies with “birdie juice” became common practice, especially for female playing groups.
But when does one have their celebratory birdie juice? And what do they have? Like anything in golf, there’s an etiquette for birdie juice too.
While whipped cream vodka was the first “birdie juice,” there is no set standard for what beverage must be enjoyed when one makes a birdie.
When to Have Birdie Juice
The short answer is it depends on the pace of play. If there’s time, it can be enjoyed immediately after the birdie is scored or on the tee box of the following hole. It’s a tradition that the woman who scored the birdie is the one to supply herself and the remainder of her playing group with a shot.
What to Drink
While whipped cream vodka was the first “birdie juice,” there is no set standard for what beverage must be enjoyed when one makes a birdie. Some of the most popular choices include whiskey (particularly cinnamon), butterscotch schnapps, and pink lemonade vodka. Of course, you can celebrate with other non-alcoholic beverages too! See our social media channels for a round-up of favourite birdie juice recipes you submitted!
What to Serve It In
Nowadays, players are getting very creative with what they choose to bring and enjoy their birdie juice in. From decorated flasks to fun shot glasses, the customization ideas are endless!
What to Wear
There are now even options for themed clothing to wear in support of Birdie Juice...
Birdie Juice Fitted Scoop T-Shirt (Shown Centre) Designed & Sold By GJLee • $24.49 USD • Shop Here!
How Much is Too Much?
Concerned about too many birdies equaling too much alcohol? Don’t be too worried...
We did some math using data from scoring management company TheGrint.com via mygolfspy.com where they calculated the likelihood of a player in a given handicap range getting a birdie during a round (See GolfSpy’s article here).
It should be no surprise that the lower your handicap, the more likely you will get a birdie:
Average Birdies / Rounds
So if your foursome has two 21-handicappers and two 12-handicappers, the expected number of birdies by the group would be 1.4 (0.5+0.5+0.2+0.2=1.4)
If your foursome has four 21-handicappers, the expected number of birdies by the group would be 0.8 (0.2+0.2+0.2+0.2=0.8)
So the moral of the story is: if you want to drink more “birdie juice,” play with better players!
Do you have a great suggestion for birdie juice that we should try? Or perhaps a fun flask or shot glass we should check out? Let us know! This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.