Late last year, 33-year-old Justin Ruka of Orlando met a flight attendant at a gay bar. About a month later, Ruka saw a familiar face coming down the aisle during an Alaska Airlines flight to San Francisco.
The flight attendant needed only one guess to know what Ruka was drinking. In a flash, Ruka’s tray had two tiny bottles of Tito’s vodka, a can of seltzer water and a lime flavoring packet. Voila: vodka soda.
“It’s kind of cliche,” Ruka said of his drink, but “it was a really nice way to kick off that trip.”
The combination of soda water and vodka has long been a fixture of boozy LGBTQ+ life, particularly among gay men. Over time, it has become a cultural touchpoint and somewhat of an inside joke within the community.
The so-called “gay water” has created business opportunities for entrepreneurs ranging from local bar owners to canned cocktail makers.
Multiple gay-identifying men told CNBC that the drink is their go-to because it’s low in sugar and calories. It can also lead to less of a hangover compared with alternatives, such as tequila or gin, they said. Some add a lime wedge or a splash of cranberry juice to their vodka soda for extra flavor.
