Is Sharing a Drink Flirting? Here’s What You Should Consider

We’re going to talk about one of the many uncertain situations you might find yourselves in when you’re just getting into a relationship or interacting with someone you are interested in. And that is: is sharing a drink flirting?

There are a lot of answers to this, and none of them will apply to one person or couple as they do to others. So, it is important to consider a few aspects of your own situation when you find yourself asking the question, is sharing a drink flirting?

Read more for our breakdown on whether sharing a drink could be considered flirting, and what you should consider when trying to answer this question for yourself.

Is sharing a drink flirting?

Technically speaking, we won’t consider sharing a drink with someone flirting. It might suggest that you and the other person are really close, since sharing a drink involves a lot of saliva swapping, which is not the most pleasant thing to do with someone who you’re not close with.

To some people though, sharing a drink could be seen as flirting. One reason is because of the intimacy of the act. Another reason could be that in our society, couples usually share a drink when they eat out at a restaurant or walk around on a sunny day.

So, sharing a drink with someone can be seen as flirting in this context. But of course, this is not the only context you should consider.

Here’s what you should consider

There are many things you should consider when you ask yourself if sharing a drink is flirting when you’re just starting out in a relationship or you’re spending time with someone you like. Here are a few we think are worth your time thinking about.

What do you think your relationship with the person sharing a drink with you is?

If your friend suggests you share a drink, then it probably isn’t flirting. Unless you think there could be a chance for you two to date. If the answer is no, then once again, they are probably not flirting with you.

Say you are on a night out with some friends, and they ordered a drink that is larger than they thought, they might offer for you to share it with them so as not to get too drunk themselves or waste any of the drink. The same can apply to eating out with a friend.

If it is your crush that suggests you share a drink, then the situation and how you two have been interacting contribute to whether you should consider the act as flirting. If you feel things are going well and the both of you are enjoying spending time together, then maybe this is a way for them to show you they are ready to take things further and want to see if you agree.

If you feel things are staggered and awkward, and you are not sure if they like you enough to share a drink with you “romantically”, then even if they suggest you share a drink with them it probably doesn’t mean much.

Do you think the person you’re sharing a drink with might think you are more than friends?

If you consider the person you’re sharing a drink with as more than a friend, then you might be rather happy about them suggesting you share a drink together. But it is also important to consider what the other person might think.

Which is never an easy thing to do. But you can also guess by how the person acts towards you and around you, especially their body language and how they speak. Remember, sometimes actions speak more than words.

The type of drink you are sharing

The type of drink you are sharing can also indicate whether the other person is flirting with you by suggesting you share a drink with them.

Let’s say you’re at a bar, and they just ordered a cocktail with a less-than-classy name for you to share with them, then it could potentially be a sign that they are flirting with you. But this doesn’t mean sharing an ordinary drink can’t be considered an act of flirting.

If your crush asks to share an ordinary drink with you, it could mean they are comfortable with you, and that they are happily sharing the simple things in life with you. And this should be great news for you and how you two will develop in your relationship. But as always, you should consider your relationship with the other person and how the act of sharing plays a part in that relationship.

Where and in what situation are you sharing this drink?

If you are sharing a drink with someone in public, it could mean that they are comfortable with showing their relationship to you. As sharing a drink in public can often lead to others seeing you two as a couple, and in a way deter some interest in themselves from others by announcing that they might not be taken.

So, in this situation, asking you to share a drink with them can be a pretty big show of their interest in you and wish to take things further.

If you are sharing a drink with someone in public, but with a group of friends, then things get a little more complicated. Because if you are at a gathering and the restaurant serves up a jug of a drink, then you would be sharing a drink with the whole table.

Or if you are sharing a drink with someone simply because they wanted to try what you ordered and vice versa, then you probably shouldn’t think that sharing a drink is flirting.

Do you feel comfortable sharing a drink with this person?

Of course, whether sharing a drink with someone is flirting depends a lot on how you feel about them as much as it depends on how they think of you. If you like them and hoped that you can take things to the next level, then it probably means you’re comfortable with considering sharing a drink with them as an act of flirting.

So, if flirting with you was their intention in asking you to share a drink with them and congrats! Feelings are reciprocated and things could go well with you two.

But if you don’t really like the other person, then you might find them asking you to share a drink with them a little uncomfortable. They could very well be flirting with you. But they could also just be asking you to do so for other reasons, like not wanting to create waste because they know they wouldn’t be able to finish it on their own. Context is important, and you can always tell by considering what your relationship with this person has been before they asked you to share a drink with them.

It’s important not to jump to conclusions and take it easy. After all, in this day and age, people are a lot less conservative, and sharing a drink might not indicate much at all. It could show that the other person is interested in you enough to share a drink with you, but it’s best not to settle on an explanation too quickly.

Sharing a drink might simply indicate to other people that you know the other person, and they won’t think much about the two of you beyond that.

Summary

There are a lot of reasons why someone might want to share a drink with you. And not all of them are going to be romantic.

But of course, it could also be a way of flirting with you. Context is important. And you can always tell by thinking back on your interaction with the other person.

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