Is it weird socially to like spirits as a woman?

Not sure how to phrase it i apologize lol. I love cocktails a lot, fruity and adventurous unique ones, and I love wine plenty too. But I also really enjoy spirits (is that the correct term for straight liquor?) and beer.

I didn’t think much of it but I was hanging out with friends and we talked about drinks and I said I really enjoy whiskey and bourbon either neat or iced, and one of my friends boyfriends said it’s strange I like hard liquor like that as a woman. The boys also laughed when I said I liked beer and said I should drink cocktails instead because beer and whiskey make me seem like a man. Which I don’t even take as an insult because I am pretty masculine but I’m still very much a woman.

The girls there stood up for me a bit though and said that was rude and it’s fine to like whatever I like. I don’t care too much for peoples opinions either way but I’m wondering how it’s treated socially for most people when women enjoy the drinks I do. I was extra surprised because this was in Europe and everyone drinks there LOL. People do drink hard liquor to get drunk but the boys said it was weird I enjoyed beer and whiskey and bourbon for the flavor.

Sorry for my shitty English lol. Also, any whiskey recommendations? Or bourbon?