You can ride a drop bar in the same way as a flat bar.
But you also have 2 extra positions, a semi-aero one, holding the handllebar from the hoods of the brakes, and a more aero one holding the handlebar from the drops.
Brifters - Shifters-brake lever combinations, are expensive for drop bars. But you can always put stem shifters, or bar end shifters and just have a pair of brake levers.
Drop bars are really really useful when it's windy...