Canadian Whiskey, preferably Crown with ginger ale is my favorite mixed drink. If I'm at a place that has Islay scotch, ie. Ardbeg, Laphroaig, Lagavulin, etc., I'll get that either neat or with a couple drops of water added. Beer, I'm all over the map. Lighter in warmer weather, darker in colder. Love unfiltered wheat or Trappist quads anytime of year. Not a huge hop fan so high hops needs to be balanced with a little sweet. Wine, I'll drink any sweet white wine out there from dessert to mead to Reisling. No Zinfandel as for a couple dollars more, a cheap Reisling just tastes better to me. Reds I prefer cabernet sauvignon. I'm not too informed on wine as I don't drink enough of it to really know what's good or not. I pay $10 per bottle and $15 at most if I've had it or it's recommended from friends who actually know what they're talking about. It's wasted on me otherwise. I've become very particular in recent years. It's hopefully not because I've become a snob, but because I don't drink that much at all anymore and I've learned what I like. In the end, if I have a smoky scotch or a smooth whiskey and ginger, I'm a happy man.
I'm in college, so I'll drink pretty much whatever is handy. That being said, go to pregaming drink is gatorade, monster, and whatever vodka is around. When I'm out at a bar it's usually whatever the special is or a captain+coke.
Scotch or any kind of beer if I'm hanging out with friends. If I'm at a bar or restaurant, vodka on the rocks, because you usually get a glass of vodka for the same price as a vodka tonic. Super efficient.
If I'm out at an Irish bar or a bar that has a ton of drinks I go with a Magner's or a Strongbow hard cider. Hard liquor is usually Captain Morgan with ginger ale, or sprite if they don't. Too many fucking bars try to mix coke and sprite together for ginger ale, which is retarded. During the summer, I'll ask for a splash of lemonade on the Captain and Ginger Ale. It has a refreshing feeling to it, still can taste the rum pretty strongly and it's always a good time. Are people really getting shit on the rocks at bars? I can't believe people are getting shit on the rocks that much at bars because unless you're drinking well liquor. They charge like 12-14 dollars for anything straight with a brand name, and still give you a half glass. But then they'll put the same amount into a mix drink if you smile long enough and charge you 6-8. But drinking at home, on the rocks is where to go.
My go to always depends on my mood or what the setting is. If I'm at dinner or just having a few beers I generally like a good wheat beer or a Belgian White, no fruit in either. I also enjoy a good Blonde from a Micro Brewery. If I'm out to get drunk, either at the bar or at home, it's Coors Light. These days, though, I'm getting to be quite a Scotch Man. Almost any setting and I'll be happy with a good scotch whisky over a couple cubes of ice. I've also been known to enjoy a good Gin and Tonic, but it's been a while since I've had one of those.
It depends on who I'm with... With the guys or drinking to impress: Ardbeg or Balvenie neat with a water back so I can add the water myself. Beer- Guinness or Left Hand Milk Stout if it's available. Regular night out: Gin & Tonic (well is fine. Hendricks if I've got the money). Beer of choice is High Life: Can't argue with champagne.
Mixed: Gin and Tonic Shot: Used to be tequila (yeah I was that asshole), then SoCo and lime, now it's usually Jager (yeah Im that asshole). Beer: Coors Light.
It kind of depends on the situation and the time of year. In general though, I'm a bourbon guy. If I'm at a bar, I will go with a Beam on the rocks as a base and upgrade to Makers or Knob Creek once in a while, or Bookers or Basil if I want something a bit better. It's impossible to fuck up, requires minimal effort on the bartender's behalf, and it really is a timeless drink. For beer, it's gotta be ice old Summit Extra Pale Ale. It's local, it's affordable, and every bar in the state with three taps or more carries it.
One of my favorite drinks to order is "Orange Triple Sec", which is basically orange juice and Triple Sec ( which is used in many drinks recipes). The price I end up paying for the orange triple sec is also a good indication if the bar is having what I call "the mixed drinks surcharge". A great summer drink to order is a Gin7 ( basically gin + 7up). I usually order it double gin ,in a tall glass (pint glass works) with lots of ice ( garnish slices of orange or lime is also excellent). A clear, cool drink, that also has a nice tendency to sneak up on you. While i will order the occasional rum&coke , often i will find either the coke or the rum to be sub-par, making this an occasional and declining order ( either shitty rum, or bad fountain coke, never both for some reason)
I'm not really a beer drinker. All it does is make me feel like belching (which I can never do when drinking beer for some reason). The only beer I will drink with any regularity is New Belgium's Skinny Dip. It's sweet and goes down smooth. I'm a fan of the Jack in shot form or otherwise, but my brother bought some Kraken and I was tempted to steal the bottle. That shit was amazing. If I'm not doing shots of Jack or Kraken, I'm doing Irish Car Bombs because it's so goddamned delicious.
Has no one mentioned vodka and club soda yet? I like it because clear liquor is easier to stomach, and the more carbonated the club soda, the better it cuts crappy vodka. I've heard tell that this is a woman's drink, but I like it all the same.
I'll usually order a Double Jack and Coke. It's not that I don't like straight whiskey, I do, it's just that if I'm going to be drinking all night, I want my liquor to be a little watered down so I can stand at the end of the night and not be found face down in the street with $16k jammed into my pocket. As far as beer, I like Hef's. So I'll usually go with a Blue Moon or something similar. Even though it's filling, I like the taste. If I want to just get drunk, I'll be found taking double shots of jack chasing with bud light.
My go-to drink for any occasion is gin and tonic. Specifically, Hendricks and tonic with a slice of cucumber. A lot of places don't carry Hendricks in which case I will get Bombay Sapphire with lime. I feel that a good ol' G&T is perfect for any time of year and Hendricks is quite possibly the best and smoothest gin I have ever had.
mixed drink: Stoli and club with lemon -- refreshing yet solid; great for before, during, or after dinner; no real stigma attached to it; doesn't give you bad hangovers martini: hendricks, up, dry beer: high life
Whisky on the rocks or if it's a shitty blended whisky I like to mix in some 7up and a slice of lime. If whisky isn't an option I'll go to vodka. Gotta agreee with future Sackette, I love me some Ketel One. Serve it chilled and neat.
Beer (sipping a six-pack): Boulder Mojo IPA. Beer (pounding a 12er): Bud Light. Mixed drink: Sailor Jerry and Coke. Cherry Coke is even better. Shot: Rum, tequila. After a bad experience in college, I'm just now coming back around to whiskey. Shots are still hard, especially of something shitty like Evan Williams or Jim Beam. I can appreciate a nice glass of neat Jameson or Maker's Mark, though. Mmmm. Jager is currently the only liquor I won't touch.
Jack and Ginger: Caffeine gets me all antsy in the pantsy, so if I'm looking to tie one off I'll go for ginger ale instead of coke. It's not my favorite drink by a long shot, but I'd be shocked if I ever went to a bar that didn't have it.
I am a very complex man, so I have different go to drinks for different feelings and moods. Yes, I am a feel drinker. Beer aside... If I'm just unwinding at the bar, maybe a happy hour type deal, it's a double Maker's on the rocks. There's also this bourbon that's called Colorado or something that I'll order sometimes because it's decent. I tried one night when I was drunk, but they know what I'm referring to. Out with friends and I'm wanting to get hammered... vodka club with a lemon. I hate when they put limes on that shit. Goes down quick and easy, no hangover, I don't smell like a fucking moonshine still all night. If I'm being different, it's sailor jerry and coke. Home, which means I'm getting hammered. Saw it mentioned here, but stoli blueberry and lemonade. It's fucking awesome.
Beer is my first love, and I make it a point to try as many as I can, as well as make my own. This weekend I kegged an American brown ale. It tastes great already, I'm looking forward to trying to finished (carbonated ) product. Otherwise, its either red bull and vodka. or screwdrivers (usually at happy hour at my bar, when they are insanely inexpensive), or gin and tonics during the warmer months.
My standby, comfort drink is Bacardi and Diet with a lime. I've been drinking it since I was 18, and it's never, ever led to a disastrous night. Can't say the same for my other favs.