Now, there’s the suggestion I was looking for. Everybody else would be having me slake my thirst with single-malt whiskeys or Kentucky bourbon or Napoleon brandy, which is all good and well, but I’d be horizontal in no time.
More for me, for sure!
And I also agree that Absolut has become pretty standard (really). I prefer (when I can get) Iceberg Borealis (Ca), 42 Below (NZ), Kremliovskiya (Ru), Chopin (Po), or (trendy tho it may be) Grey Goose (Fr).
Of all of them, if you want to try a premium vodka (and don’t really think you like vodka), I would suggest the 42 Below. Very clean, but a nice citrus taste.
Chopin, I believe, is the only potato vodka on this list, which makes it the most unique of the bunch. Personally, I much prefer the potato vodkas and Chopin is certainly a very good one. Alternatively, you can try Teton Glacier, a US-made potato vodka. I think it is the equal of the others and costs significantly less.
Oh, and to get back to the OP and his drink choices. I noticed you mentioned your coffee getting tepid and sludgy. Perhaps you could switch to espresso. Since they’re much smaller, you can finish them more quickly and not suffer the cool-down.
What about the precursor to Brokeback Mountain the Cocksucking Cowboy where one drink leads to another.
Martini on the rocks. I can’t drink martinis fast enough for a non-rocks one to stay cold, and I hate the overly tippy cocktail glass. Even if you go more traditional, the end of a martini means you get to eat the olive. That’s the right way to finish off a drink.