I just spent the last two weeks living with some Russian people and I was really amazed, they drank vodka straight like it was water. One guy was even swishing it around his mouth to soothe a toothache (or so he said.) I can drink it straight if I have to but I’d never choose to drink any of the big 4 straight on my own really unless I was really desperate to get trashed. Now rum on the other hand…
Whisky is the only liquor I like at all, and I drink it straight these days. I prefer scotch and also enjoy a good bourbon, but don’t try to feed me Canadian whisky - it tastes “fuzzy” to me.
Vodka: Rubbing alcohol
Gin: Pine-Sol
Rum: Turpentine
Tequila: I spent a night drinking it once, a couple decades ago, and don’t remember anything about it other than that I became very, very, very ill. The bartender did appreciate the fact that I cleaned up the mess myself. I haven’t tried it again.
Fine Brandies and Cognacs. Several Liqueurs- Benedictine for example.
Most Single Malts and some fine blended well-aged scotch whiskies.
A very very fine rum. I mean $30+ a bottle rum. Just a really good rum $20+ calls for ice and a lime. I will even drink very very fine rums with ice and lime. Flavored Rums are for mixed drinks, young dudes and girls.
Hmmm. Basicly, if it doesn’t cost more than $30 a fifth /750ml it likely isn’t worth drinking straight.
I drink good Mezcals and Tequilas with just salt and lime.
No vodka is worth $30 so no vodka is worth drinking straight. 
Do not, repeat NOT, drink Everclear straight.
I was at a party once, going to make myself a drink. There was some koolaid mix and everclear so I thought I’d make some “jungle juice.” What’s the etymology of that anyway? I hope it’s not offensive. Anyway, it turned out that the apartment didn’t have running water so it ended up being koolaid mix and straight everclear. First sip your mouth goes dry, by the fourth it’s numb, I drank about 1/3rd-1/2 of the cup then quit and lit it on fire instead.
Jameson whiskey is delicious straight. In fact I enjoy just about any brand of the whiskey family straight. I know this doesn’t count, but one of my favorite drinks a bar is a shot a Jameson sipped slowly and chased by a dark beer.
It’s funny seeing that I am not the only one who is incrediblly tolerant of one form of alcohol while intolerant of others. So while I can drink whiskey straight, I wretch at the slightest taste of vodka. Literally I will come close to vomitting even with a light mixed drink.
I believe this is due to an overindulgence of VERY cheap vodka in college. You know those $11 huge handles, that kind. It was all us poor kids could afford to “get wasted” every [del]weekend[/del] day. So now even real nice quality vodka makes me think of that horrible stuff.
hiccup
I drink Canadian blends. My favorite, or as the say in Canukistan “favourite” is Crown Royal.
On a daily basis I enjoy Black Velvet.
If you are buying I’ll have a nice single malt.
Spirit of choice is Gentleman Jack (all the flavor of pedestrian Jack, without the bite). Also enjoy a glass of Scotch or Rum on occasion. Vodka - if properly chilled. Gin - never. Everclear - no thanks, might as well be back in the East TN hills will a mason jar of moonshine.
O.K. in answer to your question Are you a Pansy? So I expect that you’re very well dressed and have exquisite taste in interior decorating?
But being serious I’ve studied drinking for many years(And I haven’t got a drink problem O.K.?)
If you drink a straight spirit then theres a good chance that you will urinate a fair part of the alcohol out of your system before it gets into your blood system as it cant take it in a rush.
But if you drink a spirit with a carbonated mixer in it then you will get pissed up a hell of a lot quicker then if you were drinking the spirit without it.
After all these years I cant actually remember the effects of an uncarbonated mixer.
Clearly your problem is that you are drinking crap Scotch and Bourbon. (Technically Jack Daniel’s isn’t Bourbon; it’s Tenneesee whiskey, but whatever you call it, it is intolerable.) Whiskey neat is an acquired taste, to be sure, but you’ll acquire it a lot faster if you start with palatable liquors. I recommend Macallan 12 Year Old or the Glenmorange 12 Year cask whiskeys for Scotch, and Woodford Reserve for Bourbon. Personally, I think the Irish whiskeys are easier to start with, and more generally enjoyable. Bushnells Black Label (“Black Bush”) is a good one to start with. A splash of water often improves the whiskey, but ice is never recommended.
Shooters are for the college kids who want to get drunk fast and wake up on the bathroom floor wondering whether they’ve had sex or been had. That’s no way to appreciate good liquor.
Stranger
Ouzo.
When I was drinking.
I will never understand the widely held belief that Vodka is odorless and flavorless. It smells like something I might find in a beaker in a lab, and tastes like it too. I’ve shot it a couple of times (both plain and flavored) and both times I had a hard time swallowing. My body reacted to it like I was trying to swallow unlabeled chemicals. Tequila at least tastes like it has acquaintance with food.
I had straight rum once. Rum is not meant to be drunk straight. I know that now. Alcohol in general is best when mixed with something.
Hi! Long term lurker, posting for the first time.
I will only drink bourbon neat. The thought of diluting that wonderous nectar makes me shudder.
I will only drink single-malt neat. See above comment.
Vodka and gin are to be used only in mixed drinks. Otherwise they are too foul to go down my throat.
Tequila is pretty much off limits. The occasional margarita on the rocks with dinner, but that’s the limit.
Rum…is a mixed bag. A really good rum should be treated like a good whisk(e)y and sipped neat. The middle-level rums go fine with Coke.
If I’ll drink it in a mixed drink, I’ll drink it straight. Rum, tequila, vodka, whatever. If I can’t drink it straight it isn’t meant to be drank at all. See Yukon Jack.
Have you tried Hendricks gin? It’s infused with cucumber and rose petals (apparently) and is very drinkable straight. It’s a way-out-of-leftfield taste, but delicious.
Hendricks…I’ll have to look for that at Bevmo this afternoon. I’m will to take a flyer on a new taste treat. I’ll let you know whether you’ve made a friend or an enemy. 
I almost always drink my liquor neat. I prefer a good single malt above anything else, followed by a good tequila, good brandy, good rum and other good whiskies. The key word there is “good”. As many of you know, and the rest of you should learn, there are mixing liquors and sipping liquors, and mistaking one for the other is a mistake.
I’ve been checking out the ingredients list and will have to warn you about this - one of the botanicals is coriander (cilantro). I know that some people taste that as really unpleasant, so beware. Otherwise, enjoy - and the bottle is cool as anything.
No problemo…I love cilantro. I dump it by the bunch on my taco salads.
Vodka - Don’t drink it, straight up or mixed. No flavor, just takes like alcohol to me.
Tequila - Have drunk really good stuff in Mexico as a “sipping” drink. Can drink stuff in the form of shots, but mostly don’t bother.
Gin - Foulest tasting stuff on earth (ok, hyperbole). Or is it the tonic water that is foul. I vote both. Horrid, horrid stuff. Vile, evil. Palindromic.
Scotch - Either drink neat, on the rocks or, if blended, with soda water and a twist.
Bourbon - Ditto to Scotch, although some bourbons have a bit strong flavor of charcoal. Note to others: Jack Daniels is NOT bourbon, only Kentucky whiskeys can be bourbons.
Rum - Will drink good rums straight. I prefer dark rums to light. Love to drink dark rum and OJ if I feel a cold coming on. Or if I’m at the beach and thirsty.
**Cognac, Armangac ** - almost always have a bottle at home. Drink straight 95% of the time, but I might drink over the rocks or even with soda or ginger ale as a very rare change up.
I’ve drank other obscure liquors with water or straight up (Pastisse, Raki, etc.) I even like rotgut Thai whiskey straight some times.
I must contradict this at least in my personal experience. As a former primarily beer drinker, I’m quite accustomed to making many trips to the men’s room. But since I’ve switched to mostly drinking scotch neat, the need for frequent urination (while drinking) has completely stopped. I realized it after the second or third instance of drinking scotch all night when, after four doubles spread over four hours, I was getting ready to go home and realized that I hadn’t made a single trip to the restroom.
YMMV, obviously.
Yeah, what the hell is that stuff, anyway? I’ve only tried it once, and that was when I was 20 (the hot redhead to whom I lost my virginity had the house to herself and a bottle of YJ …) Let’s just say I enjoyed the redhead far more than the liquor. Ditto Southern Comfort. Both appear to be whiskey, but waaaaay too sweet. Any orange-y in the case of YJ.