When I was younger I wanted Rum and coke, or vodka drinks. Now I prefer white wine and the occational Smirnoff Ice, unless I am in a coctail bar.
Nearly any fresh beer, vodka Absolut mixed with nearly everything, pastis with mint cream (a Perroquet), Sauternes and Coteaux-du-Layon. I prefer white wine to red wine but I can appreciate a good Bourgogne And Champagne of course
I am heavily into microbrews, particularly IPAs (India Pale Ales). There are a lot of good ones around here. Ninkasi is a brewer here in town that makes an excellent IPA and their double-red ale is also quite delicious.
Hard to describe, since I'm not good at describing tastes, especially when it comes to drinks, but I'll give it a shot. Compared to cider (which is the only thing I've drunk repeatedly) to use as a baseline, it's a bit creamier/smoother(?), the taste is sweeter and not quite as sharp, though there is a little kick when it goes down the back of the throat, but again, not a sharp one... ...probably a terrible description.
I think vodka mixes well with other things. It doesn't have a strong flavor so it won't overwhelm the drink. Back when I was a freshman, I would usually just pour vodka in coke since it was cheap and simple (and I didn't have any rum). Later I would get vanilla vodka instead because I'm a fan of Vanilla Coke. As for a vodka martini vs. a gin martini? I'm pretty sure I've never had a martini before, so I can't compare. Imagine the worst qualities of honey, wine, and beer stuck together in an unholy concoction. It's sticky like honey, you can taste the alcohol about as strong as in wine, and there's an aftertaste that reminds me of a bad beer.
That guy would drink anything! Loki (that's how you spell it in anglo, right?) once challenged Thor to a drinking contest. Thor wasn't able to finish the drink in three gulps and was kinda defeated -but as his drink was the sea(!) his drinking from it caused the tide. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lokrur
The sad thing is I want to drink mead again for nostalgic reasons. I had a fun time drinking it even if it isn't particularly pleasant (it gets easier to drink the more you drink ).
Who are you and what have you done with Spider? Always a good thing. Wine's my favourite, esp. right bank Bordeaux (though left can be great too), white Burgundy, Mosel Rieslings & Alsatian Gewurz. If I'm feeling the need for something bigger/spicier, Rhone reds and Rioja will fit the bill nicely. But I also like cocktails - from simple classics like G&Ts, proper gin Martinis (twist of lemon) and a Tom Collins, through to more extravagant ones if I'm feeling frivolous. Talking of cocktails, a friend introduced me to Amaretto Sours last week - not something I'd pick as a daily drinker, but very lush as an occasional treat and definitely added to my portfolio... Beer - I like a wheat beer from time to time, and like some darker beers too. I'm not one for neat spirits though. That's about my only alcoholic no-fly zone.
But a proper, traditional gin martini is garnished with olives. Unless you're talking about a Gibson, then it's garnished with cocktail onions.