An acquired taste: Distilled spirits

Few care to admit it, but enjoying distilled spirits is a skill that often comes with age. People just aren't weaned on straight whiskey, though many do manage to sneak into the liquor cabinet long before they can legally purchase their first beer. For most, the first sip of straight spirits is unpleasant - much worse than any cough syrup Mom tried to coax down their throats.

After a bad experience with these liquors, it can be years before someone ventures from fermented beverages to cocktails. That's why I always recommend having a trained and trusted bartender make a tenderfoot's first drink. Such a mixer will take pride in being invited to participate in what should be a memorable experience. But, regrettably, bartenders today are seldom professionals polished in their craft. If you were to go into your local bar and ask for a drink suggestion based on your mood, the time, and the weather, most mixers would shrug their shoulders and ask if you preferred light or dark beer.

If you're stuck with such a bartender, you'll have to do the homework. Memorize two or three basic drink recipes from the Virtual Blender or the drinks suggested below; then find a good soul who will take the time to humor your requests. Don't be bashful, but use tact when educating a bartender. And remember, unless it's a whiskey on the rocks, any drink tastes better if someone else makes it.

For those of you who would like to start with whiskey, try an Old Fashioned. Most bartenders will have heard of it and should be willing to learn how to prepare it properly. Initially, rye may be too pungent for you, but this drink's recipe also works well with bourbon or scotch. If you find an Old Fashioned too sweet, try a Manhattan. But only trust this drink to be made properly in the hands of a worthy mixologist, because it's often prepared unbalanced.

Don't be duped by the cool crystalline nature of a Martini. It is definitely the most elegant cocktail, and to truly appreciate the best is a worthy goal. But if this is to be your first experience with gin, try something smoother. Although a Gin and Tonic might be the easiest thing to order, opt for something more festive and tasty, perhaps a Delilah, a Martinez, or a Gimlet shaken and served straight up. Cointreau and fresh fruit juice go a long way in buffering the juniper of gin.

Rum, despite its dubious ties to Coca-Cola, is by far the premier spirit for mixing cocktails. Any cocktail typically made with another spirit is still toothsome when prepared with the proper variety of brandy standard that's just as savory.

If you like your drinks to be simple, there's no substitute for the Daiquiri. Rum, fresh lime juice, and sugar are three ingredients that every bar will stock. Just don't let a bartender serve you a frozen version of a drink. Recently, a mixologist at one of San Francisco's finest establishments tried to serve me one. The bartender whirred up his Waring on a warm April evening. Luckily, I stopped him in time to get what I really wanted. You'll also want to steer clear of any bartender's suggestion that requires copious amounts of syrupy juices or sweetened coconut nectar. A rum drink that's too sweet will definitely lead to a morning that you'll wish you could forget.

You may have noticed that I've seemingly overlooked froufrou drinks. Places like TGI Fridays offer the young and undiscerning these Kool-Aid-like concoctions, flavored with the likes of peach schnapps, Midori, and chambord. These drinks - typically mixed with vodka and fruit juice and garnished with big blue whales or tissue-paper umbrellas - make it tough to detect whether you're sucking on a Jolly-Rancher or an actual drink. By masking the taste of alcohol, these overly sweet drinks also make it difficult for anyone - regardless of age and drinking experience - to gauge how much alcohol they're consuming. These drinks are sure-fire recipes for a hangover.

Cocktails, however, are the perfect choice for those of you who have decided that being an adult does have its benefits. I'm not talking about turning into your parents (if they're baby boomers, they probably know less about cocktails than your local bartender). What I mean is that drinking cocktails, as opposed to drinks that hide the taste of alcohol, shows that you're beginning to make a conscious choice about what you put in your body. But remember, cocktails are for the mindful and certainly not recommended for followers.