Anyone who has spent any time drinking with me knows I hate vodka. A lot. Nothing has changed. I firmly believe that if there is a good drink made with vodka (I know, thats a big "if"), there is a better drink to be made by simply using a different white spirit. Here are a few of my favorite substitutions.

The White Cuban

Havana Club if you can get it, or another Cuban style rum like Matusalem, keeps to the communist imagery. Kahlúa is fine if its what you've got, as this remains a drink that without much complexity, but I prefer something homemade or Patrón XO Café.

The Jamaican Mule

Of all the "classic" cocktails, the Moscow Mule has always been the most disappointing to me. When I want a drink that tastes like ginger beer, I just drink a ginger beer. This mule has a decidedly stronger kick.

The Metropolitan

As I've mentioned before, the term "cosmopolitan" derives from the Russian kosmopolit, a derogatory epithet implying a lack of cultural affiliation, whereas a metropolis is a city of global cultural significance. Simply put, gin is cultured, vodka is not.