Vodka

Scott is right about the disturbing replacement of gin in martinis for vodka. In fact, a martini with vodka is not a martini, as Scott points out.

I'd go a bit farther though and lament the domination of vodka for my generation's mixed drinks. Frankly, when drinking hard alcohol, one should have to be aware of the existence of alcohol. Otherwise, we are 15 and drinking wine coolers.

I have no particular problem with the occasional vodka drink, but seriously, the preponderance of vodka bugs me an awful lot. Particularly because it has come largely at the expense of gin, the greatest alcohol ever invented.

Also, the whole martini phenomena, particularly when had with vodka, smacks of the worst kind of hipster pretentiousness.