Serious question: Have you ever had an alcoholic beverage made with hard liquor? Alcohol has a very strong flavor/burn. Even half an ounce of cheap vodka, the "

Serious question: Have you ever had an alcoholic beverage made with hard liquor? Alcohol has a very strong flavor/burn. Even half an ounce of cheap vodka, the "flavor-neutral spirit", will throw off the taste of a glass of soda. Grain spirits with even more ethanol like Everclear are even harsher. There are cocktails that can mask the taste of alcohol well, but not entirely.