Sometimes, “snob” drinking advice is not really all that snobbish. It’s just trying to stop people from wasting perfectly good alcohol on making life less tasty and enjoyable.
For example, this comment essay titled “Some of You Are Clearly Drinking Whiskey Wrong.”
Aliens in This World 
If you’re taking a shot, what’s the point of flavoring?
Well, maybe something like pepper vodka makes sense, as that’s a flavor fast enough to taste on the way down. But most of ’em don’t make any sense whatever.
Of course, a lot of folks who sit there throwing down shots also don’t remember much about the evening afterward; so clearly form following function is not their concern, or they’d just ask somebody to hit them over the head and leave them at home on Saturday night.
I love that guy’s commentary on those tips. He was right for the most part, except concerning craft distilleries. Of course, I think that one should refrain from buying them unless one has read a good review or from buying them at a bar where one is likely to be charged an arm and a leg for it.
And Brian Cox has gone up several points in my book for those youtube videos!
Oh, those are great videos. And they sound like butter. Or rather, whiskey. And re: craft distilleries, obviously it’s nice to support them but also to taste them first!
There’s actually a new craft distillery in my area, but I haven’t gotten out to see them yet. They’re using old copper from their great-great-great’s distillery that was running way back when, long before the Civil War, and reviving the name of his business. They’re making moonshine right now also, and I have to say I’m curious to have some.