The only times I drink heavily are when I'm home with friends. I try to travel as little as possible by any means when I'm not in a good state. When I'm out, I'll just look to hit that sweet-spot of tipsy when you're loose and social.
As for wine, I buy inexpensive Port almost exclusively. That's a fun bottle to kill in a sitting. Despite that, I enjoy good wine when it's around. I like Cabernet Sauvignon best of the reds, probably because it goes so damn well with a nice steak. For white wines, I like Riesling and Vinho Verde best, but Chardonnays can be really good also.
In terms of mixed drinks, Tequila Sunrises don't do the trick like the Long Island Iced Tea. One to three of those are all you need for a solid pregame, if you like juice or soda in your drink. My favorite drink has to be the Godfather. 2:1 Scotch whiskey to amaretto. I generally use Johnnie Walker Black (it won't taste as good with worse whiskey, but using better Scotch would be a waste) and Disaronno.
I put a dollar in one of those change machines. Nothing changed. ~George Carlin