The weather's a bit warm for it now, but when it gets colder, look up a little drink called the buttery nipple; it's like drinking alcoholic butterscotch.
Also, I second the guy who suggested whiskey and ginger ale; people tend to mix it with coke, but ginger ale is actualy a really good mixer. Sprite/Sierra Mist/insert lemon lime soda of your choice is also a good alternative.
As for beer, unless you are the king of beer snobs (by which I mean, an imperial stout is like water to you, instead of a pretty substantial drink) avoid Arrogant Bastard; I love dark beers, but that stuff is just too bitter for me. If you want something dark, go for an Imperial Stout such as Old Rasputin. If you want something lighter (which, let's be honest, it's still a bit hot out for truly dark beers), Sierra Nevada makes a really good IPA. Matter of fact, if you want good beer, the best way to find it is to go to a big liquor store (Total Wine and More is good for this) and just start perusing the craft beers. There's more varieties out there than any of us have heard of, and the only way to tell if they're any good is to buy a bottle. The average bottle of craft beer sells for around $2, so a mix and match six pack shouldn't break the bank.
Oh, also, if you need cheap beer for some reason, Yuengling is in the same price range as the crap made by Anheuser Busch, but it's actually beer instead of a weird rice infused concoction. Not the best beer in the world, but worth drinking if you're on a budget. I tend to keep a 12 pack of their Black and Tan on hand, mainly because it's less than a dollar a bottle when bought in that quantity, and still reasonably tasty.
