It depends on what the alcohol is in what it tastes like. Beer is on the bitter side, wine is tangy or sweet, liqueur is sugar with alcohol, and the distilled drinks (whisky, gin, wodka, etc.) can taste different depending on the casks, the water and wether or not they put spices in, what’s being fermented (barley, corn, potato) and for how long.
In some drinks you barely notice the alcohol and for others it’s like you’re drinking paint thinner.
Here in the Netherlands you can pay practically everywhere electronically (even the door to door collectors for charities carry a qrcode in addition to their collection box) , but if you go next door to Germany you’d better bring cash if you want to buy anything.