Is particular liquor and its combos more about history and story rather than actual ‘best’ way?

For example, gin and tonic was created to make quinine palatable rather than any actual objective ‘taste’ or ‘experience’ advancement. Similarly, drinks like tequila are based on specific herbs bbut similar herbs of the same family are present which objectively should produce a similar ‘pleasant’ taste though not the same. So, my question is are liquor snobs just parroting history rather than any actual better experience? I know my language here is not very clear but hopefully, you get my point.