Ginger ale I can understand - done it myself even. When faced with a truly rank Scotch like Teachers and with no option but to grin and bear it, Canada Dry ginger ale does at least make it bearable, even if the resulting grin is a little forced.
In an ideal world I would like just a small jug of spring water with the whisk(e)y. Certainly not tap water - particularly if it was like some that was once served up at a Stoch whisky tasting at the British embassy in Tokyo. Whatever clot was in charge simply filled the jugs from the mains, and the water was so hideously chlorinated that it tainted everything it touched.
As a result the wondrous subtleties of the assorted Islays, Speysiders, Highlands and Islands were completely wasted. While in Japan, however, I did have the good fortune to encounter some cracking whiskies which would give the Scots a run for their money. I've also had an excellent New Zealand whisky.