No drink is any more or less "tough" than any other, and if anyone tells you otherwise, knock them on their ass. That's what I used to do. Even better, if drinking Goldschlager, use the bottle as a club, it's the perfect shape.
Anyway, AoO and Zack got it right as far as crowd-pleasing, tasty beverages go. My favorite variant on the Vodka melon was a big tub full of vodka (or better yet, everclear), with fruit punch Kool-Aid mix and sliced lemons, oranges, limes, and berries. Use a ton of berries. It covers the taste right up.