Yes, alcohol generally tastes bad until your brain gets re-wired to associate that taste with the ensuing addictive feedback. Anyone who says they think booze tastes gross simply has not consumed enough of it to create those neural pathways.
It's the same reason people crave the way smoking burns your throat and lungs a tiny bit. The first time you do it, it's disgusting and painful. The thousandth time you do it, the exact same mild discomfort is actually extremely cathartic and even comforting.