Because of this, I've never been much of a drinker, and I can probably count the number of times I've been drunk during my lifetime on one hand. I'd like to be able to sample my own liquor and develop a refined taste so I can improve my product, but the discomfort of heartburn nearly every time I drink has caused me to be gun shy and not want to drink at all, which sucks. On a side note, I know it's possible to develop a taste for different things, and sometimes it just takes trial and error to find what's right. For instance, I started smoking cigars several years ago, and there were alot of cheap crappy cigars in the beginning that could've just as easily turned me off to cigars altogether, but through trial and error, I've discovered certain blends and styles that I definitely favor, and I can distinguish alot of the subtle differences between cigars now, and I really know what I like and don't like. The difference is, the cigars never gave me a negative side affect like heartburn, so it was much easier to develop a taste for what I like and didn't like.
So my question is, has anyone else experienced this, and hopefully overcome it? I want to be able to drink in moderation, without heartburn nearly every time. Are their any tips or suggestions ya'll might have? The only thing I can come up with, is to water down the liquor and try to develop a tolerance for it, and eventually add less and less water to my drinks until I can drink it straight without my body revolting against me.
Thanks for the help!
the dr said I could #1- lose some weight, or #2-wear a breathing mask at night 
I guess I chose the second
I get acid reflux and heartburn from a variety of foods, but I've learned to control it by watching what I eat. Beer and wine don't give me the same problem, and I haven't paid enough attention to it to figure if it's a dark/light liquor that does it to me, but I have noticed I generally don't have the same problem when I drink mixed drinks. It's usually straight up liquor, like shots, or on the rocks (before the ice waters down the liquor). I do notice once the ice melts and waters it down some, it's alot more bearable. Haven't tried the pepper idea, but I'll give it a shot. I'll also try eating a little something when I drink, to see if maybe that has an affect. I've noticed it's with any liquor, not just the stuff I make. Most recently it happened with some 80proof rum I made and aged for about 6 months on oak chips. Flavor was great, but before the ice in my glass melted, I had to have a chaser of something sweet (kool-aid in this case) to keep the heartburn down. As for sleep apnea, my ex wife has that, and swears I do too, but I refuse to wear one of those masks just to sleep. I know it can be helpful in many ways, but I've chosen to eliminate that option for personal reasons. I just finished the first run of some sugar wash vodka I'm trying to make, so after the third run, I'll knock it down to 80 proof and compare it to my aged rum and see if there's a difference. 
My wife has real problems with reflux and heartburn. Everyones has trillions of gut critters that help you digest your food. Those critters live together with your body usually happily, but sometimes not. You should just experiment with your diet until you find what works for you. No two people are the same. Even though it's inconvenient my wife and I have to eat different stuff. Hope that helps... 