It’s Josef Stalin’s birthday. In contrast to most dictators, who tend to be an abstinent lot, Stalin didn’t mind a drink. When he wasn’t killing his own people through starvation and his never-ending series of paranoiac purges, he also managed to croak a respectable number of bottles. He drank vodka, of course, but also enjoyed the wines and brandies native to Georgia, the province from whence he came. He was also fond of forcing his subordinates to play drinking games, like Guess the Temperature. Man, that must have been a blast. Today’s recommended drink: vodka. Witnesses claim Stalin was able to knock back 30 shots of vodka and still be able to walk out of the room, but you should probably aim a bit lower.
