Soon enough the New Russia State Symphony Orchestra took up Tchaikovsky and Sviridov, and in the safe cocoon of London the glitteratski smoked, spoke freely and loudly--and downed shot after shot of vodka.

FORBES: International

You may find yourself asked to pass along a love letter, caressed by a pretty young thing, temporarily share a table with an actor or watch a shot of vodka slammed down on your table by a drunken soldier.

WSJ: Review: Musical using Leo Tolstoy a messy thrill

Ukraine's president, Victor Yushchenko, was joined by Ukraine's parliament speaker and the prime minister and they all came to the ceremony and drank a shot of Vodka in the memory of those who died, and they said several words to people who gathered there.

NPR: Ukraine Remembers Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster

Everything was so affordable that I gorged on the local salty, bread-like oscypek cheese, eye-wateringly cheap cherry vodka and Polish Mountain Tea (tea with a double shot of spirytus, 190 proof and 95% alcohol).

BBC: Skiing peaks with a papal blessing