Big politics is incompatible with drunkenness. The party leader or the head of state must weigh each word spoken, always have a clear mind, and respond quickly and correctly to any changes in the situation.
However, even the most experienced statesmen, both Soviet and foreign, were by no means teetotalers. According to the memoirs of the grandson of Winston Churchill, his grandfather drank usually a glass of whiskey. It should be noted that this measure of volume is approximately one hundred grams, while the Prime Minister was never seen drunk.
Yu. V. Andropov had a weakness for Scotch tape “White Horse”. Illegal scouts knew that the best present for the chef was a bottle of this noble drink, however, his health condition did not allow him to drink any significant portion.
Even the fighter for total sobriety M. S. Gorbachev, nicknamed the "mineral secretary", was "noticed" in his Stavropol years, and repeatedly ...
There is an opinion that Joseph Vissarionovich was a great drinker. This conclusion is made on the basis of numerous evidence that night gatherings at the Kuntsevo cottage were accompanied by abundant libations. Some biographers even list Stalin's favorite wines, which sound like Rustaveli’s poems in the original: Mukuzani, Khvanchkara, Kindzmarauli. However, with the image of the leader, preoccupied with the fate of the world communist movement and merciless towards his enemies, it is difficult to combine an obscure look and an unsteady gait - characteristic signs of Bacchus fans.
As veterans of the government security service testify, the secretary of the CPSU (b) drank a little, treated him more, observing the behavior of a drunken guest. To say that there was some special favorite wine of Stalin, “Khvanchkara” for example, is difficult. Leader’s preferences changed with age. So, it was recorded that the last alcoholic drink he consumed was the young “Majari”. The alcohol content in it is extremely low, but it has an invigorating effect, increases blood pressure. It is possible that this is precisely what Stalin’s favorite wine has provoked a stroke in recent years, and failure to provide timely medical attention has become the main cause of his death.
The tastes of the Kremlin dictator are considered simple, and as a consequence, modesty is credited to him. Recipes of dishes prepared then by the Kremlin chefs, in fact, were not borrowed from the culinary dishes of the French court. The leader loved cabbage soup, borscht, dumplings. Even to his native Caucasian cuisine, he did not turn as often as to Russian. Drinks were also simple at first glance. There were not even labels on the bottles, only some piece of paper with a Georgian inscription in a chemical pencil. Stalin's favorite wine was homemade, it was made by the Kakhetian brothers - collective farmers Nemtsetsviridze, most likely, not even knowing for whom. In addition to this safety measure, the composition of the drink was checked by a special laboratory, and then the security tried it. Such simplicity and modesty ...
As a true Georgian, Joseph Vissarionovich understood not only the quality and quantity, but also the seasonality of use. In the hot summer months, Stalin's favorite wine is dry white. It quenches thirst, and drunk in a small amount improves mood and well-being. In winter, the Secretary General preferred to drink red, and also dry. He rarely consumed strong drinks, cognac (Eniseli, KS or OS) was more often offered to guests. He was, of course, very good, and also Georgian.
The impact that Stalin's favorite wine had on the digestive system was also important; the leader had certain problems with it, especially in recent years.
In general, the leader of the "individual socialist state" preferred quality over prestigious brands with bright stickers. This also applied to clothes, products, and, of course, wines, which, by the way, he drank quite a bit.