Having spent two years living in Moscow and experiencing the sights, sounds, and smells of vodka country (not all good), imagine my surprise when I spotted a beer called Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout at Central Market today. For all I knew, Russians only drank grain or potato alcohol strong enough to fuel an airplane, or at least a car. Never have I heard of Russians drinking much beer, especially stouts.

First, let’s talk about the beer itself. It’s black as night and froths with foam resembling burnt Guinness foam. It had more punch than Guinness too, though not as much as Anchor Porter. But that isn’t saying much since Anchor Porter is a completely different animal, though stout-ish in its own right. Alcohol content was pretty good. I can get a buzz off of most Belgian, Dutch, and German beers when served in pints. The Rasputin Stout left its mark, though not as pronounced as others. It sat as heavy as your average stout. Overall, a good beer, and even better if you’ve got some borscht or cabbage soup lying around. (You know those Russians and their cabbage soup…)

From a historical perspective, this Rasputin character is quite a mystery and seems least at home on a beer label. And might I mention that this beer is a product of California… it’s not shipped from the land of the Volga.

Rasputin was somewhat of a quack. He was a sorcerer/magician/certified yahoo who lived in 19th and 20th century Russia. Young Aleksey Romanov was a hemophiliac and suffered from bleeding spells that left his family, and doctors, perplexed. Enter Rasputin. History indicates that Rasputin was able to stop Aleksey’s bleeding, so mother Alexandra hailed him as a holy man. Because of this trust, Rasputin was able to gain access to the bowels of Russian politics and apparently became chummy with Tsar Nicholas. He was eventually found to be suspicious (what took so long?) and was fed a poisoned meal. He survived. They shot him, and he throttled the guards. He was beaten, bound, and thrown in the river Neva. When he was found, his bonds were broken and his lungs filled with frozen water.

Turns out there really isn’t much factual relation between this stout and Rasputin. Sorry folks. But there is one link, as described on the beer’s packaging:

Contrary to what the name suggests, Russian Imperial Stout was originally brewed in 18th Century England. The name evolved as the Russian Imperial Court developed an early appreciation for this big, intense brew and provided an eager export market.

The packaging then goes on to describe how Rasputin was apparently a fan of this stout, but there is no documented proof. I, however, am a fan. And I must admit, the Russian writing on the package caught my attention. I can read it, but have no idea what the hell it means. I guess I’m kind of like Rasputin in that sense. I have this amazing skill, but can in no way explain or interpret it. I’m sure it’ll mean something if I drink enough of the beer.