THERES ALWAYS A STORY BEHIND CRAZY....IN THE TOWN WE GREW UP IN THERE WAS AN OLD GUY NAMED BOOZY KUNROD WHO LIVED IN A SHACK USED TO COME INTO THE BAR AND SIT IN THE CORNER AND DRINK WHISKY WITH PEPPER IN IT...HE NEVER TALKED TO ANYONE HE WOULD STARE AT THE WALL AND MUMBLE TO SOMEONE...EVERYONE CALLED HIM CRAZY....I SAT DOWN BESIDE HIM ONE DAY AND ASKED HIM WHY HE PUT PEPPER IN HIS WHISKEY.. HE SMILED AND SAID I LEARNED THAT IN RUSSIA...WHEN I ASKED WHEN HE WAS IN RUSSIA HE SAID DURING WW2 AND HE WAS IN THE MERCHANT MARINES A WAS TAKING WAR SUPPLIES INTO MURMANSK RUSSIAWHICH WAS TH MOST DANGEROUS ROUTR .....HE TOLD ME HE HAD 3 SHIPS TORPEDOED OUT FROM UNDER HIM AND SURVIVED WHILE WATCHING OTHERS DROWN OR MACHINE GUNNED.....YA NEVER KNOW,,,NO ONE EVER TALKED TO HIM...HE HAD ALL MY RESPECT

But what was the actual reason he put pepper in his whiskey? Russian's do lots of weird things with alcohol. I studied Systema with former Spetnaz in NYC for 5 years. As an example they would drink shots of Vodka with buttered bread and caviar. I could never keep up. LOL...