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.
It's been speculated that no one had a greater appreciation for this rich, roasty elixer than Rasputin, the mystic wag (and favorite of the ladies of the court) who was the ultimate downfall of Czar Nicholas Il.
Rasputin is probably best remembered for his dramatic exit. Having been deemed politically expendable he was fed poisoned wine and tea cakes by his rivals. Surviving that, he was shot several times-whereupon he attacked his assailants. He finally succumbed when bound and stuffed through a hole in the ice to drown in the river Neva.
Legends that attribute his tenacity to his appetite for Russian Imperial Stout are unproven.
