Brace your liver! How to drink vodka like a Russian

Vodka is drunk socially all over Russia to produce a state of conviviality referred to as dusha-dushe (soul-to-soul). When a Russian taps his throat, be prepared to join in for a round. The "vodka procedure" is as follows: Prepare a forkful of food (pickles, herring, boiled potatoes) or chunk of bread, inhale and exhale quickly, then breathe in and tip the vodka down your throat all at once (no sipping here), breathe out and eat.

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