British Commonwealth of Nations: Vodka

Mrs. “Temperance” Fisher, “only female wholesale liquor dealer in England,” purveyoress of kümmel to the House of Lords, electrified Tory topers last week by announcing that she now receives periodic shipments of Soviet vodka.

Quoth the doughty “Temperance” to news gatherers: “I think there must be a large number of Russians in London because I sell so much vodka here. Englishmen are beginning to acquire a taste for it, too. Just at first it sometimes puts them under the table.”