Stoli Group

The West, this had always been a sort of mysterious part of KGB actions.

But then came a moment, and it's sort of comical almost in retrospect, but Kozichin, who'd drunk quite a lot of vodka by this point, I mean, McCredie was serving him Stolichnaya, and he leaned across to McCredie and said, "I have a problem." He said, "And I need your help with it." He said, "I have no power in the bedroom." And McCredie, well, immediately wondered what he was talking about.

I mean, he, and his initial thought was, is he talking about the electricity supply in Iran-

[laughs]

We don't want to dilute it too much.

Okay, so what Bob would say, he always would ask for Stoli Elite.

And this is like a massive bottle, but I think this is how

it

comes.

Stoli Elite.

I've never had this, but I have heard of it.

So this was his favorite.

So he took him up to the bathroom, believe it or not, of his house inside the compound, turned on the taps in the bath and the sink, turned on the radio to try and baffle any of the bugs, and began this debriefing process in which Kuzichin began to reveal these incredible secrets, not yet the dysfunction element, but everything else.

Kuzichin was a big drinker, and McCreedy had produced a bottle of Stolichnaya, and the two of them, you can imagine the scene in this kind of bathroom wondering whether they were being overheard by the IRGC.

And halfway through it, Kuzichin put his hand on McCreedy's knee and said, "You know, the relationship between a spy and a spymaster is closer than marriage, isn't it?" And McCreedy thought, "I wonder what's coming here." And thinking at one point that he was about to be seduced.

Then Kuzichin said, "You know," the next thing he said, it's comical looking back on it, said, "I have no power in the bedroom." And McCreedy was absolutely baffled because initially he thought, "Was he complaining about the electricity supply in Tehran?" Because it kept going on and off.

And bear in mind, this conversation is lubricated by a fair bit of vodka.

I mean, Kozichin is, has got his hands on a bottle of Stolich- well, in fact, McCreedy has given him a bottle of Stolichnaya.

And there is this bizarre moment when this huge Russian leaned across to McCreedy and put his hand on his knee and said, "The relationship between a spy and a spymaster is more intimate than a marriage, isn't it?"

[laughs]

my niggas is rich from hard work Made it out the gutter from hard work Million in jewelry, my nigga, my charms burst Bomb work, you lost but don't

First of all, bitch, you know I been a fly nigga I'm so freshed up, no suit and tie, nigga Look, look, who is them? They not with my niggas I broke press them, this dude a die, nigga, look My Saint Laurent, I do it fly And first of all, I'm tatted on her thigh, nigga, look My ring belongs, we let it fly Unleash the dog, I bet that you gon' die, nigga, look My brain on hoes, I'm back outside Kickin' shit like it's Tekken, please don't try, nigga, look Bring the hoe, I turn the bar G6 work in a second, I'm too high I think she tryna blow me out my mind I might get her that rollie or I lie Now that Stoli, but she drive She been stuck on her old me, that's not I First of all, bitch, you know I been a fly nigga I'm so fresh up, no suit and tie, nigga Look, look, who is them? They not with my niggas Have broke press them, this dude a die nigga, look My Saint Laurent, I do it fly And first of all, I'm tatted on her thigh, nigga My ringer loves me, let it fly Unleash the dog, I bet that you gon' die, nigga My brain on hoes, I'm back outside Kickin' shit like it's Tekken, please don't try, nigga My

brain on hoes, I'm back outside Kickin'

shit like it's Tekken, please don't try, nigga Yeah

I think he was in the second one, but he got out and was fine.

You know, my friend Stoli from Boston College, his best friend from home, wife was on the first flight going on a business trip to California and literally just said goodbye to him and the kids and never came home.

Like just crazy things like that.

And you're like, man, what a...

You'll regret this later.

My third and final question in this opening block of this podcast, Joe, where do you stand on straight vodka? Charlize Theron is drinking a lot of Stoli in this movie.

Yes.

Now, granted, she is pouring it over impossibly perfect ice

There are some things coming up here.

So is it time for us to get to drinking games? Oh, absolutely.

Again, you don't have to be drinking alcohol or Stoli on Ice if you are Charlize Theron in this movie or Jack Daniels if you are James McAvoy's character in this.

Give me water, coffee, whatever.