In his youth, the Russian Tsar Peter the Great traveled around Western Europe. He worked incognito as a shipbuilder in the Dutch Republic; went binge drinking in England (trashed the house he was renting) and kept an English mistress. His journey ended when the English king asked him to leave.
On a trip to England in 1698, Peter the Great loved the taste…
On a trip to England in 1698, Peter the Great loved the taste of stout beers, but was unable to take any back with him to Russia before it spoiled. To mitigate this, London brewers added more hops and alcohol to their stouts thus creating a new beer style, the Russian Imperial Stout.