Here, as in any ordinary gin mill, one could buy diluted booze, cheap and harsh, like the prose of existence, but there were also tangible differences. The owner had an extensive collection of extremely rare and aged alcohol, which he principally did not pour to anyone for money, but could easily present it as an award in one of two cases. The visitor had to give the pub a work of art according to the tastes of the owner (and writing a poem was the easiest way to do so, since drawing a picture, for example, always required some time and materials, while even not completely sober mind could compose impromptu something that tugged at heartstrings). Another option was proving the owner an extensive level of knowledge in fine arts, answering one of his many questions. The visitor could be asked who was the author of “The Cave of Trophonius” (which was one of the most famous operas by Antonio Salieri), who painted “Danaë” (Rembrandt), on what events of renown writers’ lives were initially based “The Lady of the Camellias” by Alexandre Dumas fils, and then the opera “La traviata” by Giuseppe Verdi, adapted from the novel; and so on and so forth.