Soviet Union: Bottoms Up, Mikhail

Irate Soviet citizens took to calling him the “Mineral Secretary” or the “Genjuice,” but now they may want to tag Communist Party General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev with a more affectionate nickname — say, “Comrade Cognac.” Last week the Soviet Council of Ministers announced that grocery stores will once again be allowed to sell beer, wine and cognac — but not vodka. The decree watered down Gorbachev’s antialcohol policies of 1985, which produced long lines at state shops and a flood of black-market booze. Despite the softened stance on liquor sales, the Soviet leadership still hopes to cut alcohol consumption with a stepped-up public-education campaign.