How to have breakfast «until the cranes (crow)» and drink «until the roosters (crow)»?

It went as follows: A boisterous group would gather for a late breakfast, say, to celebrate a successful deal. Sometimes, these gatherings would last until three o'clock in the afternoon: champagne, liqueurs and other drinks flowed freely throughout. Until it was time for the "cranes". A guest who splurged 50 rubles on cognac in a special crystal decanter decorated with cranes (the equivalent of several months' salary for an average worker) could keep the container. Some even held competitions to see who could collect the most "cranes": one regular got as many as seven.

However, other "bird" feasts were also known. In some taverns, patrons drank… “до петухов” (“до журавлей” or "until the rooster crows"). There, too, it wasn't just the quantity consumed, but also the design of the glassware. Vodka was served in a special decanter, inside which a figurine of a rooster was placed. The liquid created the illusion that the bird inside was quite large. Shot after shot, the decanter was drained until nothing remained but the glass figurine. This was called "getting drunk until the rooster crowed". Typically, this was where the libations and, indeed, the gathering itself, ended.