Alexey planted his head on the bar and opened wide. The bartender started the flaming pour. Alexey panicked and closed his mouth. Alexy's face and head lit up like a backyard tiki torch.
From his hospital bed Mr Ponamarev says wants half-a-million rubles ($16,093) to pay for burn cremes and a return bar visit.
The barman Albert Bykov, 34, said he'd done the trick tons of times. 'The customer asked me to pour burning Absinthe. Usually we do it with Sambuca, but the guest is always right so, warning him of the danger, I tried to do it.' Bykov says Mr Ponamarev messed up the stunt by covering his mouth.
Oh, he covered his mouth! No wonder. Okay, nevermind.
