Winston drinks Victory Gin

Winston pours nearly a teacupful of Victory Gin from a bottle with a plain white label. The oily, sickly liquid burns like nitric acid and makes the world look more cheerful for a moment. He takes a Victory Cigarette from a crumpled packet, but the tobacco falls out when he holds it upright. The second cigarette is more successful, and he sits down at the table to the left of the telescreen. From the table drawer he takes out a penholder, a bottle of ink, and a thick quarto-sized blank book with a red back and a marbled cover. The book is beautiful, with creamy paper yellowed by age, and Winston knows it is a compromising possession simply because he owns it.