Why do St. Bernards always have a little barrel of brandy around their neck?

St. Bernards were bred by the Monks to help find stranded people in an avalanche. Brandy is liquor. And liquor is supposed to heat your body up. So the point for the barrel of brandy around their neck is to use it when they find a buried avalanche survivor. Once the person is uncovered from the snow, they're supposed to drink some of the brandy that way their body can become heated up and they'll be able to regain the little bit of strength needed to grip around the dog's neck. :).