Since toasts are frequently given at significant life moments,


they can be a time for heightened language expressing religious or spiritual sentiment. A biblical quote such as Romans 5:5— God has poured out his love into our hearts—or the Hebrew toast—L’Chayim, “to life”—are appropriate. Religious quotations should only be used, however, with sincerity, or there is a grave risk of giving a blasphemous insult to your companions. But this doesn’t mean they can’t be counteracted with some bathos, to lower the tone and lighten the mood: May you be in heaven a full half-hour before the Devil knows you’re dead. Turning to sex and gender, in the 21st century, attitudes have shifted enormously. For example, the British Navy has changed two of its official toasts. To our wives and sweethearts—with the repost “May they never meet”—has become the considerably less awkward To our families. And appropriately, given the Navy’s demographic, Our men has become Our sailors. Further considering diversity, it needs to be highlighted that the silk slipper is not the only footwear that can serve as a receptacle for a Champagne toast to a paramour: Brogues, loafers, spats, platforms, Dr Martens boots, spit-and-polished cowboy boots, and high-heeled sneakers are also available. Within toasting, there will always be a place for flippant and flirtatious humor. No surprise, then, that Groucho Marx was a fan: I drink to your charm, your beauty, and your brains—which gives you a rough idea of how hard up I am for a drink!


Although toastmaster Reddy is too polite to refer to sex, he advises caution when mentioning religion and politics in a toast. “Better to be diplomatic, especially if you don’t know who is in the room. So, raise a toast to nations in conflict, rather than rooting for one side.” This advocates an admirable level of tact, with which not everyone is blessed, and overlooks the unruly guest bristling with alcohol-induced indignation. What do you do if asked to raise a glass in honor of a person or an ideology with which you disagree? Do you simply nod along to preserve the peace or speak out, perhaps with a rebuttal toast of your own? That is between you and your conscience. As Reddy says, “There have been times when I have had to make a quick exit, usually at that most inflammatory of all events, the family wedding.”


Forging and strengthening social bonds Toasting is a form of public speaking, a social medium, for carving out public opinion, navigating change, entertaining, or simply creating an innocuous background hum. As with the Twittersphere and the Metaverse, that trio of hot subjects— politics, religion, and sex—plus humor and vacuous waffling make up the main content. Anyone can voice opinions to an audience of their peers in messages that may shock, entertain, be sincere, obsequious, or of no consequence. In turn, those peers may or may not agree, may or may not even pay attention. And as with today’s digitally based social media, historically, toasting has had its enthusiasts, but it also has its detractors. In 1881, the Reverend Richard Valpy French presented a


paper called The History of Toasting at a conference of the Temperance Society. It was later published as part of its temperance book series. The first half gives a thoroughly researched history of toasting—from “prehistory,” through to the 19th century. The second half offers robust criticism of the practice: “It measures one man’s stomach by the will, and often by the excess of another’s […]. It is a relic of the vile custom


of drinking to the honour, applause and commemoration of depraved men and women, whose persons should have been despised, and whose memories should be perished. Often some mistress, pot-companion, devil-saint, or even the devil himself, for want of a better friend to drink to.” Valpy French was not the first to be outraged by toasting.


He cites St Augustine (354–430 CE), one of the Christian Church fathers. “This filthy and unhappy custom of drinking health […] is but a ceremony and relic of Pagans; and therefore, we should banish it from our feast and meetings as the poison of the devil.” Perhaps what needs to be separated here is the act of toasting and the consumption of alcohol. Of course, drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, encouraged by toasting or other social pressures, can be problematic. But that is another discussion. At its best, the act of toasting can add significance to a rite of passage and is simply dependent on the raising of a glass, a few pertinent words, and the communal consumption of a liquid. In LM Montgomery’s novel Anne of Green Gables (1908), when Marilla and Matthew suggest that Anne Shirley officially joins the family by signing the front of the family Bible, Anne is upset that it is too “perfunctory.” A glass of raspberry cordial and a toast—To the Cuthberts—is suggested as a way of giving the occasion appropriate solemnity. Another advocate was US presidential candidate and teetotaler, William Jennings Bryan. He raised an apt toast to the British Navy in 1908 with a glass of water and the words: Gentlemen, I believe your victories were won on water. But before we get too carried away with the idea of the teetotal toast, let’s recall a classic from American Prohibition:


Here’s to Prohibition, The devil take it!


They’ve stolen our wine, So now we make it.


According to Adrienne Lehrer in her erudite book Wine and Conversation (2009), language has two functions: It checks understanding and communicates perception, but it also has a “phatic” role, in which it establishes and maintains social bonds. Toasting is a prime example of both. The messages conveyed by the toast are aphoristic and to the point. The medium is highly ritualistic, creating a sense of occasion and community. As J Roach wrote in his book The Royal Toastmaster (1791), “A toast or sentiment very frequently excites good humour and revives languid conversation.” Or, as every good host knows, toasting can be a useful tool to ensure a well-run event and contented guests. Raise your glasses to… If you are called upon to propose a toast, or simply feel inspired to do so, you could follow the old Georgian tradition, as Japaridze suggests, and make it poetic and heartfelt. Alternatively, you could take toastmaster Reddy’s professional advice and go for brevity and humor. If you want to make a political, religious, or frisky statement, you are in good company, but perhaps be mindful that attitudes change, and sparks may fly. As with social media, your oration could have a huge impact or hardly raise a fizzle. You could fill your glass with vodka or water—it’s an individual choice. And if you are traveling the world, make sure your translation app is to hand. A toast fills an important social function and could pave the way to a pithy debate or even a beautiful friendship: Here’s looking at you. Hej, juig, skál, shangwe, pozdrav, zdravím! 


THE WORLD OF FINE WINE | ISSUE 79 | 2023 | 131


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