About Barware

The Toast

You’ve parlayed with the bartender, the guests have their shot glass filled, and you’re ready to down it, right? Not so fast. As shot master, you must rouse the troops with a little speech, in the form of a toast. Do not let yourself be usurped. Whoever pays for the shot makes the toast. This is a rock-solid rule, there can be no debate.

The toast gives meaning to the act. It can be used to put a red circle around a particular moment, or set the mood for the rest of the evening.

Hopefully you didn’t wait until now to think one up. There’s nothing like a gang of thirsty drunks staring at you to cloud your memory. If you can’t think of anything more clever than “Cheers!” fall back on the tried in true, “Here’s to the next one.” This also serves to remind the troops that there should be a next one, at their expense this time.

Post Toast Rituals:

The Clink -
Always touch glasses. It makes a nice sound and serves as an exclamation point for the toast. In the old days the clink was used to trade a slosh of each other’s drinks, so as to discourage poisoning. If you’re doing a One on One, be sure to make eye contact when you knock them together.

The Hoist -
After clinking, the shooters raise their glasses high and give a whoop.

The Knock -
Some drinkers employ a post-clink, pre-drink “knock wood” maneuver. This consists of rapping the bottom of their glass on a bar top or table. Some do it for good luck, some do it to salute their dead buddies, some don’t know why the hell they do it.