Toasting Origins and Etiquette

The clinking of glasses also has some history. Judith Martin’s “Miss Manners’ Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behavior” states that the purpose of the custom supposedly was to have one person’s wine spilled into the glass of another, ensuring that no one (or everyone) would be poisoned. The clinking sound was also believed to drive away spirits.

Here’s to Deft Toasts!

Paying tribute with a raised glass is more than tipsy patter. It should be treated as a mini-speech. An article in the June, 1990, issue of The Toastmaster magazine states that the term toast came from the 17th-Century practice of adding croutons to alcoholic beverages to absorb impurities. Drinking to one’s heath or happiness soon became known as a “toast.” The olive in the cocktail is said to be the contemporary replacement for toast in the alcohol. 

The clinking of glasses also has some history. Judith Martin’s “Miss Manners’ Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behavior” states that the purpose of the custom supposedly was to have one person’s wine spilled into the glass of another, ensuring that no one (or everyone) would be poisoned. The clinking sound was also believed to drive away spirits.

Rules of proper toasting have been written up in scores of etiquette manuals. For those who want to do it right, these books are a good place to start. Some basic rules for toasting come from Letitia Baldridge’s “Complete Guide to a Great Social Life” and “Complete Guide to Executive Manners”:

• A toast should be light and short— one to three minutes. 
• All guests should have wine or champagne or another drink in their glasses before the toast is proposed. 
• If you get caught without liquid in your glass, raise the glass and pretend to drink anyway. 
• Hosts have the prerogative of making the first toast. 
• Don’t offer a toast if you’re tipsy. 
• If you’re making a toast, rise in your place. To get the group’s attention, ask others to help you quiet the room or tap on a glass for silence. 
• Don’t toast yourself or drink after someone offers a toast to you. 

To get expert opinion on delivering a toast, the masters were consulted—Toastmasters, that is, the international organization devoted to public speaking. Several Toastmaster members said their club name is somewhat of a misnomer, considering that the subject of toasting is rarely covered in their sessions. Yet since Toastmaster meetings require extemporaneous as well as prepared speaking, some members had thoughts on preparing for and delivering toasts. One member of Toastmasters in Canoga Park, said a few sessions of Toastmasters would help. “We offer a supportive atmosphere for people who want to overcome their fear of speaking in public.” If someone specifically wanted to concentrate on toasts, the sessions would offer critiques.

• A toast should be treated as a mini-speech. It should have an introduction, a solid, meaty middle and a clear closing. 
• A toast time is not a roast time. It is an expression of goodwill and appreciation for a person or an occasion. 
• An informal toast at a small gathering or between friends should be less rehearsed and more spontaneous. 
• For an informal toast, just get an idea of what you want to say beforehand and go with it. The more rehearsed it is, the more rehearsed it sounds. 
• For semiformal or formal occasions, more preparation is necessary. Have some kind of notes to refer to, so that you’re not stumbling your way through your toast

— By Rebecca Howard, Special to the Times, 1993 

Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia

Toasting Etiquette and History

In Shakespeare’s time, a piece of toasted bread was put in the tankard before ale or wine was poured in, to improve the taste and to collect sediment and impurities at the bottom of the vessel. Thus, the drink became known as “a toast.” By the Edwardian era, there were a number of little details of table etiquette which were observed, the most noticeable of which was that finger glasses (or finger bowls) were never placed upon the table if a member of the royal family was present. The reason for this goes back to the Jacobite days, when the toast of the King was converted into treason by the passing of the glass “over the water.”

Drink a Toast

This civilized custom of “drinking a toast” to the good health of a friend began in ancient times, but the terminology came later. In Shakespeare’s time, a piece of toasted bread was put in the tankard before ale or wine was poured in, to improve the taste and to collect sediment and impurities at the bottom of the vessel. Thus, the drink became known as “a toast.”

Toast of the Town

The “toast of the town” is someone whose great popularity causes many to “drink his health.” The usual custom in olden days, was to pour a little of the wine into the host’s glass and some into the guest’s, before either drank. Few trusted anyone outside the family circle and this was the only way to be sure the no one had poisoned the drink. Later, the ceremonial clinking of glasses was accompanied with the spoken wish, ‘To your good health.’ — Sources: A variety of authors including Patricia Easterbrook Roberts and Judith Visser

Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia©️ Etiquette Encyclopedia