Sampled and recommended by All Together Art.

Raising your glass and sharing a toast of good wishes to your health and good fortune with a group of friends or new acquaintances is one of the rituals that the world shares.

The custom of a host drinking to a friend's health originated with the Greeks as early as the sixth century B. C. and for a highly practical reason: to assure guests that the wine they were about to consume was not poisoned. Thus, a host sipped the first wine poured from the decanter, and satisfied of its safety, the guests raised their glasses and drank. This drinking in sequence--guests following host--came to symbolize a sort of pledge of friendship and amity.
The Romans adopted the Greek penchant for poisoning and the custom of drinking as a pledge of friendship. The Romans added a custom of dropping a burnt piece of toast into the cup of wine, therefore, the origin of the verbal usage. In time the drink itself became a toast.

Excerpts from Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things
by Charles Panati

Yellow Drinks Mango Margaritas Combine in blender a cup of ice Sunfresh Mangos in light syrup juice of one lime 1 can of white grape juice concentrate 4 oz of Triple Sec 4 oz Tequila to taste

Red Drinks Raspberry Rah Rahs served over ice or twirled in a champagne glass 2 parts Welch's Red Raspberry Juice a squeeze of fresh lemon juice 3 parts Sprite or sparkling water A big splash of citron Vodka A splash of grand marnier

Bloody Mary's Tomato Juice Juice from 1 lemon to taste Horseradish Shake of Worcestershire sauce Vodka A1 steak sauce Salt Pepper Dash of Tabasco

Chartreuse Drinks Vodka Gimlet Vodka (Absolut or Absolut citron) 4 oz Rose's Lime Juice cordial (to taste and to color!) Juice of 1/4 fresh lime Garnish with a wedge of fresh lime Serve in a martini glass up Serve in an old fashioned glass with ice

Kamikaze 1 oz Vodka A splash of Rose's Lime Juice A splash of Triple Sec or Cointreau Serve chilled in shot glass

Amber Drinks Strong and Delicious 2 oz Jack Daniel's Sour Mash 1 oz Napoleon Brandy Mandarin Russian Turkey 1 Ice Cube 4 oz Russian Vodka 4oz Wild Turkey Mix in a 10 oz glass. Ice cube optional.

Zombie Blend with ice 1 oz Light Rum 1 oz Apricot Brandy A splash of Triple Sec 1 oz pineapple juice 1 oz orange juice Mix over ice and stir 3 times 151-proof rum Garnish with cherry or fresh fruit slices

Black Drinks (we know black is absence of color) Black Russian 1 oz. Vodka 1 oz of Kahlua Serve over ice

Jamaican Coffee Serve in a coffee mug 1 oz Rum A splash of Triple Sec 1 oz Kahlua Fill mug with hot black coffee Top with whipped cream and nutmeg

Irish Car Bomb (makes me O' so Leary) In a pint glass of Guiness Stoudt drop a shot glass with one half Jamison Irish Whiskey and one half Bailey's Irish Creme.

Bradley's Espresso Martini serve in a chilled martini glass 2 oz. espresso coffee 1oz. Vanilla Stoli Vodka... splash of Fra Angelica Garnish with 3 coffee beans

Pink Drinks Pink Lady 1 oz Gin A splash of Lime Juice Add drop of Grenadine, sweet cream, lemon juice Serve over ice in chilled cocktail glass

Strawberry Daiquiri Blend with 1 cup of crushed ice 1 oz Rum 3 oz sugar to taste lemon or lime juice 3 cups of strawberries (fresh or frozen)

Blue Drinks Blue Kamikaze 1 oz. Vodka A splash of Blue Curacao A splash of lime juice Serve over ice in a chilled glass with a slice of lemon or lime.