Björn Olsson
Bartender
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Today ABSOLUT Vodka can be found in 126 markets. Which suggests there are quite a few different ways people can toast one another with an ABSOLUT cocktail in their hand. If you would like to spread goodwill and maximize the cordiality of any occasion on any of the seven continents, we recommend that you expand your toasting vocabulary.
Cheers! Skål! Kampai! If you travel a lot, you know that often the first word or phrase one learns in a foreign language is the one you say when you raise a drinking glass. It's not surprising. When we travel we meet people, make friends, celebrate and share in the local customs. Lifting a glass among new friends met abroad is a moment full of possibilities, a real chance to spread goodwill and contribute to the fun.
All the more reason to know something about the art of the toast. The tradition of saluting when drinking is very long. and has roots in religious rituals. In many languages, the toast is to ensure the good health of your drinking partner. For instance in French: À votre santé, or just santé, means "To your health." It is the same with the Spanish "Salud!" or the Gaelic "Slainte!"
Health has little to do with the Scandinavian toast word, "Skål!" -- which means "bowl" in modern day Swedish and derives from the word skull. Interesting -- especially when placed in the context of the vikings, who used to toast one another after a good rampage by drinking out of the skulls of their enemies. Later on, skål came to refer to drinks served in a large bowl that was passed around the table. That in itself doesn't sound too healthy. Then again, maybe health was on their minds via negativa: they didn't want to end up like to poor sod whose skull they were using.
Just as embracing someone originally had to do with checking to see if they were carrying weapons, a similar sense of care is tied to the habit of looking your drinking partner deep in the eyes before drinking. It was important, in those days, to drink at the exact same time in order to protect yourself in the event that your "partner" was really an enemy, ready to hit, bludgeon or poison you as soon you tipped your head back to swallow. Yikes. Even in the toughest bars nowadays, one can usually feel a little more at ease. We hope.
Some toasts are relatively standard and spread across very large regions, such as Salud for Latin America, Na Zdravje (which also means "to your health") for Eastern Europe, Prost (for beer) & Zum Wohl (for wine) in German-speaking areas. Saying "Cheers" will of course bring about a good result in English-speaking bars the world over.
Here are the correct drinking words to say as you stir up some ABSOLUT cocktails and make friends around the globe.
Afrikaans (South Africa) Gesondheid
Albanian Gezuar
Arabic Fisehatak (to your health) / Shucram (United Arab Emirates)
Azerbaijani Afiyæt oslun
Belgian Flemish 'Op uw gezondheid'
Bengali Joy
Bosnian Zivjeli
Brazilian Saude, Viva
Bulgarian Na zdrave
Chinese Gan bei ("dry the cup")
Mandarin: Gan bei or Kong chien.
Croatian Zivjeli
Czech Na zdraví
Danish Skaal
Dutch: Proost, Geluk, or Gezondheid
Egyptian Fee sihetak
Esperanto Sanon
Estonian Tervist terviseks
Finnish "Kippis"
French / A votre sante
Gaelic (Ireland) Sláinte (to your health)
German Prost (beer) Zum Wohl (wine)
Greek Jamas
Greenlandic Kassutta ("Let our glasses meet") Imeqatigiitta ("Let's drink together")
Hawaiian Okole maluna
Hebrew L'chaim ("To life")
Hindi Apki Lambi Umar Ke Liye
Hungarian Egészségedre
Icelandic Sam taga nu (all together now)
Indian A la sature
Italian Cin cin Salute (informal)
Japanese Kampai
Kikuyu (Kenya) Rathima andu atene
Korean Chukbae
Latvian Uz veselibu
Lebanese Kesak
Maori Kia Ora
Moroccan Saha wa'afiab
Norwegian Skål
Pakistani Sanda bashi
Persian (Iran) (Be) salam ati, Nush
Philippines Mabuhay
Polish Na zdrowie.
Portuguese Saude )
Romanian Noroc ("Good luck")
Scotland Slainte or Slainte Mhor (even more)
Serbian Zivio Ziveli
Slovakia Na zdravie
Slovenian Na zdravje
Somalian Auguryo
Spanish Salud
Sri Lanka (Sinhala) Seiradewa
Swahili Afya / Vifijo
Swedish Skål
Swahili Maisha marefu
Thai Choc-tee
Turkish Serefe
Ukrainian Budmo
Urdu (Pakistan) Djam
Vietnamese Chia
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