For the food item known as toast, please see bread.
Toasts were gestures of respect that honored someone or something. They often involved an honorific speech and a shared alcoholic drink. The term referred to the words spoken to commemorate the event, or the drink itself.
The Human act of toasting consisted of three parts: the honorific speech, the agreement, and the symbolic drink. In the speech, one person gave cause for the toast. Everyone else present signified approval by lifting their drinks into the air, often accompanied by verbal assent. Such agreement was offered either with a language-specific, generic toast word, or hearty agreement of the honorific speech, with terms such as "Hear! Hear!". Following this ritualistic agreement, the glasses of the participants were usually touched against those of everyone else within reach. The symbolic drink was then taken. If the drink on offer was of a small quantity, such as a shot, the contents were wholly consumed in a single gulp. If not, a generous portion of the total drink was taken, to indicate strong agreement.
On some occasions, a toast was refused. Generally, refusing a toast was a rude act that insulted not just the object of the toast, but the speaker offering the toast. However, if refusal was accompanied by an appropriate explanation, it was possible to disagree with the object of the toast without offending the host. Refusal of the toast was accompanied by the act of pouring out the ritual beverage, or by not holding the offered drink.
There were some Human events that required toasts pro forma, typically legally-significant events such as weddings, military promotions, and the conclusion of commercial or diplomatic negotiations.
Traditional toast words
- Cheers (TAS: "The Practical Joker", Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, DS9: "The Adversary", "Accession", "Inquisition", DS9: "Image in the Sand", "Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang", "What You Leave Behind", VOY: "Future's End", "Year of Hell", "Dark Frontier", ENT: "Silent Enemy", "Home": PIC: "Seventeen Seconds", "The Last Generation")
- Salud (TAS: "The Practical Joker")
Examples
Toasts were a rather common celebratory custom, of which there were several examples:
- In 1986, Gillian Taylor toasted James T. Kirk with beer at an Italian restaurant. (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home)
- In 2063, Earth warp technology pioneer Zefram Cochrane toasted with crewmembers of the USS Enterprise-E who had traveled back in time from 2373 in order to stop a Borg scheme. (Star Trek: First Contact)
- On September 2, 2151, Jonathan Archer, Charles Tucker III and Malcolm Reed toasted their "mysterious friends" with beer in the Enterprise armory. (ENT: "Silent Enemy")
- In November, Tucker and Reed drank a toast to the supposedly destroyed Enterprise with Kentucky bourbon. Several hours later, they drank another as they froze aboard Shuttlepod 1. (ENT: "Shuttlepod One")
- Damrus toasted Archer and Phlox for healing Burzaan's injuries. Soon after, Archer proposed a toast to a good day’s hunting for his crew and the Eska on Dakala the following day. (ENT: "Rogue Planet")
- In February 2152 on Risa, Tucker and Reed drank to themselves and "a well-earned two days and two nights." (ENT: "Two Days and Two Nights")
- In April, Sub-Commander T'Pol, Archer and Tucker toasted to T'Pol having served one year to the day on Enterprise, longer than any Vulcan had ever served on a Human ship. (ENT: "Carbon Creek")
- Later the same year, Shran offered a toast to "our mutual dissatisfaction" with Soval, Muroc, T'Pol, and Archer, after Archer described successful negotiations as ones in which neither side is happy. Soval noted that the occasion merited "an exception" to the normal Vulcan dietary exclusion of alcohol. (ENT: "Cease Fire")
- In 2153, Commander Tucker and Captain Archer toasted the memory of Henry Archer as they pondered how his warp engine might help save Humanity from the Xindi. (ENT: "The Expanse")
- The same year, Tarquin proposed a toast "to solitude", while Ensign Hoshi Sato was visiting his planet. (ENT: "Exile")
- Later in 2153, Xindi-Arboreal Gralik Durr proposed that he and Captain Archer toast "to trust". Each of them then duly clinked a mug they held with the other person's mug. (ENT: "The Shipment")
- On the Skagaran colony planet, Deputy Bennings made a toast "to the dearly departed, to dead Skags" while in a saloon in 2153. He and a couple of accompanying cowboy friends of his drank in recognition of the toast, which was really an attempt to bully a Skagaran named Draysik, as a fellow Skagaran had recently been lynched by Bennings and his cohorts. (ENT: "North Star")
- While sharing some Andorian ale with Captain Archer in December, Shran proposed a toast "to a swift victory" against the Xindi. (ENT: "Proving Ground")
- In January 2154, Degra toasted the approaching completion of the Xindi weapon, and the "new era for all Xindi" that would follow. (ENT: "Azati Prime")
- In February, Archer toasted Hernandez's promotion to captain with scotch. (ENT: "Home")
- Some months later, Emory Erickson led a silent toast to Henry Archer, accompanied by Henry's son Jonathan, Tucker, T’Pol and Danica Erickson. Within minutes, Tucker toasted the success of a sub-quantum transporter experiment which Emory planned to conduct. (ENT: "Daedalus")
- In November 2154, Klingon General K'Vagh proposed a toast to the bravery of two Klingon warriors who had been injected with a possible cure for the Klingon augment virus. However, Phlox declined participation in the toast. (ENT: "Divergence")
- In 2161, Archer and Tucker toasted the development of warp 7 with a bottle of whiskey 42 years old. (ENT: "These Are the Voyages...")
- In 2263 of the alternate reality, Doctor Leonard McCoy made a toast with Captain James T. Kirk, while they were alone together in a bar on the USS Enterprise: "To perfect eyesight and a full head of hair." (Star Trek Beyond)
McCoy actor Karl Urban commented about this toast, "Kirk is losing his hair. McCoy has prescribed him Propecia. It's making him impotent, so McCoy's had to treat him for his impotency (laughs). There's a wonderful subtext that Simon [Pegg]'s imbued in the script." (SFX, issue 276, p. 48)
- A few days later, a thirtieth birthday party was held for Captain Kirk. During the party, Kirk himself proposed a toast: "To the USS Enterprise. And to absent friends." (Star Trek Beyond)
- In 2266, Doctor Tristan Adams arranged to toast the arrival of Captain James T. Kirk and Dr. Helen Noel at the Tantalus Colony. In the toast, Adams stated, "To all Mankind. May we never find space so vast, planets so cold, heart and mind so empty that we cannot fill them with love and warmth." (TOS: "Dagger of the Mind")
In the final draft script of "Dagger of the Mind", Adams began the toast by commenting, "To mankind... may we never find space so vast, planets so cold..." Then, after Adams looked to Kirk, the captain completed the toast, saying, "...or our own hearts so empty that we cannot fill and warm them all. Amen, doctor." (TOS: "Dagger of the Mind")
- In 2267, Kor offered to toast the victory of the Klingon fleet against Starfleet forces with Kirk. (TOS: "Errand of Mercy")
- In the mirror universe that year, Marlena Moreau toasted Spock for being the only man aboard the ISS Enterprise with the decency to warn Kirk of Starfleet Command's orders to have him executed. (TOS: "Mirror, Mirror")
- In 2268, Spock and a Romulan commander drank a silent toast after Spock's apparent defection. (TOS: "The Enterprise Incident")
- Later that year, several toasts were proposed when Miranda Jones came aboard the USS Enterprise: to beauty, to Jones herself, and to whatever she wanted the most. (TOS: "Is There in Truth No Beauty?")
- In 2269, Bele proposed a toast in anticipation of Starfleet Command allowing him to extradite Lokai. (TOS: "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield")
- Later that year, Lucien toasted new friendship with Asmodeus, claiming it was a favorite old Earth custom of his. (TAS: "The Magicks of Megas-Tu")
- In 2270, Leonard McCoy proposed a toast to a narrow escape from the Romulans. (TAS: "The Practical Joker")
- In 2285, McCoy toasted Kirk with Romulan ale on the latter's birthday. (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan)
- Later, Kirk gave a toast "To absent friends" in Spock's honor after his death. (Star Trek III: The Search for Spock)
- In 2293, Chancellor Gorkon gave a toast to "the undiscovered country... the future", ahead of impending peace talks between the Klingon Empire and the United Federation of Planets. In return, Leonard McCoy gave a toast to the Chancellor, calling him "one of the architects of the future". (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country)
- In 2327, Jean-Luc Picard, Marta Batanides and Cortan Zweller toasted their Starfleet Academy graduating class. (TNG: "Tapestry")
- In 2364, Picard proposed a toast to Deanna Troi and her husband-to-be Wyatt Miller and their families, and the hope that their union would be a productive one. (TNG: "Haven")
- Later, when Lieutenant Commander Data first met his "brother", Lore, Lore introduced him to this Human custom and, using champagne, made a few toasts: one to their discovery of each other, one to Doctor Noonien Soong, and one to the Crystalline Entity. (TNG: "Datalore")
- Also, that same year, Rear admiral Savar and Vice Admiral Aaron toasted "To the Horatio," which had recently been destroyed with all hands, but as both were controlled by parasitic beings, the toast was likely insincere. Picard, suspecting the Horatio's true fate, did not toast or drink. (TNG: "Conspiracy")
- In 2365, Lwaxana Troi toasted Earthmen, whom she considered to have a "unique ability to charm women of all races, in all corners of the galaxy." (TNG: "Manhunt")
- Later that year, Picard and Jenice Manheim drank a toast as they said goodbye on the holodeck. (TNG: "We'll Always Have Paris")
- In 2366, Devinoni Ral and Commander William T. Riker had a discussion regarding ongoing negotiations for the Barzan wormhole, in which Ral expressed that he would both win the negotiations on behalf of the Chrysalians and take Deanna Troi, whom Riker had once loved, in the process. Riker stated that this was the first bad play that he had seen Ral make, as nothing would please him more if Ral could bring happiness to Troi's life, then offered the toast "To the last mile" before leaving. (TNG: "The Price")
- That same year, Doctor Nel Apgar may have offered the toast "To success" regarding his work on developing Krieger waves as a source of energy. The toast was shown in a holographic recreation of events. Depending on the scenario presented, Manua Apgar may have also offered an addition: "And the rewards that come with it." (TNG: "A Matter of Perspective")
- Additionally that same year, when Picard was temporarily replaced by an alien replica, the replica visited Ten Forward, ordered ales for everyone there, and then made the toast, "Here's to the finest crew in Starfleet." He then stated that, when he was in Starfleet Academy, it was traditional to follow every toast with a song and led the crew in singing "Heart of Oak". (TNG: "Allegiance")
- Also in 2366, Lieutenant Reginald Barclay ran a holographic program in which he displayed insubordinate behavior towards holographic versions of Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge and Commander William T. Riker. When the holographic Riker called him out for this, he offered the toast, "Here's to insubordination." (TNG: "Hollow Pursuits")
- Near the year's end, Picard toasted the success of the Trade Agreements Conference on Betazed. (TNG: "Ménage à Troi")
- In early 2367, Picard and family members Robert, Marie and René toasted their meal with 2347 Chateau Picard. (TNG: "Family")
- Chateau Picard was used again months later when Picard offered a toast to Chancellor Durken after initiating first contact with the Malcorians. (TNG: "First Contact")
- Soon after, in Q's recreation of Sherwood Forest, Sir Guy of Gisbourne toasted Maid Marian (Vash), whom he described as "the most beautiful bride-to-be in the whole of England." (TNG: "Qpid")
- In 2369, Montgomery Scott toasted his absent Constitution-class Enterprise colleagues with Aldebaran whiskey in the holodeck aboard the USS Enterprise-D. Minutes later, he and Picard toasted Scott’s old vessel, and the USS Stargazer. (TNG: "Relics")
- In 2370, Quark obsequiously proposed a toast to old friends in order to pacify Fallit Kot who had gone to Deep Space 9 to murder him. Kot responded with "Old debts." (DS9: "Melora")
- Soon after, Picard toasted freedom, after his and Beverly Crusher's separation from one another having been mentally linked by a Prytt implant. (TNG: "Attached")
- Weeks later, Pel proposed a toast to profit, to forestall going to bed with Quark. (DS9: "Rules of Acquisition")
- Also that year, Martus Mazur toasted Roana whom he called "the queen of the Promenade." (DS9: "Rivals")
- Later, Quark proposed a toast to the memory of Miles O'Brien and Julian Bashir, who were believed to have died. (DS9: "Armageddon Game")
- Later that year Quark proposed yet another toast, to Vulcans, upon commencement of his business dealings with Sakonna. (DS9: "The Maquis, Part I")
- Near the end of the year, Data, Troi and Worf joined several holocharacters in celebrating the creation of an emergent lifeform with a toast of champagne on Holodeck 3. (TNG: "Emergence")
- In 2371, Neelix and Kes proposed a toast to "the adventure" with Talaxian champagne, soon after they'd joined the USS Voyager crew. (VOY: "The Gift")
- Quark produced a bottle of Chateau Cleon 2303 to toast celebrate Benjamin Sisko's promotion to captain. (DS9: "The Adversary")
- In 2372, Sisko toasted success to Lenara Kahn in the creation of the galaxy's first artificial wormhole. (DS9: "Rejoined")
- Not long after, when Chakotay was captured by the Kazon-Nistrim, Seska drank a toast to old times with enemy's blood. (VOY: "Maneuvers")
- Later that year, Bashir and O'Brien drank a toast to the memory of Clive, a holographic RAF pilot who was killed in action. (DS9: "Homefront")
- Sometime after, the pair toasted the announcement of Keiko's second pregnancy (DS9: "Accession")
- Towards the end of the year, Tamar toasted Trevean for arranging for his death from the Teplan blight to be comfortable and dignified, surrounded by his family and friends. (DS9: "The Quickening")
- In early 2373, Gowron toasted, amongst others, Rurik the Damned. (DS9: "Apocalypse Rising")
- Weeks later, Quark proposed a toast to Grilka and her House. (DS9: "Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places")
- Later, Jor Brel made a toast to Captain Janeway and her crew for bringing him and his fellow Enarans home. (VOY: "Remember")
- That same year, after the Voyager returned to the 24th century having been to 1996, Janeway summoned the ship's crew to the mess hall and offered the toast, "Cheers! To the future!" (VOY: "Future's End, Part II")
- Also that year, Jadzia Dax and Worf drank to Kira Nerys having become a believer in the value of Bajor joining Federation, thanks to Sisko. (DS9: "Rapture")
- Soon after, Odo toasted Quark for selling him an infant Changeling. (DS9: "The Begotten")
- Weeks later, Q brought champagne to Janeway's quarters in an attempt to woo her and offered the toast, "To us." Janeway, however, replied that there was no "us". (VOY: "The Q and the Grey")
- Near the end of the year, Janeway led a toast to "stories with happy endings", after Seska's hacked version of the Insurrection Alpha holonovel had been defeated. (VOY: "Worst Case Scenario")
- Weeks later, Ahni Jetal was toasted at her birthday party aboard Voyager. (VOY: "Latent Image")
- In 2374, Bashir and O'Brien toasted "retaking the castle", i.e. Deep Space 9, as the objective of Operation Return. (DS9: "Favor the Bold")
A toast with the "elixir of endurance" - In an alternate timeline that year, Chakotay toasted his and Annorax's agreement with Malkothian spirits, while simultaneously B'Elanna Torres toasted distant friends, e.g. the majority of Voyager's crew who'd abandoned ship two months before, with the elixir of endurance. (VOY: "Year of Hell, Part II")
- Also that year, the recently-resurrected Neelix was toasted by the Voyager crew at the celebration of Prixin. (VOY: "Mortal Coil")
- Later, Vic Fontaine made a toast, with Odo and Lola Chrystal, in the words of George Jessel, "To whatever makes you happy." (DS9: "His Way")
- Near the year's end, Quark wanted to toast the failure of a business transaction, but Jake Sisko refused. Later, O'Brien toasted Lisa Cusak and "the sweet sound of her voice." (DS9: "The Sound of Her Voice")
- Three months into 2375, Bashir and O’Brien drank to the success of Worf's mission to destroy the Monac IV shipyards. (DS9: "Image in the Sand")
- Weeks later, Bashir proposed a toast to "manufactured triumphs", as the Niners celebrated their baseball defeat by the Logicians. (DS9: "Take Me Out to the Holosuite")
- Soon after, the Species 8472 Boothby replicant toasted Earth with a two-hundred-year old single malt whisky after capturing Chakotay. (VOY: "In the Flesh")
- Around this time, Kor toasted "absent friends, namely the recently deceased Jadzia Dax, with bloodwine. (DS9: "Once More Unto the Breach")
- Weeks later, Kashyk was keen to find a beverage to toast his and Janeway's success in locating an intermittent cyclical vortex, but couldn’t as the replicator in his quarters had been deactivated. (VOY: "Counterpoint")
- A few months later, Tom Paris toasted Harry Kim with Ktarian beer for his role in the destruction of a Borg probe. (VOY: "Dark Frontier")
- Later, the Voyager crew toasted family in their celebration of the newly instituted Ancestors' Eve holiday. (VOY: "11:59")
Odo and Kira Nerys toast to Vic Fontaine - Also, after Frankie Eyes and his gangsters had been seen off from his lounge, Vic Fontaine toasted DS9's senior staff, "the best friends a hologram ever had." They returned the sentiment. (DS9: "Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang")
- Later, Damar toasted the memory of Weyoun 7, who had been killed by Worf, with kanar and considerable amusement upon meeting Weyoun 8 for the first time. (DS9: "Strange Bedfellows")
- Also, Kai Winn Adami toasted Dukat (who was posing as Anjohl Tennan, though Winn was meanwhile aware of his true identity) with a poisoned drink as a sacrifice for the Pah-wraiths. (DS9: "What You Leave Behind")
- Later that same year, after finding a cure for the morphogenic virus, Bashir toasted aging gracefully, a reference to the older O'Brien, who responded with a toast to Odo. Lastly, Bashir acknowledged O'Brien's assistance by toasting him. (DS9: "Extreme Measures")
- Days later, Bashir, Admiral Ross and Kimara Cretak toasted the Federation Alliance with Romulan ale. (DS9: "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges")
- At the year's end, Sisko and Ross refused a toast of blood wine with Martok on the surface of Cardassia Prime. They noted that, despite their great victory in the Dominion War, so much Cardassian loss of life gave them no cause for celebration.
- Later, Quark raised a glass to Odo just after the latter left Deep Space 9 for good. (DS9: "What You Leave Behind")
- In 2376, with the success of the Pathfinder Project, as Reginald Barclay succeeded in establishing contact with Voyager, the Voyager crew made a toast to Barclay, celebrating his feat, while Barclay and Deanna Troi made a private toast in Barclay's apartment back on Earth. (VOY: "Pathfinder")
- Not long after, the Fair Haven character Seamus said he’d drink a toast to Paris' father if he had a shilling to his name. (VOY: "Fair Haven")
- In 2378, Seven of Nine gave a toast at Torres' baby shower, even including a joke at the end. (VOY: "Human Error")
- In 2377, Chakotay and Tuvok drank a toast to awakenings with Vulcan brandy, after the Maquis aboard Voyager had undergone mind melds which had caused them to mutiny. (VOY: "Repression")
- In 2378, the senior staff of Voyager toasted to their long journey and accomplishments through the Delta Quadrant after the future Admiral Kathryn Janeway had arrived on board. (VOY: "Endgame")
- In 2379, the senior staff of the USS Enterprise-E toasted Data, who had sacrificed himself in order to save the ship. (Star Trek Nemesis)
- In an alternate timeline, Kim, as the best man at the wedding of Paris and Kes, attempted to give the toast, but was so nervous that he spilled champagne all over Paris' dress uniform. (VOY: "Before and After")
- In another alternate timeline, Nog fulsomely toasted Jake Sisko and Korena. (DS9: "The Visitor")