The art of the toast

2-min read

The tamada is chosen for eloquence and stamina; his toasts follow a loose sacred order — peace, family, the departed, guests, love — and each is a small speech, answered around the table before anyone drinks.

Two words to know: “gaumarjos!” — the reply that seals every toast — and “alaverdi”, when the tamada passes the toast to a guest to continue. If that guest is you, a short, sincere line beats a long clever one.

🎒 Never toast with beer — in Georgia that is reserved, pointedly, for enemies.