The issue of religion within drinking culture is both vast and nebulous. It spans from praising various gods of distilled spirits and fermented beverages, to religious parables such as Jesus turning water into wine, to offering prayers before drinking, as during a toast. Two other issues that are “spiritual” in nature are christening a ship with a spirit bottle, and a group of friends “blessing” a 750mL bottle before opening it. The nautical connection is usually a more formal ritual: large gathering of old money and assorted bigwigs taking a magnum bottle of Louis Roederer Cristal across the bow of a hundred million dollar cruise ship. Whereas, an informal gathering of homeboys will pass around a fifth of the elixir of the night, ensuring that all touch it, tap it, dap it, even hit it with gang signs….ensuring good energy goes into the bottle, so that good energy is emitted.

Two different rituals, but both showing that spirits are not only imbibed, but consecrated as well….literally and figuratively.