Bottoms up is an expression used as a toast or humorous exclamation used while drinking, especially while drinking alcoholic beverages.
This toast is similar to cheers or down the hatch and is used when drinking with friends as a way to encourage others to drink together or simply to have fun.
Bottoms Up is usually used as a standalone exclamation similar to other drinking toasts.
Origin of “Bottoms Up”
Used since the early 1900s, this idiom literally encourages others to drink in such a way that the bottom of their glasses tilt upward and every last drop is consumed. As a toast, it is not necessary to take it literally.
“Bottoms Up” vs. “Bottom-Up” (Other Uses)
While “bottoms up!” (plural) is almost exclusively used as a casual drinking toast, the singular term “bottom-up” (often hyphenated) has completely different meanings in business, management, and tech:
- Bottom-Up Management / Approach: A decision-making strategy where ideas, input, and initiatives originate from lower-level employees or front-line staff rather than executive leadership.
- Bottom-Up Processing (Psychology & AI): An information-processing approach that builds understanding from raw sensory data or basic elements up to complex concepts.
- Bottom-Up Investing: An investment strategy that focuses on analyzing individual companies and stocks rather than macro-economic trends.
Note: When making a toast with drinks, always use the plural “Bottoms up!”
Common Misconceptions: “Bottom Sip”?
Some English learners occasionally mishear the expression as “bottom sip.” However, “bottom sip” is not a recognized English idiom or phrase. The correct expression is always “bottoms up,” referring to the physical motion of tilting the bottom of your drinking glass toward the ceiling.
See also the humorous toast “Here’s Mud In Your Eye!”