The illustrious heritage of some of the world's great tipples is being celebrated by the revival of traditional drinking rituals

These days the market is awash with 'luxury' drinks brands: vodkas and champagnes with nothing to distinguish them but a fancy bottle, a C-list celebrity association and a high price tag.

But what clever marketing can't do, however, is create a heritage, which is what sets the truly great drinks apart. Connoisseurs are interested in the pedigree of their tipples and, increasingly, are seeking out the rituals and ceremonies of which heritage drinks are a part, finding enlightenment and entertainment along the way.

If one is a vodka drinker, the newest place to do this is the Fifth Floor Bar at Harvey Nichols, London, which now includes a private toasting room complete with Russian toastmaster. As well as a lesson in the art of toasting, visitors can sample traditional zakuskie, or canapés. Likewise the vodka of choice, Stolichnaya, is as authentic as its gets: it was even brandished by Russian cosmonauts in an outer-space toast with the Apollo mission in 1975.

In the 10th century, drinking someone's health was sometimes, quite literally, a matter of life and death, as one vowed to protect another during the act of drinking. The word 'toast', however, is thought to come from the 17th-century tradition of adding toast to wine to improve its flavour. Passing the port clockwise in one's left hand, is also rooted in self-defence, as it ensured one's sword arm was always free.

If your sword is at a loose end, however, you might wish to employ it in a ritual being revived at the Park Room bar at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London. Sabrage - or opening one's champagne with a sabre - was an art invented by the Napoleonic cavalry, supposedly as a means of impressing champagne's leading lady, Veuve Clicquot.

"It takes about the same amount of effort as opening a bottle with a damp napkin and a sprained wrist but is rather more spectacular," remarks Julian White, who, as UK ambassador for the international sabrage-and-supper club La Confrérie du Sabre d'Or, counts Gordon Ramsay among his recent pupils. One might also wish to clink glasses once the champagne is poured - an act which was originally used to ward off the devil by mimicking the sound of church bells.

The rise of super-luxe añejo and extra-añejo tequilas (an extra-aged category in limited supply), has also seen those in the know seeking out the sangrita ritual native to Mexico, but increasingly on offer in top bars around the world. Too good to mix or - god forbid - shoot, fine tequilas are sipped as a chilled shot, alternating with a shot of sangrita - usually a mix of tomato and citrus juices with a chilli kick. For Mexicans, this ritual is reserved for only the finest tequilas, to be savoured as one would a fine brandy.

To experience the sangrita ritual on its home turf, order a "tequila complete" at Cocina 88 in Guadalajara, the capital of Tequila country. Otherwise a tasting under the guidance of Myles Davies, manager of London's tequila bar Green & Red, will soon have the Latin spirit running through your veins. - Alice Lascelles