I'm sure many of you will have had a Christmas drink with your friends over the last few days. I also expect that as you raised your glass whilst saying the words, Merry Christmas, maybe just Cheers or even bottoms up that I remember many years ago.
It comes from the Royal Navy offering a queens shilling to join up many years ago. Men were tricked into drinking a glass of beer where a silver coin was hidden in it, this meant the man had accepted the coin and was therefore registered. To stop this happening a barman put a clear glass in the bottom of each glass and a friend would check his friends glass had not had a coin added by saying "Bottoms Up" and he would check the glass,
The real truth of this picture is it's the Stroud Valley Synchronized Swimming Team practicing for the Olympic Games in Tokyo later next year.
I didn't know the full story of the glass bottom tankards-- never to late to learn!!