“I drink Champagne when I win, to celebrate . . . and I drink Champagne when I lose, to console myself.” – Napoleon Bonaparte
Used in championship celebrations world wide and for eons, champagne is one of the most recognized alcoholic beverages around the world. The popping of a champagne cork yields excitement to any flute holding bystander.
Opening a bottle with a sword can be both thrilling to watch and to do. After an impressive win at the tables add the cherry to the cake by amazing your peers the Napoleon’s officers did it.
Wipe away any moisture on the bottle with a napkin. Remove the foil from the top of the bottle. Unwrap and remove the wire cage from the bottle. Alternatively, to avoid the risk of the cork getting pushed out on its own prior to sabrage, loosen the wire cage and raise it up to the next level, then tighten it back down on the upper flanged end of the bottle. Locate the crease. This is the seam that joins the two halves of the bottle together. It’s weakest where it meets the lip, and that’s where you’ll need to strike. Hold the bottle firmly and at a 45 degree angle upwards (pointed in a safe direction).
Lay the sword against the bottle. Put the back side of the sword (the blunt, non-cutting edge) towards the cork. Move the sword to the base of the neck, still keeping it flat against the bottle and at a ninety degree angle. Slide the sword slowly and gently along the bottle back to the lip. This is to get a feel for the movement you will need to execute. Go back and forth lightly until you feel comfortable holding the sword to the bottle with this motion.
Firmly and quickly slide the knife down the seam, towards the lip that holds the cork. This should be one firm, continuous movement. Weak, unsure attempts often result in simply ricocheting off the top of the bottle. With the correct amount of pressure and the blade properly positioned (flat and on the seam), the lip of the bottle and the cork within should cleanly break off and go flying.
“I only drink Champagne when I’m happy, and when I’m sad. Sometimes I drink it when I’m alone. When I have company, I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I am not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise I never touch it – unless I’m thirsty.” – Lily Bollinger
