Sabering A Bottle Of Champagne

As January rolls around the corner, a certain bubbly beverage is in high demand: Champagne.

We've already showed you how to open sparkling wine the old fashioned way, but New Year's calls for something special. Sabrage is a technique that allows you to open a bottle of Champagne by sliding a saber (or kitchen knife) against the body of a bottle to break off its neck. Here's how to do it. (Disclaimer: Sabrage is a tricky technique to master, so you might want to try this with a bit of somm supervision for starters.)

First, remove the foil and move the wire from the bottom lip to the top lip. Find the seam of the bottle (where the two halves of the bottle connect), because that's where you'll be sliding your knife. Tilt the bottle about thirty degrees upward, and make sure to have to cork facing away from you!

The rest is simple: slide the knife flat against the seams, but make sure you slide with the blunt side; the sharp side should be facing toward you. You heard us correctly! Here's a great video with those steps in action:

What will you be drinking this New Year's? We'll be raising our glasses to Drappier Carte D'or. What are you drinking? Let us know in the comments!