Sabering champagne
By Eric Benn - Co-Owner

The Bubble Lounge is the first New York member of the “confrerie du sabre d'or,” a brotherhood dating back to the Napoleon era when his mounted artillery officers would return from combat and celebrate life, its feast and the women in their presence by dramatically sabering another victim.

Sabering, if done improperly, can be dangerous.  But if you do it correctly, it is a safe, fun and certainly dramatic way of opening a bottle of champagne.

- First the "don'ts:"

Never, at any time, point the cork of a bottle at a person, animal or towards valuable objects. 

Never attempt to saber a bottle that has not been properly chilled and/or that has been shaken beyond normal handling.

Never "hit" the bottle with the saber -- merely glide the saber on its neck.

The top of a sabered bottle, and the glass attached to the sabered cork may be sharp and must be handled with extreme care so as to not cut yourself or others.

- Then the "not recommendeds."

French and British made champagne bottle manufacturers are the best to saber.  The majority of French made champagnes (redundant) will be perfect to saber.  Beware, however, of bottles that do not fit the typical shape for

they will most likely crack or break in the wrong spot.  Though a lovely champagne, Gosset bottles are a typical example of bottles to avoid when sabering.

Sparkling wines, cavas, spumantes and other non-champagne bottles should be avoided until you feel confident with the art form.

Also, we strongly discourage sabering with anything other than a heavy, long saber.  The weight of the blade, its length and its handle allow for a firm, easy, and perfect tool for best results.

- Now the fun part:

Take a properly chilled champagne bottle (between 35 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit) and hold the bottle with the thumb of the hand you don't write with firmly set in the "butt" of the bottle.  The rest of your fingers will cradle the base of the bottle.

Remove, gently always, the foil that dresses the top of the bottle.  Remove all of it, not just the cork part.

Remember that you must not shake the bottle or cause any undue stress to its content.

Now, carefully, and with the cork pointed away from any person, animal, precious object, gently remove the muzzle cage.

If properly chilled and not shaken, the cork should remain in the bottle.

Using the hand you write with, slide the nail of your thumb around the top of the bottle's neck, just below the area where the muzzle was attached (this part is also called the annulus).  You are looking for the bottle's seam.  There are always two to a bottle, though some are extremely hard to find.

Where that seam meets the annulus is the weakest spot of the bottle.  It is so weak, in fact, that with experience, a skilled soberer can perform the task with a butter-knife or even the foot of a champagne glass.

Now turn the bottle so that this weak spot is facing you on top.  This is the spot you will make contact with the blade.

Firmly hold the saber and place its blade on the top of the bottle's shoulder.

For best results, the bottle should be about two thirds of the blade away from the handle.

Be sure that the angle of the bottle is such that the fluid is just short of touching the base of the cork in the bottle.   A lesser angle will cause spillage, and a greater angle will make the sliding of the blade less natural.

The following is critical to a successful sabering.  It is not strength or force that is required, but rather momentum and follow-through that pops the cork and bottle head off simultaneously.  As in golf or tennis, you need to maintain the motion beyond the point of impact.  If you stop the motion at the annulus you risk cracking the bottle along its length or chipping the rim.  Do not hesitate, and do not use your wrist in the action – all the motion is from the elbow.  Simply slide the blade alongside the bottle's neck with the intention to impact beyond the cork.  It is difficult to describe the speed at which the blade glides on the bottle, but imagine the motion of an indifferent shooing of a bug -- Not the strike intended to kill it.

- Now the following are common concerns:

Will glass end up in the fluid?

No, the pressure in the bottle, equivalent to that of a truck's tire, but far less than a soda bottle’s, will prevent any potential glass chards from slipping into the bottle.

Will this spoil the quality of the beverage?

Not really, though some would argue that it causes undue stress to the nectar.  You might want to avoid sabering an extraordinary wine.

Sabering is an old tradition which represents, today, a festive gesture of friendship, and love and respect for this wonderful beverage.  As with anything, common sense and responsibility will allow you to perform this act with confidence and safety for the pleasure of all.  If you do not have a saber, use a large, heavy kitchen knife and use the back, or blunt, side of the blade to saber the bottle.

Santé!