champagne sabre.

Try something new and exciting? Have you considered using a Champagne sabre to open your bottle of personalised Champagne?

Our customers have been asking for a while if we could supply a Champagne sabre and ours has finally arrived!

 

 

 

 sabre picture  

It’s very easy to use a Champagne sabre but of course, as with any sharp instrument, it should be used sensibly and with care. One does not use the “sharp” side of the blade but instead, turns it around!

How does this work? The sabre is slid along the body of the bottle to break the entire neck away from the bottle, leaving only the base of the bottle open and ready to pour. The force of the backside of the blade hits the lid, breaks the glass to separate the collar of the bottle from the neck of the Champagne bottle.

A Champagne sabre is sometimes known as a Champagne sword.

Sabrage is a technique for opening Champagne with a sabre and is usually used for ceremonial occasions. It is becoming much more "dashing" now to use the Champagne sword for any celebrations within the family. Do take care!

  If you have any questions please contact us on: 
bespoke@champagneandgifts.co.uk
 or   0800 849 7849
 

 

 An impressive way of opening your bottle of good quality Champagne is to bring out the Champagne sabre. It gives that "extra touch" to your celebration.  Follow our guide below and Champagne sobering will be both safe and easy.

  

Obtain a bottle of chilled champagne that has not been shaken. It is best if the bottle has chilled in a cold refrigerator overnight. Some people additionally advise chilling the neck of the bottle in an ice-water bucket just before sabering.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. 
 
 Sabre  

 

Locate one of the seams on the bottle. This is where the two halves of the
bottle join together. Hold the bottle firmly and at a 45 degree angle upwards (pointed in a safe direction).

 
 Sabre  
 Lay the sword against the bottle. Put the back side of the sword (the blunt, non-cutting edge) towards the cork, as shown in the pictures. Move the sword to the base of the neck, still keeping it flat against the bottle.  
 Sabre  

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 Champagne  sword to the bottle with this motion.

 
Sabre
 

Firmly and quickly slide the sabre down the vertical seam (the cleanest break will occur at the seam intersection), 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 (a little glass ring) and the cork within should cleanly break off (as shown in the picture) and go flying.

“Make sure you keep your striking wrist firm. The action comes from your shoulder and elbow but it shouldn’t be overly forceful — it’s all about hitting the sweet spot in one clean motion, much like a golf swing. The key is a good follow through, so the whole of the collar comes off with the cork still inside, and so that any loose glass will fly away from you and onlookers.”

A Word of Caution about using a Champagne Sabre

Always ensure that you are using a good quality bottle of champagne as  accidents do happen. And what goes wrong? “If the bottle gets too warm, just a single degree or two, it will shatter.” only Champagnes made in the method champenoise style can be sabered. “Sparkling wine that is tank fermented (rather than allowed to ferment in the bottle) doesn’t have enough bottle pressure in it to help sabering work properly.”

See our video on how to sabre a bottle of champagne

 

 

The Champagne & Gift Company
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