Sabrage is the art of opening a
champagne bottle at the neck using a very sharp blade. The technique supposedly originated with the fabulous celebrations
Napoleon's armies would throw upon
victory, where the
Hussars (
sabre-wielding cavalry) would open their
champagne in this manner.
The short emperor was supposed to have said "
Champagne! In
victory one deserves it; in
defeat one needs it."
What you'll need:
1) A bottle of vintage Dom Perignon
2) A sabre, received as a gift from the captain of Napoleon I's Hussars and sharp enough to cut a silken scarf that drifts against its edge, just like in Aladdin.
In lieu of these, any sparkling wine and any reasonably sharp, non-serrated knife will do.
To perform sabrage, the bottle is held at about 20 degrees to the horizontal. It is then rotated until the seam that runs the length of the bottle faces towards the brave sword-wielder. The blade is slid quickly along the seam until it strikes the glass collar below the cork. The glass collar should part with the neck at great velocity, leaving a remarkably smooth break. Traditionally, this is the point at which everyone gets roaring screaming drunk.