Sabrage is the art of opening bottles of champagne with a sabre.
That’s right, an actual sword.
The story goes that this technique was developed by Napoleon’s Hussars (light cavalry), who were given bottles of champagne as they traveled through the region of Champagne after a victory. Since they were on horseback, removing the cork from the bottle conventionally proved troublesome. Popping off the top of the bottle with a cavalry sabre was much easier.
Want to see how it’s done? In this video, Jennifer Simonetti-Bryan uses a knife-like instrument.
And in this video, Captain Rupert Campbell-Jones uses a ceremonial sword.
This is one of those activities that definitely falls in the don’t-try-this-at-home category, but you can hire professionals for you next party or gathering 🙂
And Then She Kissed Him 