Sabrage
 
The Champagne Lounge Ltd proudly brings you time honoured art of le sabrage or sabre à champagne (opening a bottle with a sabre) is the most traditional way to open a bottle of champagne. Dating back to Napoleonic days, it involves using a sword to cleanly slice the end and the cork off a bottle. The technique does not specifically involve extracting the cork but actually removing the whole top of the bottle with the sabre.
 
 

	Stock Number : CL_004
	Description : Le Sabre - 20cm blade inscribed with elegant "Le Sabre" & wooden stand in presentation box.
	Cost : £49.95

 

	Stock Number : CL_005
	Description : Sabre a Champagne - 29cm blade inscribed with elegant "Sabre a Champagne" motif & wooden stand in presentation box.
	Cost : £99.95

 
Due to age restrictions we can only take orders for sabres in person or via credit card. We do not take Internet orders as a legal precaution. To order a sabre please call us on 0871 662 9894 or mobile 070 4040 1515 (Calls to this 0871 number cost 10p per minute from BT landlines, other networks may vary. Calls from and to mobiles may cost more.) and we can take your credit cards over the phone.
 
 
 
History of Sabrage
 
There are many stories on how the tradition of sabrage started. One of the most spirited, is that during Napoleon's time, Madame Clicquot who was Mistress of the Veuve-Clicquot Champagne house had a habit of entertaining soldiers at her vineyards. Upon leaving, she gave them bottles of champagne. As the soldiers rode off on horseback they were unable to open the bottles, so whilst keeping control of the horse they drew their sabres and beheaded the bottle with a stroke of the blade.
 
 
Method of Sabrage
 
We do recommend sabrage should only be conducted by adults properly trained and recommend caution unless you are experienced at the art. Though the below points should assist the budding enthusiast Sabreur.
 
1) Slowly chill and rest the bottle and the neck evenly for at preferable 24Hrs beforehand, miniumum of 4 hrs.
2) Remove the foil and the muselet (wire cage).
3) Look for the seam in the bottle, place the sabre edge against the seam just below the shoulder of the top.
4) Hold the bottle at 40 degrees away from yourself, making sure there is a clear space in front of you.
5) Sweep the sword briskly and firmly across the bottle to the cork neck in a swift motion.
 
Note: The sabre doesn't actually chop the end off. When it slides down and strikes the lip on the neck of the bottle (annulus), it causes the end & cork to separate from the neck, the expelling gas blows away any shards of glass. The bottle is not actually "cut", merely the blunt edge of the sword causes the top to fracture off and fly away cork intacted.
 
Top Tip: Do not use very cheap bottles of sparkling as the glass quality will be not as good ( you pay for what you get!), and may lead to fragments of glass being experience.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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