To saber - or slice off the top of a Champagne bottle with a knife - dates back hundreds of years to war in France. Upon winning a battle, soldiers would immediately begin drinking Champagne. And would simply hack off the top of the bottle with their swords to begin gulping the bubbly as quickly as possible. No careful twisting of the cork, just hacking at the bottle. Anyone with a sharp enough knife, and a little know-how, anyone can saber a bottle. But you must first know where to look.
And truthfully, YouTube is the wrong place with a few exceptions. It's the right place if you want to see what not to do.
Safety first + find the seam
The tactic behind a successful saber is exploiting the seam of the wine bottle. Every bottle has one with careful examination. And in order to safely shoot the cork, cage and top of the bottle AWAY FROM YOU, you must run the knife along the seam.
If you are on point, you will end up with a bottle completely free of the cork and lip of the bottle, a mouth with slightly jagged edges and all of your eyes will be fully functioning.
And safety when celebrating should always be the number one priority. Because nothing ruins a party like a trip to the emergency room.
How to saber champagne, with Frank
Allow me to introduce the lovely and talented Frank, as he demonstrates the correct way to saber during his time as a teaching assistant at the CIA. Notice how both his eyes are intact at the end. Santé!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hrky65xNpW8]
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