LIFE

Add a flair of danger to Valentine's Day with a sabre

Jim Myers
USA TODAY NETWORK – Tennessee

Even the greatest of romances can get dull and dry with time, which is why calling on a hint of danger may be just the thing to ignite something special this Valentine's Day.

Forget the skyrockets in flight. For your lover's delight, all you need is a bottle of champagne, two glasses, and a sabre.

That's right. A sabre, or sword, or Bowie knife.  Feeling dangerous already, aren't you? For all of you looking for handcuffs and fettering, please proceed to "50 Shades of Grey." This isn't that story.

The art of sabrage (pronounced suh-braj) is the technique of opening a bottle of champagne with a sword. It goes back to the 18th century and the French Hussars, Napoleon's famous cavalry. Being French and all, and needing champagne to soothe their savage hearts or celebrate a hard-won victory, they would cut the necks off bottles with a well-placed swoop of the blade.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION
Vivek Surti uses a saber to perform the art of "sabrage" to open bottles of champagne with a flourish. 
 Wednesday Jan. 27, 2016, in Nashville, Tenn.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION by Larry McCormack

When local bon vivant Vivek Surti learned of this dashing method, he immediately wanted to try it. Known around town for his famous pop-up "epicurean adventures," Surti was no stranger to pomp and circumstance. He also owned his own sabre, and as marketing specialist for the Nashville Wine Auction, he knows his way around a bottle of bubbly.

"I got the sabre when I was traveling around India with my family when I was 10 years old," says Surti. "I begged my father for one and finally wore him down. It had to be dull and when we got home he nailed it to the wall."

Twenty years later, Surti felt compelled, and adult enough, to bring out the sabre for what he hoped would not turn out to be just some ceremonial folly. It worked and he was hooked.

Hundreds of bottles later, Surti has created quite a large and growing cadre of folks who enjoy the fun. Search for the hashtag #sabragesociety and you will find their photos and videos.

You might even be stirred to try it yourself this Valentine's Day and impress your special someone. If so, please read on for our helpful guide, as well as our long warning list of the potential dangers.

When you think you're ready, go ahead and buy  two bottles, just in case. Then, after you show her your sabre and whisper, "Hello, Lover" with a bottle of champagne in your other hand, be prepared for something besides flying corks.

Reach Jim Myers at 615-259-8367 and on Twitter @ReadJimMyers.

Tips:

  • Most affordable champagnes and sparkling wines will do, but Vivek Surti recommends François Montand and Poema Cava. We also tried Andre Cold Duck with a screw top, and that worked, too, but I don't recommend it.

  • Make sure the bottle is well chilled first and that you've removed the wire cage and the foil.

  • Hold the bottle firmly, close to the base. Old-school sabrage masters teach you to hold the bottle with thumb in the punt, the deep dimple at the bottom of the bottle. If you have the hand strength to do this without letting go of the bottle, by all means give it a try. Just keep your thumb out of the way of the sabre.

  • The bottle should be held at about 30 degrees from horizontal. This lets the air escape while also allowing some air in and will minimize the overflow and loss of precious bubbly.

  • Slowly slide the sabre at an angle along one of the two seams that run the length of the bottle, to get a feel for the motion. It also builds suspense.

  • When you're ready, and feeling full of vim, vigor and romance, slide the sabre quickly and firmly up against the base of the round neck, called the annulus.  Make sure you're pointing away from people, pets and rubber walls. You also want to have a strong follow through with your motion. Don't stop when the sabre hits the annulus, but keep going. It also adds some drama.

  • Done correctly, the cork will break cleanly away and sail 10-20 feet. Don't leave it lying around.

  • Pour the champagne into suitable glasses (a coupe is my favorite, but flutes and Dixie cups work equally well). Check for glass shards, just to be safe. Though if done correctly, the pressure of escaping air and liquid will carry any pieces away.

Warnings:

  • This can be dangerous, as champagne is under pressure, in glass, essentially making it a glass bomb in your hand.

  • Never point the cork at anyone or anything you care about it. It is a projectile. This goes for taking the foil and cage off as well, when premature corkage could happen.

  • It's best to do this outside, but mind where the cork might go (especially if this is being done from a balcony).

  • If the glass (and ultimately the quality of what's inside) is thin, you run the risk of having the bottle break into many pieces. French products use thicker glass. Still, this is an imperfect art, and things can go wrong.

  • Once sabred, the edge of the neck is very, very sharp. Do no not drink from the bottle (unless pouring from above) and be careful to keep your fingers away from that edge.

  • If you put the bottle back in your refrigerator, cover the opening with thick foil to prevent from absentmindedly grabbing it and cutting yourself.