Champagne sabrage is a signature ritual at St. Regis hotels around the world, where a bottle of champagne or is sliced open with a sabre. The practice dates back to the early battles of French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, who would open a bottle of champagne with his sabre in both victory and defeat.

The St. Regis Singapore Director of Food and Beverage Ms Denise Matthijsse shares more about this tradition.

The art of champagne sabrage is the signature ceremony of the St. Regis Evening Ritual and has been practiced at The St. Regis Singapore since its opening 10 years ago. Caroline Astor, matriarch of the hotel’s founding family and doyenne of New York society, often enjoyed Champagne with family and friends at the hotel to mark the transition of day to night. This Evening Ritual has continued till today and further enhanced with champagne sabering.

It’s a unique and exciting way to open a bottle of champagne, and a great option to begin an evening social. Just as the name suggests, the bottle of champagne is sliced open with a sabre by sliding the blade along the bottle and breaking the top of the bottleneck away.

It may look like a fancy party trick but mastering the art of champagne sabering involves lots of practice, and one will get better with experience. With proper guidance, it can take just one session for someone to be able to perform it. However, it can take months for someone to be a fully accredited sommelier to conduct it officially. The hotel is a member of the Confrérie du Sabre d'Or, a global society dedicated to the enjoyment of champagne and the unusual way of opening the bottle.

The bottle is opened with the blunt side of the sword instead of the sharpened edge, as impact is key to opening the bottle. While it may look more impressive to see champagne flowing from the bottle after sabering, an experienced sommelier is often able to open the bottle with little spillage. (Though we typically allow a small flow of champagne to wash away any loose shards of glass that may adhere to the neck of the bottle.)

There are also champagnes that are most optimal for sabering – a young vintage champagne with pressure still on the cork, as it usually means more pressure within the bottle for an easier opening. The champagne also needs to be specially prepared for sabering. We chill it for 24 hours at below 10°C, thereafter placing it reverse way up about 20 minutes before opening, as a cold bottle will break more cleanly.

We conduct champagne sabering every Sunday, during the hotel’s Sunday Champagne Brunch at Brasserie Les Saveurs, as well as at special events and celebratory occasions including the festive celebrations for the Christmas and New Year season, so join us then to check out champagne sabering in person! Guests can also request for champagne sabering to be performed at special events such as birthday celebrations and weddings, subject to availability.