Champagne is a special type of wine which people tend to reserve for special occasions. However, while serving champagne can be a bit of a spectacle, it can also be dangerous. Therefore, it’s important to know how to serve this special drink safely…
Serving Champagne: Do It Safely
Tackling the cage
The first part of serving champagne involves loosening the cork’s cage. Now, these cages might seem somewhat flimsy and not all that important. However, they do play an important role in keeping the cork from popping off. Therefore, you need to approach it delicately.
Start to loosen the cage by half-rotating the tab 6 times. This should get it loose enough to flip it over the bottle’s lid. Still, don’t remove it just yet, just in case the cork itself is loose. Be sure to keep your hand in place over the cage and cork now that they aren’t secure.
Getting a grip
Now that the cage is loose, the next part of serving champagne is getting a grip on the bottle. Often times, champagne is served cold or on ice, which makes the bottle rather slippery. Therefore, it helps to use a small towel or a rag to get a better grip on the bottle.
Once you have a grip, hold the bottle at a 45° and start to rotate the base, not the cork and the cage. For starters, this is a much easier process than trying to rotate the cork and cage. Plus, it’s also safer, as it ensures the cork doesn’t pop off and go flying.
Removing the cork
Finally, the last part of safely serving champagne is getting the bottle finally open. Continue to rotate the bottle, and you should start to feel more pressure on the cork. Keep your grasp firm, and soon the cork should push out. If done correctly, then you’ll still get a nice “pop”, but without any out-of-control flying cork.
Handling champagne this way is much more safer than trying to scrape the cork out with a knife or pulling it by hand. Of course, this may reduce the spectacle just a bit. However, you and your guests will enjoy the drink a lot better without any eye injuries!
