Looking to impress your guests at your next soirée and win the title of the host with the most memorable party? Then you’re in luck because St. Regis has just announced a new, private champagne sabrage masterclass that will be available across all of its northern American hotels and resorts.
Champagne sabering – which is the act of opening a champagne bottle by dramatically ripping off its top with the aid of a specially-made sabre sword – is an art that dates back some 200 years and is thought to have been invented by Napoleon during the French Revolution. At St. Regis, this art enjoys an equally longstanding history. It is said that the hotel group’s founder, John Jacob Astor IV, was so enamoured by the outlandish glamour and sense of occasion of the act that he sabered a bottle of champagne nightly to celebrate the close of day.
Since then, the undeniably ostentatious act (in the best way possible) has been ingrained into the identity of the St. Regis portfolio, with hotels and resorts around the world continuing the tradition of night sabrage rituals.
Now, the luxury establishment is looking to export this skill to people looking to introduce more drama to their private soirées. “Honouring our heritage as a house of celebration, we are delighted to offer guests the opportunity to take part in this sparkling ritual [of champagne sabering] and master the most glamorous of all cocktail party tricks at our hotels & resorts across North America,” says George Fleck, vice president and global brand leader, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts.
At the private masterclass, which accommodates a maximum of just four guests, participants would receive expert training from a St. Regis butler who would share invaluable knowledge on not only how to sabre a bottle safely and effectively, but also how to do so in a manner so dramatic as to make the entire process truly captivating and memorable.
Currently, the experience is available on request across the St. Regis North America portfolio, including hotels in Deer Valley, Aspen Toronto, New York and San Francisco, among others, and is priced at around $500 per group.
Source: Elite Traveler