Sabrage

Andrej the Monk Teaching Me Sabrage

Before coming to Bled I had heard a legend...a legend too good to be true.  I had heard tell of a monk that lived at the castle who could teach you the ancient art of sabrage.  For those who don't know, sabrage is the art of opening a champagne bottle with a sword.  Going into this trip, seeking out this master monk was one of my highest priorities.  Not only could he teach me this outrageously cool art, his name could not be more fitting to his talent.  This monk's name was Andre[j].  While I have absolutely nothing tangible upon which to base this conclusion, I ardently believe that the man who created Andre, that crappy bottom-shelf California champagne we all love to hate, named his champagne in honor of this amazing monk, in the hopes that making such a crummy bottle of champagne would encourage future generations of alcohol-enthusiasts to learn the noble art of sabrage.

For the mere price of a bottle of champagne, Andrej gave me a lesson in sabrage and let me open my own bottle with a sword.  I learned all about the type of sword necessary and he even showed me the kind of sword I would need to open a comically large bottle of champagne, like he does at weddings in Bled.

You cannot possibly underestimate how cool it is to open a bottle of champagne with a sword.  It is hands-down one of the most amazing talents I've acquired over the years.  Check out the video of my feat that Kati shot (posted with all of the pictures from the castle).