How to open a Champagne bottle & serve drinks

Make Sure The Champagne Is Cold: Start off by chilling the bottle. The best serving temperature is around 45° Fahrenheit that would be about 7° Celsius. A good method for making sure you get the right temperature is to fill your ice bucket or any deep container if you don't have a special one for wines, and let the bottle sit for 15 to 20 minutes. Remember that Champagne that is too warm will foam and spill when you uncork the bottle. You'll lose some of the bubbles and make a mess.

Remove Foil & Loosen Wire Cage: Take the foil off the top of the bottle so that the wire cage is totally free of foil. Leaving the wire cage in place will keep the cork in place until you're ready to remove it.

Use A Towel: With the bottle upright, drape a towel over the top of the bottle. With the towel there, even if the cork does pop out, it will be caught in the towel. It also catches any champagne that spills - if the uncorking ceremony is not perfect.

Turn The Champagne Bottle: Lay the thin part of the towel draped bottle in your hand and get a good grip on the cork. Slowly turn the bottle while you hold onto the cork, don't yank the cork when you feel it loosen. Gently turn the bottle until you hear a little "pop". The noise comes from the carbon dioxide escaping. A loud pop means that you've let out too much carbon dioxide - usually along with a good bit of the champagne. The soft pop you'll hear means that you've preserved the bubbles in your champagne.

Pour The Champagne: The secret to pouring champagne is to pour just about an ounce or two fingers worth, of it into the glass. You'll want to use a tall champagne flute or tulip-shaped glass to get the best results. Wait for the initial foaming bubbles to subside, and then pour again until about two-thirds of the glass is full. This method will avoid the mess of the foam spilling over the sides of the glass. Keep the bottle in the ice bucket whenever you aren't pouring.