[NOTE: This is the second of those it's-a-holiday-and-I'm-partying reposts]

There are two common methods for opening a bottle of champagne.

Method 1: Unscrew wire cage. Shake bottle vigorously. Allow cork to pop. Wait for spray to stop. Pour into mouth.

Perfect if you're in the winning World Series locker room. Not so much for a New Year's Eve party. For that you'll want to employ Method 2...

Here's what you do:
1 -Take the bottle out of the refrigerator or ice bucket.

2 - Using a towel, wipe the excess moisture from the bottle. (You want to be able to get a good grip on it.)

3 - Drape the towel over the neck of the bottle, and loosely wrap, covering the cork. (This keeps the cork from knocking a guest unconscious should it get away from you.)

4 - Holding your thumb over the cork, unscrew the wire cage and remove. (Useless trivia: Almost all wire cages are secured with 6 half twists.)

5 - Holding the cork in place, get a firm grip on the bottom of the bottle. Twist the bottle, NOT THE CORK, until you feel the cork start to release.

6 - The cork should come out with a soft whoosh, not a loud pop. A loud pop means you've let too much air escape. And that's bad. You want to preserve as many bubbles as possible. And women love a guy who can control his pop.