Champagne: To Engrave, or Not to Engrave?

Originally published 29 March 2021

To engrave, or not to engrave? That is the question:
Whether ‘tis nobler for the artist to drill
On a highly pressurized surface
Or just decorate the bottle with a couple paint pens instead.

I think that’s what Hamlet was talking about, right?

My Shakespearean misremembering notwithstanding, this blog post was inspired by Jo of @the_luxury_creative and @calligraphyenvogue, who recently shared a video of a champagne bottle she engraved exploding. The engraving was done a week before the explosion was caught on camera - you can watch it here.

With Jo’s post as my inspiration, here are a few points about champagne engraving, the consequences that may result of the wrong kind of “popping the bubbly” and alternatives that can be offered instead.

 

Why it’s a bad idea- The mechanics behind an explosion

As a science nerd (chemistry was my jam, physics less so, but I’ll do my best), this was super fun to research. There are forces at play in a champagne bottle, generated by the carbon dioxide released during the double fermentation process. This pressure exerts about 5kg (11 pounds) on every square centimetre of the glass. This is why champagne bottles are thicker and have the cork wired down to prevent premature popping. Champagne bottles can pop at any time, even before engraving comes in to the picture. Therefore, when engraving is introduced, the vibrations of the bur against the bottle, coupled with the heat generated during the engraving process and the compromise of the glass via chipping away at bits of it (no matter how beautiful or light-handed), can cause the bottle to explode.

What’s worse, is that it may not explode right away, either. The explosion detailed above happened a week after engraving. A fellow engraver, Claire, has had an explosion take place over a month after initial decoration. Since this post went viral in the engraving community, other engravers have shared their experiences with a similar outcome. As such, since a champagne bottle can go kablooey at any time, engraving services should not be offered for champagne.

Additionally, it’s got very little to do with how gentle you are with your engraving. Compromised glass is still compromised glass, regardless of if you engraved a tiny little name or an intricate floral pattern. So, skip the chances of cleaning shards of glass and wasted champagne off the walls by skipping the engraving process.

What can happen: My own experience

Being the aforementioned nerd, last May (2020), I wanted to see for myself what might happen with engraving on a pressurized surface. At the time, I figured champagne was higher risk, so I engraved on a regular unopened soda bottle instead. I’ll give you three guesses as to what happened, and the first two don’t count. The tiny 325ml bottle exploded, and rained soda and glass all over my precious laptop, which hasn’t been the same since.

Wanting to test the limits of soda engraving, I got another soda bottle, drank about a third of it first, and left it to go flat over a couple days before engraving it. Once the engraving was complete, I left the top partially on and fully opened it every day to release the gases. Even after all that, that bottle exploded a few days later too – though this time I had the forethought to get a light-coloured soda and leave the bottle where the damage inflicted would not injure any electronic equipment.

My own experiments aside, a sticky laptop keyboard with a malfunctioningspacebar is the best thing that can happen from a champagne. Removing my science nerd hat and putting on my healthcare-provider hat, there is no shortage of injuries that can happen as a result of a bottle going boom.

Alternatives to Champagne Engraving

After reading this post, I hope I have persuaded you to skip the engraved champagne.  The good news is that I am very much a solution-oriented person, so here are alternative ideas you can opt for instead!

BOTTLE PAINTING

You can still get your champagne customised for your big event, sans the risk! Bottle painting, with specialized markers and tools still bring a lux look and feel, without the fear of a bottle going boom in the night. Check out my portfolio here!

ENGRAVED CHAMPAGNE FLUTES

Instead of engraving the bottle, why not engrave the flutes instead? Personalised champagne flutes have multiple benefits and uses – they make great bridesmaids’ gifts, escort cards for weddings, engagement presents, you name it! Get in touch for a custom quote if that’s something you’re interested in!

ENGRAVE THE EMPTY BOTTLE

If you really have your heart set on getting that champagne engraved, the only safe alternative is the drink it all first, and get the empty bottle engraved. That way, you still get the joy of an engraved bottle as a keepsake, without the risk. If this is something you’re interested in, contact me for a custom quote!

Thanks again to Jo for sharing the now-viral video that inspired this blog post. While engraving  is beautiful, memorable, and permanent, no amount of customization is worth risking your health and safety. Have you experienced an exploding bottle yourself? Did you even know it was a possibility? Continue the conversation in the comments below!