Corkscrew Guide - Champagne taps

Champagne taps have been around since the early 19th century with the first patent issued in France
in 1828. Also known as Soda taps, they are designed to penetrate the cork without actually opening
it, drawing off some liquid by opening the valve & then by closing the valve the bubbles of the
gaseous liquid are preserved.

I've enjoyed compiling this corkscrew guide, I hope it can be of
assistance to you. If you'd like to get in touch it would be great to hear
from you.
Peter@corkscrewsonline.com

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Antique & Vintage Corkscrew Guide
~ Champagne taps & tools ~

This is an English Milne champagne tap with drop points.
The idea was to insert the drop point within the bottom of the
tap. Once the tap had completely inserted the cork, the
spike would fall to the bottom of the bottle & the liquid could
be drawn.

When the drink had gone the spike would be fished out but
many were lost, after all...once you've drunk a bottle of
champagne chances are you'll forget to collect it.

Here's a French champagne tap
manufactured by Jaques Perille. Dating
to the turn of the 20th century this
champagne tap measures in at a
whopping 14". It's one of a number of
long French champagne taps that can
be found by the enthusiastic champagne
tap collector.

Here are three different champagne taps. The first, a one
piece design with an archimedian worm. The second & third
are two piece design with a detachable trocar. Once the cork is
penetrated the trocar is removed & the valve is open & closed
depending on when a tipple is required.

The champagne tap was either threaded or pushed into the
cork depending on type. You'll notice that the first example has
a archimedian type worm, this would of been threaded into the
cork , whereas the second more simple example would of been
pushed.

A set of champagne wire
cutters - designed to cut
the retaining wires from
champagne corks.

Sometimes you can find
champagne wire cutters
with a corkscrew attched.

Here's a set of champagne
cork grippers which also
incorporate wire cutters. Plier
like in design to grab hold of
the cork.
Often these champagne cork
grippers can be found with
advertising.

There are hundreds of variations of champagne tap & this guide gives you just a glimps of what is available.
If you're looking to buy some champagne taps - check out my champagne taps for sale section.

A fine example of a champagne
tap in the original leather case &
complete with the original
instructions. This tap was
manufactured by Maw & sons of
London & boasts the Prince of
Wales feathers as the tap
handles.

For this design - the bottle needs
to be opened. This is a cork
replacer. Cork replacers were
used as a bottle stopper which
also allowed the liquid to dispense
into a glass through the valve
control of the tap.

The top section of an
interesting champagne tap.
This is an 1877 English design
& marked "Holborn
Champagne Screw" The
central ring allowing the
middle finger to strengthen the
grip on the handle.