That moment when you open the freezer in search of ice cream and find that someone left a bottle of champagne in there, and it’s totally frozen. Argh. What to do? I’ll let the bottle gently thaw in the fridge and hope the cork remained intact* – might still be able to drink it without adding seltzer.

Just kidding. I’d still drink it, and I would never add seltzer. I mean, it’s still champagne.

UPDATE:

Patience pays. The champagne is just as finely pearled as ever, it had the nice little swirl of cold steam upon sliding out the cork, and it tastes fine. Whew!

So the message is: Try not to forget champagne in the freezer, no matter how thrilling the occasion. And if, in all the excitement, a bottle of bubbly ends up frozen, don’t panic, and whatever you do, don’t open it right away.

We tried this once, to very dramatic effect. The bottle turned into an explosive fountain of expensive champagne slush. What was left in the bottle was flat.

Just set the bottle aside, on a counter if you’re in a hurry, in the fridge if you aren’t, and let it thaw.

Once the champagne is no longer solid, it should be fine to open and drink. Santé!

*Of course, if the cork isn’t intact or the bottle has popped, well…the only solution is to start cleaning up your champagne.