Happy International Champagne Day — discover fun facts, history, and expert tips to drink it right.

Not matter what you think of the state of the world, there is a reason to celebrate – Happy International Champagne Day! Today, champagne lovers around the world are raising a glass. The the annual celebration of the world’s most iconic sparkling wine — and a perfect excuse to toast life’s bright spots, big and small.

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International Champagne Day falls every year on the fourth Friday in October. The celebration started in 2009 when wine educator Chris Oggenfuss launched a simple online campaign encouraging champagne fans to connect and share their love for the drink. The idea fizzed — literally — and quickly grew into global tastings, parties and social media cheers from New York to Nice.

But the story of champagne stretches back much further. Bubbles first appeared in French wine cellars during the 1500s, when monks in Limoux noticed a naturally sparkling wine forming in barrels. By the 17th century, the vineyards of Champagne, France had perfected the art — though early winemakers considered those bubbles a mistake. Thankfully, the world disagreed.

From royal coronations in Reims to red-carpet movie premieres, champagne has long been synonymous with success. By the 1800s, French houses like Moët & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot turned sparkling wine into a global luxury symbol — one standing for joy, elegance, and a little bit of rebellion.

Marketers helped, too. The 20th century saw champagne splashed across everything from Formula 1 podiums to wedding receptions, cementing its reputation as the go-to drink for life’s milestones.

If you’re celebrating today, serve your champagne right:

• Chill, don’t freeze. The sweet spot is 45–50°F — cold enough to keep the bubbles fine and lively.
• Ditch the flute. Experts now favor tulip-shaped glasses which capture aroma while keeping the fizz.
• Ease, don’t pop. Gently twist the bottle (not the cork) until it sighs, not explodes.
• Sip soon. Once opened, champagne loses its sparkle quickly — a good reminder to savor the moment.

And yes, it pairs with more than caviar. Try it with salty chips, sushi, or even fried chicken — the crisp acidity cuts through rich flavors perfectly.

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You smoke weed in front of the cops, get free munchies, and a ride home. Not a dream, no. It’s the new Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) program, as part of the Maryland Highway Safety Office’s Zero Deaths DUI Conference, held in partnership with Cannabis Green Lab. And it’s happening on Sunday, October 26, from noon to 4 p.m.

In Ocean City, Maryland, the police department put out a call for volunteers to light up and drive for training purposes, and quickly received an “overwhelming” number of volunteers, according to the OCPD post. All in the name of science, education and, probably, free lunch (they did have to bring their own stash, but still, not a bad deal.)

The OCPD was only looking for 12 to 14 adults over 21 years old to “smoke cannabis for educational purposes while officers learn to recognize cannabis impairment,” but the post went viral within hours, forcing them to close the call, according to Marijuana Moment.

And because it sounded so good, the 12–14 spots turned into a flood of applications, hundreds of people reportedly signing up within seven hours.

Training cops to read the high, not just smell it

The initiative is part of the Maryland’s Zero Deaths DUI Conference, in partnership with Cannabis Green Lab. The Green Lab, says OCPD, “helps both officers and participants better understand the effects and levels of impairment caused by cannabis, all in a safe, controlled setting.”

Participants have to bring their own weed, consume it before the driving exercises, and then get a free lunch, “courtesy of MHSO,” clarified the department. To keep things above board, a shuttle service was arranged to take volunteers home once the session and the meal were over, since no, you can’t drive high, not even in states where smoking is legal.

“We’ll have about 40 student officers participating, so it’s a great way to help train the next generation of law enforcement safely and responsibly,” the department said.

This training comes after a crucial legal shift in Maryland. Following adult-use legalization, Governor Wes Moore (D) allowed a bill to become law prohibiting police from using the smell or simple possession of cannabis as grounds for a search. And earlier this year, Montgomery County also began relaxing cannabis policies for would-be officers to boost recruitment; another sign that, even inside the force, times are changing.

That means law enforcement can no longer rely on the ‘odor test’—a sniff and a hunch, basically—to justify arrests or searches. The Green Lab training program seeks to update that outdated logic with actual observation and data, bridging the gap between legalization and enforcement.

It’s rare to see the words ‘police’, ‘weed’, and ‘free lunch’ in the same sentence, and rarer still for it to be entirely legal. But that’s Maryland’s new reality: a state trying to redefine what responsible cannabis use—and enforcement—looks like. And as Governor Moore himself once admitted, even his historic win couldn’t top the people’s will: “There was one thing that beat me on the ballot: marijuana legalization.”

Dan and I have been married for over 20 years, and we have always maintained a very simple domestic arrangement. He does all the cooking: the three usual meals, plus a 9 pm bonus one, and I do the dishes. This has always been assumed and has always worked for us. 

That is, until one day when I went to clean up and the kitchen was spotless. All the dishes, including the ones from the 9 pm fourth meal of the day, were washed and dried. The pots and pans sparkled. The countertops were wiped with purpose. 

And what, you may ask, prompted him to change out his routine? Blue Dream.

Compulsive cleaning, like Dan’s need to do the dishes, is a known anecdotal effect of cannabis use, especially with sativa-dominant strains like Blue Dream. The effect is usually temporary and passes as the high wears off, which, for inhaling, typically lasts 2 to 3 hours. 

However, I needed some scientific background on how this works, so I emailed my friend Dani Fontaine, an Endocannabinoidologist and NeuroTherapist and asked her this simple question: Why does my husband do the dishes, like he has OCD, after Blue Dream?

“It’s the combination of the terpenes and the terpene ratios, which include Myrcene, Pinene, and BCP (b-caryophyllene),” she said. Okay, it seems simple. She continued: “The terpene combination of a true Blue Dream strain enhances dopamine transmission in the mesolimbic reward pathway. THC activates the CB1 receptors in the prefrontal cortex and basal ganglia, which is the space that modulates dopamine release from the VTA (ventral tegmental area).” 

However, she says, you need to take into account someone’s DNA. “I would say that the above is what the majority of human bodies feel,” she continues, “but if your DNA is composed with certain markers, it can give someone a different experience due to how the terpenes and cannabinoids are digesting in the system.”

Here’s where it gets interesting. Normally, Anandamide can balance out and fine-tune the start and stop actions of repetitive and habitual behaviors, but when someone consumes THC, it shuts off Anandamide production as THC is a stronger signal that can override the natural “off switch.” Some people can’t digest THC, though. (We need the enzyme in order to break it down properly and lots of use over time makes it harder to naturally produce the breakdown.) This would put someone into a loop cycle a bit heavier due to not being able to digest the compound.

As the THC starts to metabolize, CB1 receptors downregulate. This is when the “burnt” feeling starts creeping in due to our neurochemicals that push us into a space of contentment or a parasympathetic state (freeze/fawn/rest/digest). She finishes: Cannabis in general lowers amygdala reactivity and can dissolve anxiety boundaries, which also puts people in a state of calm production.

Now I can see how excessive cleanliness can be a passion, and only considered a disorder (OCD) when it becomes distressing, time-consuming, or significantly disruptive to daily life. For now, I simply love our new working relationship.

Cover image made with AI