How Buffalo's Beer Sabre took over the hockey world - ESPN

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The lore of the Beer Sabre in western New York is far more expansive than the quantity of the plastic swords in existence.

«Have you heard of the guy who was offered $1,000 and turned it down?»

«They drank WHAT out of it!?»

«How much for your Beer Sabre?»

«When are they selling more?»

To walk around downtown Buffalo before a Buffalo Sabres game is to see dozens upon dozens of people clutching their Beer Sabres, en route to the arena or to Canalside to watch the game on a big screen or to their local establishment of choice (which may just fill the Beer Sabre for $5).

As the Sabres' magical, record-breaking season continues, the tales surrounding the drinking vessel only grow. It helps that the spotlight is on Buffalo as the team's series against the Montreal Canadiens returns for Game 5 on Thursday with the Sabres and Habs tied 2-2.

The Beer Sabres are being resold on eBay, with many in the $200 to $300 range. The Buffalo Zoo used them to feed giraffes. They appeared on «Good Morning America.» A Beer Sabre was brought to the Italian Open to surprise No. 5-ranked tennis player Jessica Pegula, whose father, Terry, owns the Sabres.

Teams host fun themed nights with giveaway items and collectibles all the time, and the Sabres are no exception. In 2024-25, the team did a similar Labatt promotion — with a beer hockey stick. The item did so well, it led the team to consider expanding on that success. The twist was to make it a more localized piece of merchandise.

Enter the Beer Sabre, a plastic sword with a wide opening whose design (unintentionally) leads to the inexperienced getting beer (or their alternate beverage of choice) all over themselves. Though similar merchandise existed before it, and has debuted