You’re all ready to kick back and relax and sip on that fancy bottle of wine you bought for you and your friends to enjoy when the unthinkable happens… you can’t find your corkscrew. That’s when you realize you brought it with you on your camping trip last week and totally forgot it in the cabin.
The night doesn’t have to go south and turn into something equal to a Shakespearean tragedy. There are ways that you can open a wine bottle without a corkscrew.
Here are 10 that will actually work for you.
Bust Out Those Tools
Place a screw into your cork and use the screwdriver to drive the screw into the cork until there is only one inch of the screw sticking out. Use the end of your hammer, not the head, to wedge out the screw and the cork. The bigger the screw the better.
Apply Heat
Boil water and place the bottle inside the pot. The cork will push itself out, but you’ll probably want to make some warm mulled wine out of it. You can also use a blowtorch for this method.
Push the Cork In
If it won’t come out, try pushing your cork in. Cover the top with a paper towel and push the cork in using the end of a wooden spoon.
Unlock the Cork With Keys
Push your key into the cork at a 45-degree angle until most of it is covered. Then push your key around in circles while pulling upward. This will cause the cork to unscrew itself and push upward.
Sabrage
If you know how to use a saber, sword, or machete, you can try a fancier method called sabrage, or sabering, which involves slicing the cork and top of a bottle off. You’ll definitely want to read the instructions first here. Please, for the love of God, BE CAREFUL!
Use a String
Tie a figure-8 knot into a piece of string and lower it onto the neck of your bottle and knot it. Tilt your bottle and allow the knotted string to slip past the cork and underneath it. Pull the string as hard as you can so that the knot wedges against the neck of the bottle and underneath the cork to force it up. Get the detailed instructions here.
Pop the Top Out
Try wrapping a towel around the bottle and smacking the bottom of the bottle until it comes loose. You can smack it up against a wall or a book. No towel? Use a shoe with a rubber sole to cushion the bottom of the bottle. The cork should slowly pop out.
The Slap Method
If you don’t have a wall to bang your bottle against you can use this method. Place the bottle upside down in between your thighs and slap the bottom of the bottle with the rubber sole of your shoe. Once the cork eases out a bit you can pull it out with your hand.
Use a Bike Pump
Place your bike pump tip over the cork and start pumping. Once enough pressure builds up the cork should pop right out.
Knife It
When all else fails, just stab it. Stick a serrated knife into your cork and carefully push it into the cork in a twisting motion. As you twist, pull upwards and the cork will start to come up. Once the cork is raised about an inch, stab it sideways and pull it upwards with the knife.
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Featured image source: Vine Pair, Foter
