That classic "oh sh*t" moment when you realize you don't have a wine bottle opener and (quickly) need a wine opener hack...
Naturally, you get into a frantic frenzy of trying to find one or trying to shake the cork out like a polaroid (which obviously doesn't work).
You run around to everyone in the room with sweat beaded on your forehead begging for an opener... No luck.
The frustration begins building like an oven inside your body, your mind racing, you can't see straight, the chaos!
Your calm wine night just drastically changed...
I have been in this position more than once, and let me tell you, it really can change the vibe of the evening, and realllyy put a damper on the mood...
So, let's discover some unique wine opener hacks so you won't go seeing red and tearing the whole town down!
This post is all about the ultimate wine opener hack.
Life-Changing Ways on How to Open a Wine Bottle Without an Opener
Believe it or not, the ways to a life changing wine opener hack actually work! Because, let's be real, you are sitting there wondering if these will actually get your cork out...
After trying multiple different ways, these are truly the BEST ways on how to open a wine bottle without a wine opener!!
They are broken down into what equipment you need! Then, my personal experience and what ACTUALLY worked.
1. Car keys, house keys
I had no idea this was an idea for how to open a wine bottle without an opener... Use your keys!
Be gentle with it, but here are the steps:
- Grab your keys
- Slowly press key at a 45 degree angle in the cork
- Then, twist the key and pull the cork up
Be careful, weak keys will bend or snap!!
2. Blow torch or lighter
Yet another wine opener hack for the wild and dangerous! Or those folks who *always* have a lighter on them no matter what.
The long candle lighter would be better here because it won't singe the tips of your precious little fingers off!
The blow torch can also work on how to open a wine bottle without a wine opener, but personally, that freaks me out!
The idea with this method is the heat you put on the wine bottles glass will create the pressure to gently put the cork out.
Steps for this method:
- Get your lighter of choice out and wine bottle
- Simply heat the wine bottle right underneath the cork
- Swirl the wine bottle around to get the whole area warmed up
- *Try not to put the lighter where the actual wine is!
- Continue until you see the wine bottle begin to raise
3. Scissors
Very similar to the house keys, but using a pair of scissors. This one was pretty hard for me, honestly, and the scissors can be a bit more dangerous.
So, if you want to live on the wild side here are the steps:
- Grab your long, sharp and sturdy scissors
- Take off the wrapping on the wine bottle
- Using the sharp side of the scissors, gently press it into the cork at an angle. Be sure not to push too hard to pop the cork into the bottle.
- Gently twist the scissors like a wine opener and pull up
You may need to insert the scissors at a different angle, use the other side, etc etc.
Alternatively, you can use the scissors to cut the cork and then strain the wine through a strainer to get the cork pieces out.
4. Hammer & a nail
This can go one of two ways: either the nail goes in nicely, or the nail actually pushes the cork all the way through...
Both ways gets to the overall goal: opening the dang wine bottle! But, one is better than the other.
Steps to *hopefully* get to the finish line easily:
- Grab nail and hammer
- Ever so gently tap the nail into the cork (or twist with your fingers) until just a little bit is sticking up
- Take the end of the hammer and use it to gently pull on the wine cork
- Use a twisting motion to as you gently pull on the hammer
Be oh so gentle! Hammer and a nail are no joke!
5. Towel, shoe & a wall
A bit of a messier option is using a towel, shoe and a wall to forcibly push the cork out. This one is tricky because it only works with real corks, not the plastic corks.
Repeat after me: only bang a wine bottle against the wall when the cork is real!
Steps to this method:
- Wrap the wine bottle in a towel
- Place in a shoe (without a thick sole)
- Place towels on the floor in case it spills
- Gently bang the bottom of the wine bottle on the wall to push the cork out
When I did this method, I forgot about the "fake cork" and was banging my cheap little bottle against the wall until my wrists ached!
(Because I will not be banging an expensive bottle of wine against a wall... Am I right?!)
6. Wire clothes hanger
A method that does not involve banging, scissors, or your one house key... Soooo, a safer option on how to open a wine bottle without an opener!
A wire clothes hanger is the meticulous strategy that does not require harsh actions. Thus, a perfect option!
Steps to gently remove cork with a hanger:
- Grab a wire hanger you won't miss
- Bend the end into a small and tight "U" shape
- Wiggle it between the cork and the bottle
- Once it is below the cork, gently use the hook to grab onto the bottom of the cork and start to wiggle it out
7. A bike pump
Honestly, this method kind of freaks me out. It seems like the bottle will just explode!
But, if you do it right and do it carefully, hopefully it won't explode... and you can get your wine cork out with no issue (cross your fingers).
This method only works with a bike pump that has the pointy tip, not the one with the hole in the middle. Hopefully, that makes sense... I am not bike expert!
Steps to pump up your wine....
- Grab your bike pump and bottle and move into the garage or the driveway...
- Gently shimmy the pointy bike pump between the cork and the wine bottle
- Once the point of the bike pump is below the cork, start to gently pump
- Give a few seconds between each pump to allow the cork to stabilize (you don't want it shooting out)
- You should start to see it inch up
- Once it inches up enough to grab, then you can take your fingers (or a tool around the garage) and gently shimmy it out
I have not tried this method, but it seems legit... Plus, you can be a couple feet away from the wine bottle just in case, you know, something happens...
8. Last resort...
This is the ULTIMATE last resort to a wine opener hack and how to open a wine bottle without a wine opener: push the dang thing in!
Honestly, if you have ever been in this situation you would know that you don't realllyyy want to just push your cork in.
It can be messy and can break the cork into pieces. Though... you can easily strain out the cork...
Steps to the very last resort,
- Grab a sturdy object that can fit into the wine bottle (a wooden pencil, end of a fork, or a tool from the tool shelf!).
- Begin the pushing... Gently start to push the object into the mouth of the wine bottle
- If it is tough, consider breaking the cork up with scissors or a knife (gently)
- Really, do anything you can to get that cork down and out!
- Once it pops down into the bottle, use a strainer to strain out the wine
What ACTUALLY Worked for Me
Ok, all of these theories are wonderful and all. But, what actually works to get the cork out?!
My $8 bottle of wine went through the wringer! I did a mix of a few options here.
- Used a candle lighter
- Used the shoe, towel, and wall method (but my cork was fake so that didn't matter...)
- Used scissors
- Pushed the cork in
Maybe my cork came out with a combination of all these?!
Using the lighter was not up-my-alley, I did not like heating glass... Was it going to blow up? Were shards about to go flying all around?!
So, after about 5 minutes of using a lighter I went to the shoe and wall method (and we all know how that went...)
Then, came inside and took REALLY SHARP scissors and pushed one side of the scissors in at 45 degrees and began to turn.
At my surprise, that worked instantly! The cork was moving. I felt like I was bending time and space.
Eventually the cork broke up a bit and I had to keep reinserting the scissors, then with 1/2 inch of cork left I just decided to JAB it all the way in!
After straining the cork pieces out, I had an actually glass of wine with ZERO use of a wine opener...
The great thing about all these examples is you can mix and match like a a choose-your-own-adventure game.
Because honestly, that is the ONLY way these life-changing hacks will work. Unless you are an absolute savage (which you just might be!).
The ideas are endless! And, if you end up buying a wine bottle opener, learn how to use it here!