6 Genius Ways to Open a Wine Bottle Without a Corkscrew
Updated: Nov. 07, 2023
Opening a bottle of wine without a corkscrew is easier than you think. Here's how to do it with a pair of scissors, a house key and other common objects.
Push it in
If you’re faced with a delicious bottle of wine but no corkscrew, don’t worry—you can just push the cork in! First, put on your least-favorite shirt and step outside; with this method, there will be splash-back. The idea is to push the cork all the way into the bottle using the blunt tip of a screwdriver, butter knife, etc. Just stand your blunt instrument straight up atop the cork, and slowly hammer it in with the palm of your hand. You will see the cork starting to depress. Proceed very slowly from here. One mighty blow could send wine spurting up to your ceiling. Optional finale: Strain the wine through a coffee filter to avoid getting cork in your pour.
Screw it
Drive or hammer a large screw straight into the top of the cork; leave at least half an inch of the screw showing on top. Hook the forked end of your hammer around the top of the screw, grip the bottle tightly with your other hand, and pull the cork out. Remember as you pull: Twisting always helps. You can also use nails instead of a screw.
Make a handle out of scissors
Open a pair of scissors so that the two blades are spread apart from one another. Stab one blade straight down into the cork. Gripping the scissors where the two blades meet, twist the cork out, pulling up little by little until it pops free. Trust us, it’s easier than it sounds.
Make a handle out of a key
Nervous about using a hammer or scissors? Here’s how to open a wine bottle without a corkscrew and without potentially dangerous objects. Drive a house key diagonally into the cork at a 45 degree angle until it is all the way in. Slowly twist the key around and up, until you are able to get a grip on the cork and pull it out.
Bang it against the wall
This method introduced by a popular YouTube video produces mixed results depending on the type of cork in your bottle; save this trick for last if you can. Here’s how it works: Wrap the bottom of the bottle in a small towel or washcloth. Stuff the wrapped bottle into the heel of a sturdy dress shoe. Bang the heel flat against a wall several times until the cork starts to pop out. Finish the job with your hands, lest you want the cork to blast out of the bottle on a geyser of horizontal wine.
Pump it out
If you’re an avid cyclist, this hack is super easy. Just jam the needle of your bike pump into the center of the cork. Pump for a few seconds until the cork pops free, and voila! Ready-to-pour vino.
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