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7 Genius Ways to Open a Wine Bottle When You Don’t Have a Corkscrew

There are three things every girl needs to have in her life: Netflix, good mascara, and a corkscrew. But for all of the ladies out there (myself included) who have forgotten to bring their corkscrew to wine and cheese night, here is a life hack that will surely save your evening.

Let’s paint the scene. It’s Wednesday night. You’ve made it through most of the week but you just need that extra spark and pick-me-up to keep you going. The perfect solution? Wine and cheese night with your girlfriends, of course.

You arrive in your pajamas, with your DVD copy of “The Notebook” and your favorite bottle of Rosé that you just picked up from the store. Ready to begin a night of much needed girl time, you come to the sad realization that you forgot your corkscrew. Panic. You think to yourself, “If only there were more genius ways to uncork a wine bottle…”

Don’t let that cork ruin your night. Here are some unique ways to uncork your wine bottle without a corkscrew.

1. The classic “I’ll just use my keys” option.

Wine Bottle wine alcohol
Alex Frank

Crisis averted. Inserting your keys at a 45 degree angle will allow you to twist and pull until the cork is released. This method is extremely reliable and used by wine connoisseurs everywhere.

2. Edward Scissorhands to the rescue. 

Wine Bottle beer wine
Alex Frank

For safety reasons, this method is not recommended if this is your third or fourth bottle of the evening (please don’t chop off your fingers). Much like the key method, stick one shear of the scissors into the cork. Twist and pull until the cork is free.

3. Channel your inner handyman.

Wine Bottle wine beer
Alex Frank

Grab your tool box and use a screw, screwdriver, and hammer to get that cork out. Insert the screw into the cork and carefully pry it out with the hammer. Wine in no time. 

Wine Bottle gif
Alex Frank

4. Pop that sucker out of there. 

Wine Bottle coffee wine
Alex Frank

Wrap your favorite bottle of wine in a towel and repeatedly bang it against a wall until the cork pops out. It’s recommended that you have extra towels or napkins handy just in case you spill. You should also offer your neighbors a glass because you probably just woke them up with your excessive banging on the wall. 

Wine Bottle gif
Alex Frank

5. Pump that sucker out of there.

Have a bike pump handy in your garage? Simply shove the needle into the cork and pump air into the wine bottle. Eventually, enough air pressure will force the cork out of there. 

6. Call the fire department and get out that blow torch you have sitting around. 

This is by far my favorite method. Use a blow torch on the neck of the wine bottle (with extreme caution) until the cork literally explodes out the top. If you’re a fan of wine, science experiments, and exploding things, this is definitely the method for you. 

7. Give up and push the damn cork into the bottle.

OK, so maybe the blow torch option isn’t the one for you. Pushing the cork into the bottle is definitely not the most desirable option, but let’s face it, we all get desperate. 

Congratulations! You’ve just spent way too much time and energy uncorking that wine bottle. Don’t let your hard work go to waste. Might as well uncork a few more bottles to find out which technique is your favorite! 

Amelia is a full-time Marketing Manager, part-time social media freelancer and writer located in Columbus, Ohio. Amelia's articles have been read worldwide, featured as Article of the Week and syndicated on MSN, Insider.com, Business Insider, Snapchat, and more. While Amelia is no longer an active member of Spoon University, she can still be reached online through her Instagram @meliabadeliaa or by email, mediabyamelia@gmail.comAmelia obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2018 from Denison University. At Denison, she grew her love for journalism and media while studying Communication and writing for Spoon Denison and The Denisonian. In her free time, you might find Amelia listening to podcasts, researching new marketing strategies, taking photos, or cuddling with her cat and dog, Milly & Frankie.