Sometimes you want a glass of wine and find yourself without a corkscrew to open it. In these cases, it’s easy to become frustrated or fear hopeless to enjoying your favorite vintage. But fear not, there are several clever ways to pop that cork and enjoy your wine anyway. You just have to get a little creative. First up- consider what tools you have available to you. Here’s a look at five tools that most of us have access to every day.
You Have: A Shoe
Your Plan: We’re not talking about a sandal, flip flop, or high heel, folks. But if you have a tennis shoe, a loafer, or a men’s dress shoe then you’re in luck. Simply treat the wine bottle like a foot, standing it straight up in the opening of the shoe. Then turn the bottle parallel to the ground and begin banging the shoe on a nearby wall as if you were stomping on it. The cork will dislodge due to the pressure and pounding, enabling you to pull it out by hand. This cork removal method doubles as a fun parlor trick, too. You may find yourself opening wine this way even when you have a corkscrew, just to show off!
You Have: A Towel
Your Plan: Maybe you have a towel and not a shoe? Just in case that’s your situation, fear not! In similar form to the above method, you’re going to be using a wall to remove the cork. This time, wrap the towel around the bottle, including the bottom. Turn the bottle to be parallel with the ground and, with both hands on the bottle, begin firmly banging the bottom of the bottle against the wall. Eventually the cork will begin to dislodge and you can then remove it by hand.
You Have: Car Keys
Your Plan: The most obvious plan is to use the car keys to drive the car to the store and buy a corkscrew. But, maybe you’ve already been drinking, the store is closed, or for some other reason this simple fix is not a possibility. In that case, use a twisting motion to lodge the key into the cork. Then, with a firm hold on the neck of the bottle, twist the key while pulling upward. Slowly the cork should begin to dislodge, freeing the wine inside!
You Have: A Tool Box
Your Plan: Snag a few basic tools to build your own corkscrew and save the day. Namely, you’ll need a screwdriver, a hammer, and a screw for this hat trick. First, use the screwdriver to twist the screw into the cork. Make sure you leave about a half inch of screw exposed. Next up- exchange the screwdriver for the hammer. Use the claw to hook under the screw head, and pull that cork right on out.
You Have: Scissors
Your Plan: Take your frustration out on the cork by jabbing one of the shears into the cork. Then, holding the glass neck of the bottle tightly, get a solid grip on the handle of the scissors. Then simply twist until the cork pops out. Cheers!
***Grabbed from: https://www.onehopewine.com/blog/open-wine-bottle-without-corkscrew/