How to open a bottle of beer without a bottle opener

This Instructable is a collaboration open to anyone who has a method for opening a bottle of beer, or any type of bottle, without a proper bottle opener. If you would like to add your method, make sure you have photos to share, please send me a private message and I'll add you to the list of collaborators.

I'm a bit of a beer snob and I don't approve of twist-off bottle caps. It's kind of like screw-off caps for wine, it cheapens the experience of what's gone into the brew and what you're going to enjoy. So sometimes I do find myself with a nice cold beer, but no bottle opener to be had. We all know there's a good way to do something and a bad way to do something.

Opening a bottle with your teeth is a bad way, I shouldn't need to tell anyone why.

I just saw a video on youtube that used another bottle of beer to open your bottle, that's a similar technique to what we're going to demostrate. So what if you like to drink alone and you need to open your last beer?

Putting the edge of the bottle cap against something and hitting it hard with your hand is also a bad way, especially if you've already been drinking. This will often damage whatever you put it up against and you can break the glass, then you're screwed. Do you risk drinking some pieces of glass? Probably, but there must be an easier way.

So the word of the day is leverage. Have a look at the photos for examples of how to open a bottle of beer with just about anything. Safely, the right way. Enjoy and if you drink, don't drive.

Step 1: Mr. Clean can help.

Well, you know where this is going. So if you want to share your method, just send me a private message.

The 6th image below is a kite pump, just in case you were wondering.

Comments

[bwilcox3]

Jeez - why not use one of these...

(disclaimer - I designed this thing)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCzGd9FOSp8

[bwilcox3]

Jeez - why not get one of these - it's a lot easier!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCzGd9FOSp8

disclaimer: I am the designer of this thing :)

[xcmer]

I find a penny works well enough with this.
I pry around one half only (that's all you need, really.) then use the penny to lever it off.

[ckin1]

this is much better

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjixaZ-J_yU

[weakknees]

so many awesome and entertaining ways of opening beers. I just found another blog about even more ways to open bottles without bottle openers from the maker of the best Michigan beers http://frankenmuthbrewery.com/blog/brewery/cool-ways-to-open-a-beer/

[grenades_and_ham]

you can even use the latch on your car door to use it. suprising what a bit of drunken ingenuity can do when you got a case of guinsess and no church key to open it

[jblanton1]

MANY years ago, that was our preferred method... I've looked at the latches on the cars these days and they don't seem to be made as conducive for such uses as they used to be. When I can't find anything else, I'll probably just use a pocketknife that doesn't have that sharp of a blade (wouldn't want to ruin a *good* blade).

Ever since building my own kegerator, I don't drink bottled beer that much, so I don't have any around to experiment with, but it could make for an interesting drinking "game" for a few guys to try to each use a unique apparatus for opening a bottle while working their way through the case of beer one night.

[tilthouse]

"I'm a bit of a beer snob and I don't approve of twist-off bottle caps. It's kind of like screw-off caps for wine, it cheapens the experience of what's gone into the brew and what you're going to enjoy."

Just so everyone is aware, this is not a good analogy.  There are good, technical reasons that regular (non-twist-off) beer bottle caps are superior.  They are much more effective at keeping oxygen out and do so longer.  It's not an aesthetic decision.

But screw-off caps for wine are generally accepted as the superior technology for packaging wine, but corks are seen as better for aesthetic and marketing reasons.

[bballtrack34]

Is a bud light lime cap different then other bottles? Because I can open those with only my hands.

[kdom22]

Bud Light bottles have a twist off cap...Yes, this 'ible is for a different kind of bottle, usually your higher end beers (Corona, Heineken, etc)

[cr8or]

Wow, what a bunch of noobs... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDIwYNbBfWI&list=FL_v9WSs84vtnyZIOjNl1Dbw&index=9 now that is an instruction how to open beer with almost everything.

[herokid789]

one does the method usedin the green hornet cont two no pic but grab the bottle in fist then use plower fingers to open

[magickzzl]

The door handle of a Motel 6 works fabulously

[Death31313]

a makarov pistol with it's slide locked back makes a great bottle opener (not my picture but it demonstrates the idea)

[Phusilly]

After about 20 years of drinking and an untold numbers of bruises in that tender little spot between the thumb and pointer, I have finally mastered the opening of the bottle with a lighter... You my friend are a true master!

[ratty880]

You can open twist top bottles by "gripping" it with your forearm and twisting with your other hand. The skin on your arm provides enough resistance to open the bottle and it looks really cool.

[Delo97]

But it may result in danger if it slips off and the crown cuts you. Hey, I don't want to go to the hospital and make paramedics think that I'm an emo!

[ccarlson5]

I use this weird pair of scissors i have in my kitchen! haha, it has a built in bottle opener (well i don't think it's supposed to be used as a bottle opener, but it works beautifully) xD

[rread]

I used my phone
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgQUu251UQ8

[Tim_No001]

Erm - this is how i did it when i got bored and read this - hope u think it counts - i do this all the time even though i always have a key chain bottle opener on me... happy watching!

[smokehill]

Back before the days of screw-tops, we always found some convenient surface to pop the top. One of my friends had a car (can't remember what, some 50's model) that the door handle made a perfect bottle opener, just like on the Coke machine. Otherwise, we'd just hook the edge of the cap over almost anything -- edge of a table, car bumper (back when they were steel), bumper jack -- and just bang the thing with the heel of our hand. That glass is tough, and I never heard of anyone breaking a beer or soda bottle that way.

[smokehill]

Since I posted this, I mentioned it to a friend who is in a car club with a lot of 50s & 60s cars. He liked the idea and rounded up an old door handle, I think from an early Plymouth, that worked perfectly for opening bottle caps. It was too rough and the chrome was too badly pitted to use for a restoration, so he cleaned it up a bit, mounted it on a nice stained piece of wood, and screwed it to the wall next to the club's refrigerator. Looks great and works well.

As much use as it gets he thinks the wood will eventually "dent" where the bottle cap pushes against it, but plans on sticking a piece of thin metal at that spot eventually.

[kimithy]

I've definitely seen chipped glass on bottles opened that way, so be warned if you want to try the bang-on-top method. I've also seen a lot of spilled beer and blushing faces when it goes wrong :)

[camscam]

Clever.

[pyro13]

I use a bic lighter.

[Hemptastic]

lighters ftw

[jmnye]

thank you! i was thirsty, but now i am not!

[SAWcity]

Another vote for the BIC. It's perfect.

[camscam]

yep my vote goes for the Bic lighter. Never fails. I also use the pull-knob on the cabinets in the kitchen at my friends house but he always looks at me funny like he doesn't want me to do it.

[celtica311]

I use the back of either a knife or spoon, but it usually only works at restaurants with cheap flatware

[SKINZ]

ive been doing this for years i use to use my mobile fone till i took to many chunks out of it, with pratice you can use cheap lighters nice instructable

[greystone]

I use my plain run-of-the-mill belt buckle on a daily basis to open beers. Chicks dig it. Lighter's work well, but only use bic or zippo's to do it with. Those cheap 3/99c lighters will explode if you put too much pressure on them. I'll post some pics later.

[Mitari]

The bic lighter is definitely the way to go. Levers right off in no time flat. I'll testify to it being safe with a bic lighter, I've opened hundreds of beers with the same lighter and never had a problem.

[bich]

HI Mitari! why do you NOT give instruction how to open with your way ( bic lighter as you told.)? wait for your news.

[garrettmikesmith]

how?

[lebowski]

using the same method as in this instructable. put the end of the lighter against the bottle, just under the bottle cap and use your finger/hand for leverage.

[microdot]

We used to use the same fist technique with a spoon. U can use anything really, it takes very little to expand the cap enough to get it to come off the bottle.

[106yeahboyz]

some comments from a guy who likes the ale. Iv been opening beer bottles with my teeth since i was lil and my teeth are a bit mashed on one side cos of it . dont really care tho . that ring is no good . wasnt for me anyway cos i have skeleton hands even tho im fat and it just gave me blisters cos the edge goes into ur finger which hurts . ALSO .slamming it on something isnt a good idea cos my mate tried that while sloshed and couldnt play guitar for 3 weeks afterwards cos of the cut he got off it (i laughed at him) .havnt tried this method yet I will next weekend tho. i reckcomend just getting a keyring bottle opener for on ur car keys great present for mates at xmas or buying cans (also DONT DRINK DRIVE) sucking pennies dus not work

[JakeTobak]

If you don't mind wearing a ring, this works great:
http://www.thinkgeek.com/caffeine/accessories/756e/

[smokehill]

Thinkgeek is a really neat place for those of us who are a bit warped anyhow. Who else would have little plush toys in the shape of bacteria & viruses ? And they actually look kinda cute. I got a Rabies, a Heartworm and a Mange Mite for my veterinarian for Christmas, then turned around and got a couple for myself after I saw how cute they were.