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.

Step 2: Open a Bottle of Wine With String

This was also performed at the build night.

1. Push the cork into the bottle of wine with your finger. This will allow you to get the string into the bottle.

2. Tie a knot in the end of the string. Maybe even a double knot.

3. Get the knot into the wine and pass the cork.

4. Pull it up and it might just get the cork out, see photo below.

This method actually didn't work that night, but this one did, but I don't have any pictures.

1. Fold the string in half and put the loop end in the wine pass the cork.

2.Try and loop the string around the cork.

3. Pull gently.

Step 3: Opening Beer With Sharp(ish) Objects

This step by Vendigroth.
First off, a warning: Only do this when you're sober, for obvious reasons. Contradictory, I know, but you're using sharp objects in close proximity to alcohol, and I don't want you to get hurt.
Right, then; to business!
You need to put the tip of your knife (or the blade of your screwdriver, or the appropriate part of whichever tool you have) between the crimped edge of the cap and the top of the bottle, as seen in the first picture. Gently (gently being the key word, otherwise you'll end up wearing beer) lever up the edge of the cap.
Turn the bottle 1/5 of a circle and repeat.
Do this about 5 times, depending on how much metal you levered up each time, etc to get a cap that's flared out around the edges, or already very loose. When you've got a cap that's almost ready to let go, don't get cocky, otherwise you'll end up spilling the beer!
Instead, gently lever the cap off with your thumb, it shouldn't take much.
Again, i'd like to point out that you should only do this for your first and possibly second beers. Otherwise you might end up losing a thumb. Also, don't use knives that are too thin to survive the process. Razor blades are a definite no.
Have fun, and keep inventing ways to open beer!

Comments

[HighU]

How to open a Beer bottle with iPhone?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brWqVhPOG-c

[Ehlers_TV]

..."Open a Beer with a Banana"... on YouTube :-)

[BrendanTheSequeira]

My dad once showed me how to open beers with the top latch for the door.....just latch the door and use the bit near the head as a bottle opener

[BrendanTheSequeira]

The image is just to show the type of latch I speak of BTW.

[Woodwerx]

wedding ring... Works everytime..

[jimacarroll]

The iPad 3 charger slides apart for use with international plugs. The 'button' looking part on the inside works well as a bottle opener.

[Zeute]

Thanks! I just used this tip to open a bottle of Coke. (via a Macbook Pro charger ;-))

[bwilcox3]

Jeez - why not use one of these...

(disclaimer - I designed this thing)

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

[finton]

Nice design for a bottle opener bwilcox3, but the instructable is called "...without a bottle opener" ...

Love your video though!

[JędrzejF]

I think the best and the simplest one!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkdDmVjZQPM

[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

[JakeBlanton]

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.