9 Amazing Tricks to Uncork the Wine or Any Other Corked Bottle

Simple life hacks and tricks can help solve many problems and get you out of the direst of situations. One such easy-looking yet tricky task to accomplish without using a corkscrew is uncorking a corked bottle.  

So if you’ve been wondering what you could do when you don’t have a corkscrew, here are some simple and interesting tricks for taking the cork out of the bottle.

1. Plastic Bag 

Here is an interesting trick to take the cork out from the bottle just by using a plastic grocery bag without holes. You could choose from an old produce bag or take-out bag to get rid of the cork within a few minutes. 

Starting from the closed or sealed end of your bag, you should feed it into the empty wine bottle. Keep pushing the bag inside until the bag portion inside becomes longer than the cork. Now orient the bottle until the cork is vertically parallel to the bottleneck. The cork should be nestled at the opening bottom. Hold the bag bottom that sticks out of the wine bottle and then pull gently. 

While pulling the bag out of the bottle, the pressure would increase at the bag’s end around the cork. The air-filled bag should hold the cork and pull it out of the bottle with the bag. It may require some time and patience and ensure your air-filled bag holds the cork. Instead of a plastic bag, you can also use a napkin.   

2. Wire Hanger 

By twisting a spare wire hanger into the corkscrew shape, you can easily wiggle your cork out of the bottle with some quick twists. 

3. Car Keys 

The car keys are a creative way to remove the cork within a few seconds. Inserting the car key at a slight angle as it leaves a bit of the key outside the cork itself can help push the cork clockwise and pop it out of the bottle. You need to turn it in circles and pull it up.

4. Hammer, Screwdriver, and Screw 

Home improvement tools like hammer and screw can help uncork the bottle. Twist a screw into the cork using a screwdriver but not too deep that’s enough to keep most of the screw out of the bottle. Now use a hammer and lift the screw in one quick motion to open the cork of the bottle. 

5. Serrated Knife

A serrated blade could help in uncorking a bottle. Inserting a blade into the cork and twisting the cork in an upward motion ensures a clean exit. Stick the knife out and in again, and then twist the cork out in circular motion. 

6. Wooden Spoon   

A safe method to use when compared to others, open the bottle with a handle of a wooden spoon & push the cork down into the wine bottle. If it’s an old bottle, the cork may crumble and shed into the wine once pushed in. In that case, pour the wine through a strainer into a decanter.

7. Bike Pump  

Use a bike pump with a needle attached to it and plunge it through the cork to make it penetrate until the needle reaches the air between the cork and the wine. Now pump the air into the bottle, and the cork should slowly move out of the bottle due to the air pressure. 

8. Towel 

Wrap the bottle in one or two thick towels and hit it against the wall. It is the last thing you want to try since the bottle might break in case you end up using your full strength. It would help the cork out slowly.  

9. Heat Application 

Blowtorch is a way to apply heat below the cork of the wine bottle and to make it force open as it moves upward and then eventually out of the bottle. As you do this process, the bottle must NOT be cold as it might explode, and if it is, place it in lukewarm water.  

Conclusion 

If none of them has worked for you, you could try yanking it out with a string or slap it out or cut it off. After you have tried and finally succeeded in uncorking the bottle, celebrate and enjoy your shot!