How To Open a Beer Bottle Without a Bottle Opener

Have you ever attempted to drink a bottle of beer only to discover that you misplaced your bottle opener? Granted, some brewing companies use twist caps on their bottles to eliminate this problem, but there are still dozens if not hundreds of popular beers with the hard-to-remove bottle caps.

If you ever find yourself in this predicament, we have a couple of solutions that may work, or may not, work. Obviously, the preferred method of opening bottled beer is to use a bottle opener, but when you’re in a bind and can’t seem to locate one, you can try the following techniques to pop off those stubborn bottle caps and finally gain access to your beloved brew.

Cut It With Scissors

Assuming the bottle cap isn’t made of high-grade steel or titanium, you should be able to remove it by cutting through a couple of the ridges. Carefully (I emphasize the word, carefully) open up the blades of a pair of scissors and place them underneath the bottle cap’s ridges. Make a small cut upwards to break through the ridge, at which point you should be able to pull the cap off.

Note: this method will probably dull your scissors’ blades, so don’t use your “good” pair of scissors.

Counter Top

If you don’t mind scratching up your counter top a bit, you can open a stubborn bottle of beer using this method: strike the bottle against the side of the counter so it catches and pops off. When striking the bottle, use one hand to press down the top of the cap for increased power and leverage.

Hammer

The prying end of a hammer can also be used to open a bottle of beer. Lift the hammer upside down, place the prying spikes underneath the cap, and pull. With a little bit of elbow grease, the cap should pop off.

Inside Door Frame

The latching mechanism inside a door frame can be used to open beer bottles as well. Look inside a door frame in your home to find this component and place the bottle horizontally . Next, press down — like you would with a normal bottle opener — and the cap should come off.

These are just a few of the many ways to open a bottled beer without a bottle opener. So if you ever find yourself in a pinch without a bottle opener, refer back to this article.