How to Open a Beer Bottle With Just About Anything

When it comes to beer, nothing should stand in your way. But unfortunately, sometimes accidents happens. You’ve tracked down your favorite beer or found the perfect drinking spot, and you arrive to realize that no one remembered the bottle opener. It happens to the best of us; while bottle openers are scattered throughout my house like iPhone chargers, drinks around town are a bit more unpredictable. But the next time someone brings a six-pack of bottles to the lake/porch/PTA meeting but forgot the bottle opener, you can still win the day. Here’s how to use a light, another bottle, or something sturdy to crack open that six pack.

1. Locate your improvised opener.

You’ve got a lot of flexibility here. I prefer lighters because they are study, small, cheap, and typically plentiful. You must exert a certain amount of force to open a bottle (less than most people will have you believe) which makes sharp objects, like kitchen knives or scissors, while sturdy, a bad choice. And for the love of god, stop using the edge of your dining room table.

2. Create a fulcrum and lever.

Fulcrums and levers get things done. The pull tab on your beer can uses one. In the above photo, the index finger (fulcrum) of the left hand fits securely, but naturally, just under the bottle cap of the bottle you want to open. The top of an inverted bottle (lever) is then placed so that it rests on the index finger, while being wedged underneath the bottle cap of the soon-to-be-opened bottle. Opening is then a matter of forcing the cap off by pushing the inverted bottle cap (lever) down against your index finger (fulcrum). By keeping your index finger stable, the lever will push up with enough force to pop off the cap pretty easily.

3. More on this fulcrum/lever situation.

Unlike above, you should be rotating away from the target bottle cap with your lever, not lifting up (prying).

Opening a beer bottle is much easier with a lighter, because the more distance between the fulcrum and the end of the lever (in this case the lighter), the more force is possible to exert. One thing to keep in mind is that you aren’t prying off the cap, like you do with most other bottle openers. If done correctly, the cap will pop off without bending at all. The trick is pushing up with your index finger at the same time that you push down with the lever. You should easily create enough upward force parallel to the edge of the bottle, that the improvised opener should catch the bottle caps teeth and take it right off.

Easy enough?