Chat with Vinny
No corkscrew? No problem. These days you can just go online and find any number of ingenious ways to get a cork out of a bottle without a corkscrew.
Here are the five most popular methods we found:
Place the bottle in a shoe and tap it against a wall
Push the cork into the bottle with a spoon handle
Push in a key and twist it to pull the cork out
Use a pump and football adaptor to force the cork out
Insert a screw into the cork then pull it with a clawhammer
But do they work? And which method is best for you? We decided to find out the pros of each method, with some good old-fashioned empirical research.
If you want to skip the details, here’s are the five methods, ranked in order of success:
Spoon method: quick and easy but messy Success
Screw method: easy if you have the tools Success
Shoe method: tricky and takes some time Success
Pump method: fiddly andonly partially worked Fail
Key method: made a big mess of the cork Fail
1 Handle with care
Method
Simply push the cork in with a spoon handle
Results
Using a tea towel to steady the bottle and catch any splashes, I pushed the cork in with the handle of a serving spoon. This worked in seconds – though of course the cork ended up in the bottle, which doesn’t look great on your dining table.
Conclusion
Success. Quick and easy but leaves you with a cork stuck in the bottle.
2 Handyman
Method
Use a screwdriver to insert a screw into the cork. Pull it out with a claw hammer
Results
I used a wood screw with a good wide thread. It was easy to extract with the claw-end of a hammer – just like using an old-fashioned corkscrew.
Conclusion
Success. Quick and easy, but you’ll need the right tools on hand. Pliers would do instead of a claw hammer.
3 If the shoe fits
Method
According to multiple online sources, you can extract a wine cork by placing the bottle in a shoe and tapping the shoe against a wall while holding the bottle in place.
Results
I first tried this with a trainer – reasoning that the cushioned sole would protect the bottle better. After 10 minutes of tapping and then whacking, nothing happened. I then used a shoe with a more traditional sole. After a few minutes of whacking – it worked! The cork emerged a tiny bit, then came two-thirds out and could be easily removed.
Conclusion
Success! Use a firm-soled shoe and whack the heel firmly against a wall. Use an outside wall to protect your plasterwork and a shoe that you’re not precious about.
4 Pump it up
Method
For this method, push a football pump adaptor into the cork. Then use a pump – ideally a track pump that delivers a good volume of air – to pump air into the bottle.
Results
I was sceptical about this because the standard football adaptor needle is 30mm while the average cork is 40mm or more – so the needle will not go all the way through the cork. I tried this twice. First time no luck. Second time, after a few good pumps the cork came up. However, it only came up a bit, until the compressed air started leaking.
Conclusion
Partial success. For best results, give a few quick pumps at the start rather than going slow and steady. Will not work on a plastic cork.
5 Twist and shout
Method
Push a key into the cork and twist it while levering the cork out.
Results
I used a tea towel to get a firm grip on the key and pushed it in fully. Twisting and pulling resulted in damaging the cork and little else.
Conclusion
Failure. This may work for others (maybe there’s a knack) but no joy for me. Avoid.
Disclaimer: any of these methods may be hazardous and are at users own risk. We recommend always using an actual corkscrew to open your bottle of wine.
Cheers!
About the author
Chris Larkin
A seasoned copywriter with over two decades experience, Chris has been part of the team since 2021. At Laithwaites HQ, you’ll find him either working on our latest catalogue or creating informative content for our website. Qualified to WSET Level 3 Wine, Chris is as geeky about wine as he is about copywriting. But when it comes to choosing a special bottle, he is a traditionalist, and loves a good Bordeaux or Mâcon Chardonnay.
