A Guide to Emergency Beer Bottle Openers
There’s nothing better than a cold larger or beer on a hot summer day or a nice chilled one to wash down a curry.Some people also seem to prefer lagers and bottled beers rather than wines with their Christmas dinner.Easy to use beer bottle openers are essential to gaining access to the chilled liquid and they come in all sorts of shapes and sizes.
There’s the simple classic bottle opener that resembles a key and in some senses it is a key to the golden goodness inside.These range from the basic cap poppers on a Swiss Army Knife to heavy duty jobs with solid Sterling Silver rod handles.Cheap cast metal versions do the job for a while, but don’t underestimate the sheer force required to pop a bottle cap.These cheaper ones tend to go to pieces after a while.
More sophisticated versions include CellarDine’s ZapCap, not the most compact unit in the world, but certainly effective.There’s even a magnet which holds the removed caps in place for neat disposal. You simply place it over the neck of a bottle and with just a gentle push removes the cap with a minimum of effort and fuss. ZapCap works on metal pop off and twist off caps and is a must have gadget for Christmas, along with the appropriate glassware for the lager of your choice.
What if you are stuck without any of these excellent bottle openers?How can you gain access to that chilled and well deserved brew? Obvious tip is, buy a bottle opener and don’t lose it! Keep one handy at all times by the wine rack – in fact buy a wine racks just so you can keep a bottle opener next to it!In extremis however, try these emergency options that use everyday objects to crack off that bottle cap without breaking glass or ruining your expensive dental work (they should work with pop off caps, but twist off caps will probably need a bottle opener or brute force and sound teeth).
So long as you are not a “yoof” who walks around with the jeans at half mast, your belt’s buckle can function as a bottle opener. Take off your belt first though.You don’t want to try any sudden motions with glass in that area of your body.If you have a disposable plastic lighter, prop the plastic bottom of it (not the metal top) against the cap’s edge. Push up on the cap with the edge of the lighter which should loosen it, if not completely pop it off. If you carry keys, use one that can wedge between the cap and the bottle’s neck.Twist the key under the cap and repeat the process until you get most of the way around the cap. You should be able to simply grip the cap and twist it off, although you may never be able to get in your front door again.
