How To Open A Beer Bottle With A Key - WikiHow

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Terms of Use wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow How to Remove a Bottlecap with a Key PDF download Download Article Popping open a brew with just about anything Co-authored by Bryan Sullivan and Aimee Payne, MFA

Last Updated: August 15, 2025 Fact Checked

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  • Popping Off the Cap
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  • Prying Off the Cap
    • |
  • Other Techniques
    • |
  • What Not to Use
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  • Video
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  • Tips
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This article was co-authored by Bryan Sullivan and by wikiHow staff writer, Aimee Payne, MFA. Bryan Sullivan is a Bartender and the Owner of Bryan Sullivan Bartending in Seattle, Washington. With over 10 years of experience, he specializes in craft cocktails and has a thorough knowledge of beer, wine, and champagne. He currently holds a MAST Class 12 Mixologist Permit and has provided bar service for 100s of events. Additionally, his business has a 5-star rating and is a listed vendor on The Knot. There are 15 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 632,019 times.

Imagine: you’re about to pop open a cold one, when you realize, to your horror, that you’ve got nothing to pop it open with. Yes, it could happen to you. But the lack of a bottle opener doesn’t have to mean the end of your night—just reach for that keychain. If you’ve got a house, car, bike lock, or any sort of sturdy key, you’ve also got a bottle opener, and we’ll show you how to use it. And if you left your keys at home? We’ve still got you covered with a few other crafty bottle opening tricks. Sláinte!

How to Open a Bottle with a Key: The Basics

  1. Hold the neck of the bottle in your non-dominant hand.
  2. Slide the teeth of a sturdy key under the cap’s ridges.
  3. Twist the key upwards using a motion similar to starting a car.
  4. Rest the back of your index finger against the bottle for leverage.
  5. Continue to twist until the cap pops off.

Steps

Section 1 of 4:

Popping Off the Bottle Cap with a Key

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  1. Step 1 Grab the bottleneck with your non-dominant hand. 1 Grab the bottleneck with your non-dominant hand. Wrap your index finger around the top of the neck, close to the cap, and hold the bottle securely so that it doesn’t slide in your hand when you push against it. Don’t worry about squeezing it too tight, a firm grip is enough.
    • Anchor the bottom of the bottle against a tabletop or your thigh for added stability.
  2. Step 2 Position the teeth or tip of a key under the cap. 2 Position the teeth or tip of a key under the cap. This ain’t a job for a small file cabinet key or a dinky padlock key. Pick a strong, larger key like a car key or a heavier house key. It’s best to pick a key with multiple ridges at the tip—it’ll be easier for it to get under the bottlecap’s ridges.[1] Advertisement
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Open a Beer Bottle with a Key 3 Twist the key upwards until you hear the beer bottle pop off. Move the key in your dominant hand so you’re twisting the key up towards you. It’s the same motion you’d make if you were turning your car on. Your index finger will act as a sort of fulcrum and add pressure to the cap. Since the key is lodged under the bottle cap, the key will pry the cap open.[2]
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Open a Beer Bottle with a Key 4 Try a different side of the cap if it didn’t pop off immediately. Depending on the bottle cap, the strength of your key, and your experience with this method, the cap might not pop off on your first try. I fit doesn’t, turn the bottle until a new part of the cap is facing you, and try again.
    • This method works with any flat, strong object. If you don’t have a key, use a lighter, a coin, a metal spoon, or a flathead screwdriver.
    5. Advertisement
Section 2 of 4:

Prying Off the Bottle Cap with a Key

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  1. Step 1 Slide the teeth or tip of the key under the cap’s ridges. 1 Slide the teeth or tip of the key under the cap’s ridges. Hold the bottle firmly toward the top. Then, position the teeth of the key under a few of the bottlecap’s ridges. Use your thumb to wedge them in a bit further.[3]
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Open a Beer Bottle with a Key 2 Twist the key until the ridge bends upwards. Twist the key back and forth gently but firmly until the bottlecap ridge starts to bend away from the mouth of the bottle. Hold the key so that it’s pointing away from you, and twist it just like you’d turn the ignition.[4]
    • If you can’t get anywhere using the teeth of the key, use the very tip of the key instead, and rock the rest of the key over your thumb for leverage.
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Open a Beer Bottle with a Key 3 Turn the bottle a bit, and repeat the process until the cap releases. Keep prying the key under the ridges, turning the bottle as you go. Eventually, all the ridges securing the cap to the bottle will be released and the cap will come off in your hand, or you’ll be able to easily pop the cap off with a little pressure.[5]
    4. Advertisement
Section 3 of 4:

Other Techniques

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  1. Watermark wikiHow to Open a Beer Bottle with a Key 1 Open the bottle against the edge of a counter. Find a sturdy counter or railing, and position the lip of the bottlecap against the corner of the counter. With your free (preferably dominant) hand, give the top of the cap a good, downward whack, making sure to aim for the edge of the cap that’s away from the counter. With a few tries and some good aim, the cap will pop right off.[6]
    • You can use this same basic method with a hard surface that has an edge, including a bike pedal or even a book.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Open a Beer Bottle with a Key 2 Pop it open with another bottle. Got a second bottle on-hand? Well now it’s a bottle opener. To open a bottle with another bottle, turn the second bottle upside down and place the lip of the cap under the lip of the first bottle’s cap. Grab the neck of the upright bottle, placing your thumb just under the inverted cap. Then turn the upside-down bottle away from the first, using it as a lever against your thumb to pry open the first.[7]
    • Note that now you’ve opened the first bottle, you’ll have to use another method to open the second.
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Open a Beer Bottle with a Key 3 Use the ring on your finger. Wedding band? Engagement ring? For the next 20 seconds, that’s a bottle opener. Place your ring hand over the cap and slip the edge of your ring under the ridges of the cap. Then, pull your wrist up so that your ring finger moves down, prying the cap away with it.[8]
    • Note that this method may result in a little bruising, and you should move on to another if it causes any discomfort to your finger.
  4. Step 4 Pry off the cap with a door latch. 4 Pry off the cap with a door latch. You know that little metal thingamajig on the doorframe that catches the door’s bolt? That’s a bottle opener. Stick the cap into the bolt hole, positioning it against the sharp metal rim (so that the bottle is sideways. Then, simply turn the bottle away from you to open it as you would with a normal bottle opener, and quickly turn it upright to avoid spillage.[9]
    • Make sure the metal hardware is sturdy and won’t bend under the torque of the bottle.
    • Grab a dish towel and hold it under the bottle as you twist it to catch any foam.
    • You can also open a bottle with the metal door latch in a car door.
  5. Step 5 Use your belt buckle as a bottle opener. 5 Use your belt buckle as a bottle opener. The great thing about belts is that they have buckles, and the great part of buckles is that they’re actually bottle openers. Remove your belt and slip the bottle through it. Then, use your thumb to push one edge of the buckle up against the cap, and hold the other edge down against the bottle with your other fingers. Give it a little pressure and, voila! Open bottle.[10]
  6. Watermark wikiHow to Open a Beer Bottle with a Key 6 Open the bottle with scissors. What are scissors but sharp bottle openers, really? Hold the scissors as you normally would with the blade closed. Place the metal edge along the outside of the blade under the lip of the cap and twist.[11]
    • Practice caution here—we don’t recommend this method for anyone who couldn’t pass a breathalyzer.
  7. Step 7 Twist the cap off with a rubber band. 7 Twist the cap off with a rubber band. Okay, so this one’s not a bottle opener so much as a… bottle gripper? Wrap a thick rubber band around the cap of a bottle, and twist that sucker as hard as you can. It’ll probably take a few minutes, but eventually the twisting will loosen the cap and allow you to pry it off with your hands.[12]
  8. Watermark wikiHow to Open a Beer Bottle with a Key 8 Pop the bottle cap off with flatware or kitchen tools. Little did you know, you have a drawer (or several) full of bottle openers in your kitchen! Wrap your non-dominant hand firmly around the bottle’s neck, just below the cap. Then wedge the edge of a sturdy metal spoon, fork, or butterknife under the edge of the cap. Pry the cap off the bottle by twisting the utensil upward.[13]
    • You can also use a fine mesh or cocktail strainer to open a bottle. Just hold the strainer where the head meets the handle.
    • Hook the handle under the edge of the bottle cap farthest from you.
    • Then, pull the cap up, twisting the strainer away from you.
  9. Watermark wikiHow to Open a Beer Bottle with a Key 9 Use the end of a disposable lighter or other hard plastic item to open a bottle. When opening a beer bottle with a lighter, place the neck of the bottle against the webbing between the thumb and index finger of your non-dominant hand. Hold the lighter upside down in your other fist with your thumb on top.[14]
    • Place the bottom edge of the lighter under the lip of the bottle cap.
    • Flick your wrist upward to pry the bottle cap off the bottle.
  10. Watermark wikiHow to Open a Beer Bottle with a Key 10 Use a screwdriver or claw hammer to remove a bottle cap. This is one of the more obvious ways to open a bottle without a bottle opener. Just wiggle the flat end of the screwdriver under the ridged edge of the bottle cap. Then, pry up the ridged edge of the cap until it comes off.[15]
    • Flip a claw hammer upside down and position one side of the claw under the ridge of the bottle cap.
    • Rotate the handle in the same way you would to use the hammer to pull out a nail.
    • Put gentle pressure on the cap until it pops off the bottle.
  11. Step 11 Use a crisp dollar bill to crack open a refreshing beer. 11 Use a crisp dollar bill to crack open a refreshing beer. Fold a dollar in half vertically. To open a beer bottle with a dollar bill, roll the bill up as tightly as you can. Then, fold the rolled bill in half to make a strong edge. Place the folded edge of the bill under the ridge of the cap. Twist your wrist upward to apply pressure to pop the cap off the bottle.[16]
    • If you don’t have a dollar bill, a piece of paper or a note card works just as well.
  12. Step 12 Use an easy-to-carry or hidden bottle opener for the safest option. 12 Use an easy-to-carry or hidden bottle opener for the safest option. While it’s possible to open a bottle with many different things you have in your home, there is some risk with most of them. It’s easy to break or chip the bottle, making the beverage undrinkable. If you swallow foreign bodies—including glass—they will usually pass through you without any issue. However, they can cause a serious medical condition if they cut or scrape your digestive system.[17]
    • If you often find yourself without a bottle opener, consider purchasing a bottle opener keyring for your keys!
    • Reef sandals also have a bottle opener built into the sole if you want to be able to open a bottle without carrying an opener around.
    • Sunglasses with bottle openers built into the earpieces are also available.
    13. Advertisement
Section 4 of 4:

What Not to Use to Open a Bottle

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  1. Never use your teeth or another breakable thing to open a bottle. Never use your teeth or another breakable thing to open a bottle. You may have seen people in movies or on social media using their teeth to open a beer bottle. While it might not be impossible, it’s always a bad idea. Teeth are strong, but using them with leverage to open a bottle can cause them to chip, crack, or break, leading to a painful and expensive trip to the dentist.[18]
    • Avoid using other breakable materials to open bottles, including glass, thin plastic, or particle board surfaces.
    • Don’t use anything expensive, like heirloom silverware, gold rings, iPad or MacBook chargers, or your smartphone. They may also become damaged or broken.

Expert Q&A

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Video

Tips

  • Check if the bottle is a twist-off before trying to open it with a key![19] Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
  • Never use your teeth to open a bottle. Thanks Helpful 22 Not Helpful 1
  • Be careful of the ridges—they can be very sharp! Thanks Helpful 10 Not Helpful 3
Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Name Please provide your name and last initial Submit Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Advertisement

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References

  1. ↑ https://www.wral.com/16-ways-to-open-a-beer-bottle-without-a-bottle-opener/12540305/
  2. ↑ https://www.askmen.com/fine_living/how_to_400/447b_how-to-open-bottles-without-bottle-openers.html
  3. ↑ https://www.wral.com/16-ways-to-open-a-beer-bottle-without-a-bottle-opener/12540305/
  4. ↑ https://www.wral.com/16-ways-to-open-a-beer-bottle-without-a-bottle-opener/12540305/
  5. ↑ https://www.wral.com/16-ways-to-open-a-beer-bottle-without-a-bottle-opener/12540305/
  6. ↑ https://youtu.be/rm0ZkABVqjQ?t=87
  7. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8zHa-jD4Ag&t=123s
  8. ↑ https://youtu.be/B-VOKxud1Zg?t=48
  9. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8zHa-jD4Ag&t=111s
More References (10)
  1. ↑ https://youtu.be/DPpqxB9Fu0Y?t=124
  2. ↑ https://youtu.be/B-VOKxud1Zg?t=10
  3. ↑ https://youtu.be/rm0ZkABVqjQ?t=103
  4. ↑ https://youtu.be/Buc_FoWcNtU?t=153
  5. ↑ https://www.gq.com/story/how-to-open-beer-bottle-without-opener
  6. ↑ https://www.manmadediy.com/how-to-open-a-bottle-without-a-bottle-opener/
  7. ↑ https://youtu.be/m6w7PXWZR90?t=57
  8. ↑ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5325915/
  9. ↑ https://www.news24.com/life/wellness/body/dont-open-bottles-with-your-teeth-5-ways-to-protect-your-pearly-whites-over-the-holidays-20221224-2
  10. ↑ https://www.wral.com/16-ways-to-open-a-beer-bottle-without-a-bottle-opener/12540305/

About This Article

Bryan Sullivan Co-authored by: Bryan Sullivan Bartender This article was co-authored by Bryan Sullivan and by wikiHow staff writer, Aimee Payne, MFA. Bryan Sullivan is a Bartender and the Owner of Bryan Sullivan Bartending in Seattle, Washington. With over 10 years of experience, he specializes in craft cocktails and has a thorough knowledge of beer, wine, and champagne. He currently holds a MAST Class 12 Mixologist Permit and has provided bar service for 100s of events. Additionally, his business has a 5-star rating and is a listed vendor on The Knot. This article has been viewed 632,019 times. 3 votes - 67% Co-authors: 6 Updated: August 15, 2025 Views: 632,019 Categories: Featured Articles | Beer and Cider In other languages Spanish German French Italian Indonesian Russian Dutch Chinese Hindi Vietnamese Czech Japanese
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Yes No Advertisement If you buy through links on our site, we may earn a commission.Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Bryan Sullivan Co-authored by: Bryan Sullivan Bartender 3 votes - 67% Click a star to vote Co-authors: 6 Updated: August 15, 2025 Views: 632,019

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