The vast majority of wine bottles these days are either sealed with a screw cap or a cork, (wine in a box doesn’t count). And whilst screw caps make for easy opening, a lot of wineries are opting for the cork preservation method again, after a brief hiatus caused by low-quality cork manufacturing in the 1980s.

Opening a bottle of wine can be tricky even with a corkscrew. But not having a corkscrew on hand can lead to all sorts of bottle-opening adventures, whether you’re planning to pair food and wine, make sangria, cook your favorite wine-fueled dish or just indulge in a glass. With a little bit of creativity and persistence you’ll be sipping Chardonnay in no time. Here are four ways to open a wine bottle without a corkscrew. Note that you should exercise caution with any of these methods, and when in doubt, save the bottle for another time, with better tools at your disposal.

It’s an awful situation we’ve all faced at one point or another: You have a bottle of wine you want to drink but no corkscrew on hand. Professional bartenders and wine pros offered their favorite MacGyver-style wine bottle tricks. These are six tips they recommend.

1. Shoe or Boot

2. Ballpoint Pen

3. Tweezers

4. Long Screw and Hammer

5. Bicycle Pump

6. Hot Fireplace Tongs and Snow

So there you have it, 5 ways on how to open a wine bottle without a bottle opener, including if you don’t have a corkscrew. Have you ever had to try one of these methods? Or have you found your own way to open a bottle of wine? Let us know.

Check back often for new ready made packages and Bar Mixing Set and especially around the holiday’s for amazing savings on gifts for the bartender in your life.