Have you ever had this nightmare situation?

You’re having a party. You have one bottle of wine remaining, and twelve zealous guests who would suck the alcohol out of a deodorant stick.

But that wine bottle isn’t a screw top like the others you’ve been glugging all night….

And you have NO CORKSCREW.

This recently happened to me. Christmas party + close friends + cork = dilemma.

What to do? Smash it on the ground and suck up the puddle with straws? Hack a hole with a nail file? Not drink it? (Definitely not an option, FYI.)

Through a wine-y haze, a solution was hatched. My friend had seen a video on YouTube, which lead him to stand on my balcony with one shoe, holding the precious bottle of wine inside his other leather boot. Even if I hadn’t had a few merry cab-savs, I would have been confused.

What happened next was more magical than white-out tape.

The shoe-clad bottle was banged against the wall repeatedly (while I screeched “don’t wake up my neighbours!” at the top of my lungs. You’re welcome, neighbourinos). We all watched with awe. Slowly, the cork started to release. Nothing shattered. No wine spilled. When the cork had released enough, I grabbed the bottle and easily pulled the cork out with my teeth (because I’m classy like that).

Celebration. Rejoice. Hallelujah. TAKE THAT, CORKSCREW! Who needs ya?

Turns out, my genius friend had watched the below video. People of Australia, consider this a public service announcement. Next time you are corkscrew-less, do not despair. Pick up a shoe and go nuts.

Disclaimer: It’s probably extremely risky, and may result in shiraz-stained disaster, and/or death. Especially if you have already had several wines, or are using stiletto shoes. Cork-shoe at own risk… but it’ll be worth it.

Genius.