The Goods

Bar cart hacks to up your entertaining game

How a blender can make your wine taste better and more must-know tricks!

How a blender can make your wine taste better and more must-know tricks!

(Credit: iStock/Getty Images)

Ever had someone over, offered them a beer and then hunted for a half hour for the bottle opener you can never find? Never let a less-than-perfect bar cart stand in your way of being a great host. To make the most of your Happy Hour, the hosts of The Goods tested out some alcohol hacks in order to see if they're a good substitute when you don't have your bar tools on hand.

Open a beer bottle with a piece of paper

If you don't have a bottle opener, you can open a pry-off bottle of beer using a piece of paper.

Paper bottle opener

7 years ago
Duration 0:53
Paper bottle opener

All you have to do is fold a piece of paper in half, vertically 4 times. Then fold your strip of paper horizontally 2 times, making a V shape. Hold the bottle in one hand, and wedge the paper between your index finger and the bottom of the cap. Pry it open until the cap comes off and voilà – a simple piece of paper to the rescue.

Make cheap vodka taste expensive with a coffee filter

This hack claims it can help you make cheap vodka taste like the expensive stuff by pouring the alcohol through a coffee filter 5 times. It actually worked though – in a blind taste test Shahir picked the less expensive coffee filtered vodka.

To try this at home, just take a coffee filter and attach it to the opening of the mason jar, then pour the vodka through the filter 5 times and taste to see if your palette can pick up on any improvements.

Aerate your wine in a blender

Aerating a good bottle of red wine can take up to two hours. This hack claims that you can scrap the decanter and aerate your wine in seconds by putting it in a blender. Decanting helps to separate the wine from any sediment that may have formed and to open up the wine's aromas and flavours before serving.

For this one, you just have to pour red wine into a blender for about 30 seconds, and then pour it into a glass and give it a taste. Steven was impressed by the change in taste! The wine probably needs a little time to settle after being blended because it can get a little foamy, but this is still a bonafide hack.