CORKSCREWS AND WINE OPENERS

Corkscrews and wine openers are essential tools for any food or beverage establishment that serves wine. Their main and only purpose is to open wine bottles by removing the cork. To use a corkscrew, you need to screw the worm, a pointed metallic helix, into the cork center and gently pull by the handle or boot lever to extract the cork from the bottle.

Types of Corkscrews

• Waiter’s Corkscrew. The waiter’s corkscrew, also known as the wine key or sommelier knife, is considered the oldest wine opener. It features a worm for piercing the cork and a two-step leverage hinge for removing it. It also comes with a built-in knife in its handle for cutting the foil wrapping under the lip of most wine bottles. With its compact size, multiple functionalities, and ease of use, the waiter’s corkscrew is the perfect option for servers who work directly at tables opening wine bottles and pouring wine.
• Winged Corkscrew. The winged corkscrew, also named butterfly, owl, or angel corkscrew, has two levers (one on each side of the worm) that control its whole operation. Twisting the worm into the cork will raise these levers, and pushing them down will allow you to extract the cork from the bottle in one smooth motion.
• Winged corkscrews are easy to use and work on all cork sizes, making them a popular choice for removing synthetic corks. However, they are not ideal for opening old-aged wines with natural corks that have become brittle over time as they may dislodge some cork crumbs and leave them floating around in your wine.
• Wine Cork Extractor. As the name implies, the wine cork extractor or twin-prong cork puller features prongs that slide down between the cork and the wine bottle. To remove a stopper, insert the prongs into the cork by applying light force to the handle. Once fully inserted, twist the cork extractor and pull upward to remove the stopper entirely. Using the cork extractor allows you to extract a wine stopper without damaging it, making it the perfect tool for opening vintage wines with natural corks. It also enables winemakers and wine enthusiasts to sample their wine before re-inserting the cork. 
• Lever Corkscrew. The lever or rabbit corkscrew operates with a pair of handles that firmly grip the bottle’s neck while in use, providing the user with total control. A lever allows you to twist the worm into the cork and gently pull it from the bottle by simply pressing or lifting it, respectively.
• Mounted Corkscrew. Mounted corkscrews are wine openers clamped or attached to counters or walls to ensure maximum stability and sturdiness when removing wine corks. They provide additional torque for faster and more efficient cork removal, making them an excellent option for busy establishments.
• Pull Corkscrews. Pull corkscrews use a continuous twist motion to drive the worm into the cork and remove it from the wine bottle.

Advanced Mixology carries a great selection of corkscrews to suit all your wine opening needs. Shop now!