How to Break a Beer Bottle With Your Bare Hands

Last Updated: May 4, 2023

So picture this. You're in a bar fight, and you need a broken bottle to intimidate the bad guy. But the furniture is much to nice to smash a bottle on it, so what do you do? You break the bottle with your bare hands, of course! At the very least, Joe Bad Guy is going to be intimidated. Pull this off, and you might even get the girl! Or, just amaze your bar buddies that you can do this! Either way, it's a great party trick. It takes a bit of practice to get it right, but it really will amaze the others watching. Read on!

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^{[1]
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Research source} The colder, the better. Bring the water level up to about two inches (5cm) from the top of the bottle. This also works with beer which makes it a little more dramatic.
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Wrap the top two fingers of your non-dominant hand (for most of you, that will be your left hand) around the neck of the bottle. This will prevent shards of glass from stabbing you in the palm in case the entire bottle shatters. ^{[2]
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Hit the opening of the bottle hard with your dominant hand. ^{[3]
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Check the bottom of the bottle, which should have broken right off. ^{[4]
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The bottom of the bottle breaks off due to "cavitation." ^{[5]
X
Research source} The bottle briefly and suddenly moves downward when you strike the top. The water inside of it doesn't move as quickly, creating an extremely brief void (vacuum) at the bottom. The water does catch up with the glass, and comes crashing down into the bottom. If the force is great enough, the bottle can no longer support the water crashing down, and cracks or breaks at the bottom. Even if the crack is minor, the inertia and weight of the water will break the bottom out of the bottle. ^{[6]
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Question

When the bottle filled with cold water hits the opening, the bottom of the bottle will break. Why does this happen?

Community Answer

Try making the bottle warm before you pour the cold water into the bottle.

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Question

Can we break a beer bottle just by squeezing it?

Community Answer

If you built up the muscles in your hands, maybe. Of course, having accomplished this, you would require a trip to the hospital. Might I advise you wear a metal gauntlet before attempting this feat?

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Does this work with glass soda bottles, too?

Community Answer

This method should work with most glass bottles. Just remember to be careful!

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Tips

Do not be scared while trying this trick. Know you will break the bottom clean off. If you go in soft with your hand it will not break and will sting a bit. Do or do not. There is no try.

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You do not need to hit the bottle hard, but you will need to hit it swiftly. Speed is more important than force for this to work well.

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Always leave some air at the top to allow "cavitation" to take place. Without this, you're relying upon brute strength to break a bottle, which simply doesn't work (unless you're whacking the furniture with the bottle).

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Warnings

Running a disposal with glass in it may damage the blades or the mechanism. Cover the drain so shards can't go down.

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Fill the sink with some water to catch the glass chips or shards. Water in the sink will keep glass from bouncing back in your face.

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Be very careful when cleaning the sink afterwards; even the smallest chip of glass can cut you quite deeply.

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Do not attempt this trick while drunk. This could land you in the hospital for stitches.

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Never leave the sink uncleaned, because whoever uses it after you could be cut unexpectedly by a chip.

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Do not wear any rings on the hand that you are using to hold the bottle!

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Things You'll Need

An empty beer bottle
Water to fill the bottle

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How to Break a Beer Bottle With Your Bare Hands

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