Corkscrew: Farmstead's 'Ah-So' 2-Prong opener

This is our go-to option for opening any well-aged bottle of wine whose cork may be at risk of breaking or crumbling when subjected to the usual corkscrew.

Our sturdy chrome version of the vintage tool never fails to impress onlookers and slips into a compact sheath when not in use.

• Material: Chrome handle & plastic sheath
• Use: Removes corks intact
• Care: rinse and wipe, if needed. Usually these are nearly care-free!

Why It Works

Traditional Waiter's Corkscrews work by twisting the spherical worm into the center of the cork, then pulling the cork out using the levers on the corkscrew. This works well when the cork is young and pliable. But when the cork is old it begins to lose its resilience and can become crumbly. Using a Waiter's Corkscrew on these senior-citizen corks often results in a broken cork and a broken heart as the eager wine lover is forced to push the cork down into the bottle.

By contrast, this style of wine opener (often called the "Ah-So" or the “butler’s friend”) slides into the bottleneck alongside the cork and then can be twisted out, keeping the cork intact. Just slide the long prong down a little way along one side of the cork, then slide the shorter one down as far as you can on the opposite side. Continue pushing down on alternate sides of the handle until the Ah-So is fully inserted. If the cork starts to move down the bottle neck, slowly twist the Ah-So while pulling up so you can continue to push down on alternate sides. Once fully inserted, twist and pull until the cork pops out!