5 Brilliant Beer Hacks That Will Change Your Life

This BuzzFeed list of 5 beer hacks was so out of my wheelhouse in the beginning of my legal beer drinking life. Until I was 28 years old, I hated beer. And not even like a, "Oh, no thanks, I'm not much of a beer drinker" kinda hate — I loathed beer with ever fiber of my being. I went through high school and college without drinking more than a few sips (and therefore never developing incredibly important beer pong skills). Seriously, imagine your college experience without beer. It's almost mind-boggling, right? And when I did have to imbibe even those few sips, I felt bloated and hungover the next day. If I was out and friends and they ordered a pitcher and I didn't want to appear rude, I would sometimes chug down a few gulps with my nose plugged when no one was looking, like the sophisticated adult I was.

So what happened when I was 28? I got pregnant, and a sudden taste for beer was my first symptom. How's that for cruel irony? I had to wait 9 months to drink something I'd been avoiding for decades before. Ever since then, I've been a fan and have even become a bit of a beer snob, so. Coming as just as the weather begins to warm up (aka, Drink All The Beers Season)? Glorious! Here are the hacks to get the best out of your beer:

How to get an ice cold beer in 5 minutes

This ain't England, where beer is served at room temperature (unless you're reading this in England, which is perfectly possible, this being the internet and all, in which case, HELLO ENGLISH READERS! Can you tell me what the deal with your warm beer is?)

No bottle opener? No problem!

I feel like a sucker for owning an actual bottle opener now. Of course, there's also this one, which I have seen at parties but have never mastered myself.

"This pitcher is getting warm! Fix it!"

There you go. Any other questions?

"Yes! How do I get all this foam off the top of my beer?"

Ummm... I don't actually recommend this one. It's sort of gross and I feel like drinking residual nose oil is worse than drinking a little extra foam. Moreover, I feel like people would justly make fun of you for doing this in public.

Other great uses for beer and beer accessories

My grandma basically has these in all her house plants. Of course, hers are these hand-blown glass things from a local artisan and not a bunch of empty Corona bottles, but the premise is still the same, so I feel confident saying that this method of watering your plants is Grandma Approved™.

OK, I will admit to being skeptical of this. Won't your hair smell like stale beer? But ya know what? Follow your bliss. And if your bliss is slathering your hair in beer, then go forth and do it merrily.

So there you have it: 5 ways to up your beer game this spring and summer! The full video is below.

Images: Getty Images; YouTube(8)