Hasta La Ideas

Reporting by Morgan Walsh, photos by Ray Hu

Cose Nuove’s Reindeer Antler Opener topped the list of statement bottle openers we saw at this year’s International Home + Housewares Show. Though seemingly small on a scale of animal horns, the Antler Opener is large on a the scale of beer gadgets and the opener’s unusual shape means it cannot be discretely stored in a standard kitchen drawer. Set atop the bar or hung on a wall, this opener is meant to be seen.

The Antler Opener puts on a bit of a show when performing its job, in the same vein as other antlers-as-utilitarian-objects: Greg Buntain of Fort Standard uses his to hang coats, while designer Taylor Simpson repurposed them into a set of bicycle handlebars. Fully functional, the opener imposes upon the viewer a moment of pause—determining the best grip and bottle position took a few seconds longer than with my standard keychain opener and added an aspect of deliberateness to the normally reflexive job of opening a beer.

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