I’m honestly shocked. When I looked at my website analytics page, I saw that my article Drinking Tips from Uncle Greg garnered the most pageviews of any of the articles I’ve written here in the last nine months.
It’s not the vital safety information I convey that brings people to my site. Posts about day drinking at an all-inclusive resort spark the interests of far more readers. Noted!
To capitalize on what my audience desires, I’m going to add yet another drinking tip for holiday vacations.
All inclusive resorts generally serve their guests unlimited alcoholic beverages at their bars. It’s kind of rare for a guest in one of these resorts to bring their own alcohol since they drink for free at the hotel bars.
Consequently, it’s sometimes hard to find a bottle opener if you choose to drink anything but the house draft beer and well drinks.
Last week, the free beer started getting old. Mexican draft Tecate light isn’t a particularly tasty beer. I soon grew tired of drinking it and wandered down the street to one of Mexico’s ubiquitous OXXO convenience stores. They had a nice selection of Mexican craft beers. I bought a few to try them out.
My favorite of the Mexican craft beers I tried.
I got back to my room and realized even though I had a partial kitchen, there were no bottle openers anywhere in the room. The lack of bottle openers is common at all-exclusives. Who needs a bottle opener when everyone is drinking free alcohol from the bar?
Fortunately, I planned ahead for such contingencies. I had a bottle opener in the multi-tool I carry whenever I’m in a foreign country, but it was buried in my locked suitcase. Always have a backup plan, especially when drinking.
The bottle opening backup plan I’ve used for the last 15 years ago is utilizing the brilliant Reef Fanning flip-flop. I took off my flip-flop and used it to open my beer.
I’m not normally a flip-flop guy. I can’t run well in them. I can’t kick well in them. It’s far easier to damage your foot or lose your balance and fall in a fight while wearing them. I reserve flip-flops for the beach, the pool, or communal showers. As I was staying at a beach resort, I brought my Reef flip-flops.
Why are the Reef Fanning flip-flops germane to this conversation? Because they have bottle openers built into their soles. Look at the photo below.
Reef flip-fops with integrated bottle opener
These sandals are exceptionally well padded and quite comfortable to wear. The bottle opener comes in handy far more than you might think it would. They are the only flip-flops I’ve traveled with since I bought my first pair in 2007.
If you are a serious drinker, you will embrace the concept of tactical redundancy. You can never have too many bottle openers. This style of footwear exemplifies the multiple use capability of the gear that makes travelers’ lives easier.
Buy a pair of these. Take them on your next holiday and you’ll never have to worry about packing a bottle opener in your luggage.
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