A box-top carrier includes a top panel, a bottom panel spaced from the top panel, and two side panels extending between the top and bottom panels. The carrier is provided with a release mechanism to facilitate removal of bottles from the carrier. The top panel has apertures through which the bottle necks extend and a plurality of slits extending from an edge of the apertures to define a plurality of tabs around the apertures. The bottom panel has a plurality of apertures which are generally concentric with the top panel apertures. The top and bottom panel apertures are formed in an array having at least two columns of at least two spaced apart rows. The release mechanism includes pairs of tear lines in the top panel extending from the edges of the top panel to slits of the top panel apertures. The pairs of tear lines include two spaced apart tear lines which define tear strips extending between the top panel apertures. When a tear strip is pulled, the strip forms a space between the columns of apertures in the top panel and a gap in the top panel apertures which places the top panel apertures in communication with the space. In another embodiment, the tear strips are defined by tear lines which extend diagonally from a finger hole of the carrier to the adjacent apertures in the top panel. A further embodiment of the tear strips allows for releasing of bottles from the carrier one at a time. The release mechanism also includes two spaced apart slits extending from each of the bottom panel apertures to facilitate removal of bottles from the carrier. The bottom panel slits are sufficiently long to overcome the friction grip of the carrier on the bottle, and is preferably less then 1/2".