If you’re a “life of the party” type, then you know just how far a little parlor trick can go at a dull get-together. Because sleight of hand magic can be corny—not to mention hard to execute—we’ve got one for you today that is guaranteed to amaze 100 percent of the time. Best of all, the materials can be found lying around virtually everyone’s kitchen!
Our buddies at Howcast have created a video that shows us just how easy it can be to perform this age-old example of abracadabra. The premise behind this neat illusion is that it is, in fact, possible to pour wine into an upside down glass.
Sound impossible? Well, we think you should try it yourself before you judge. Go ahead and gather these materials, in order to get started:
- Dish or shallow bowl
- Tea light candle
- Lighter or match
- ¼ full glass of red wine, or any dark liquid
- Optional: Cherry with a stem
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Light it up!
Illuminate your tea light with your lighter or match and wait a few moments until some of the wax starts to pool on the top of the candle’s surface. Once you have a good amount, drip it onto the middle of your dish, and quickly stick the candle on top of the dripped wax. This will help ensure that the candle stays good and stuck!
Optional: If you’re feeling really fancy, you can complete the step by lighting the stem of a cherry instead of a candle. You will, however, still need to drip some hot wax onto the dish first, in order to secure the flaming fruit.
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Spill the wine!
Pour the ¼ glass of wine (or dark liquid) onto the side of your dish, taking care that you don’t snuff out that wick. Once your glass is empty, turn it over and place it over your tea light so that the candle is fixed in the center of the dome.
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“Fill” the glass!
Here’s where things get really cool. Once your glass is properly placed above the tea light, press your palm gently, but firmly, onto the base of the stem. You should immediately notice the wine being sucked up like a vacuum back into the glass. It seems to defy the law of physics, but the results have everything to do with science.
This trick works well every time because the lit candle sucks up all of the oxygen in the wine glass, which makes the pressure completely drop off. When this happens, a sort of vacuum effect is created, forcing the wine to literally scale the sides of the glass. How cool is that?!
Now that you have everything set up, you’ve gotta see how the final step works. To witness for yourself just how simple it can be to perform this at your next shindig, be sure to check out Howcast’s video below. Talk about a cool ice breaker!
What do you think of this magic trick? Have you ever attempted it before? What is your favorite illusion to perform at parties? Tell us all about your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below!