HOW TO MAKE A CHAMPAGNE FOUNTAIN

Champagne is considered by many to be an indispensable part of any special occasion. Why not add drama and excitement to the service of the Champagne by creating a Champagne Fountain? This will not involve any extra expense at all (all that is necessary is 23 wine glasses) and the spectacular effect is certain to turn the celebration into a gala event!

A Champagne Fountain is a pyramid of tiered wine glasses arranged contiguously. The bottom tier of the fountain … had twelve glasses, the next has seven, the third has four and the top has one. The following rules must be followed to ensure a successful result:

• Choose identical glasses without defects. If even one is slightly different from the rest, the fountain will not work.
• The glasses from the bottom up must be placed closely together as the widest central area of the Champagne glasses or tulips will permit.
• The fountain should be poured by an individual with an absolutely firm hand. The pouting must be slow, deliberate and steady.
• For obvious reasons, the wise person will obviously practice pouring the fountain with plain tap water.

It is not essential to use only 23 glasses for this pyramid structure. If you wish to increase the numbers, keep in mind that you must have the glasses bowl to bowl so that there is a ¼ inch gap left between the rims of every pair of glasses at the point where the bowls are touching. Place the center of the base of each glass in the next tier directly over this ¼ inch gap.

The last point to remember is to pour the Champagne into the very center of the glass in the uppermost tier. This is extremely important in order that the wine (or whatever potable is chosen to be served in the fountain) may cascade evenly into the tier of glasses below. They in turn will overflow into the next tier, and so on until the liquid has filled the bottom tier 2/3 full which is the correct amount for any wine glass to be filled. At this point, stop pouring! To avoid spills when serving the completely filled glasses of champagne (on the upper tiers), it is a wise precaution to pour the surplus wine into empty glasses which have been discretely placed within reach of the fountain.