Imagine standing in front of a tall pyramid of sparkling wine glasses and filling it with champagne. And around you are ladies in beautiful dresses, men in tails, crystal chandeliers, an orchestra playing a waltz... And everyone applauds you, wondering how you manage to pour wine into glasses so deftly and not spill a drop.
I decided to surprise my wife on March 8th and learn how to make such pyramids from glasses. I don’t promise an orchestra and crystal chandeliers, but I’ll try to surprise my beloved.
By the way, pros ask for such a slide from 4 to 12,000 rubles.
What glasses can you use to make a pyramid for champagne?
There are 3 types of glasses that can be used to build a cascade.
Martini cocktail glass
Cocktail glass, Martini glass – a glass with a stem, a conical bowl shape, with a wide top. Volume from 90-240 ml. A 90 ml wine glass is more suitable than others for building a pyramid. Sometimes they are called "martins".
Kupita - a glass for Margarita
Margarita glass is usually used for the drink of the same name, but is also suitable for a glass of champagne. A stemmed glass with a deep bottom and a wide neck. It looks as if a bowl was attached to a glass on a stem.
Sour
Sour glass, double shot, ice cream bowl. A stemmed glass with a wide bowl, slightly truncated at the bottom. Previously, champagne was served in these places, but this fashion is already in the past. In a wide container, the sparkling drink quickly “dissipates”; it is usually served in tall, narrow flute glasses. A bowl is also suitable for building a cascade.
Prices for renting a pyramid of glasses on a turnkey basis without champagne.
Pyramid 5 tiers, 35 glasses, triangular baseService contents: building a pyramid from glasses, dry ice,
fireworks
7020 rub. **
Pyramid 6 tiers, 56 glasses, triangular baseService contents: building a pyramid from glasses, dry ice,
, fireworks
, rose petals, pyramid lighting, table, tablecloth, table skirt, bartender work up to 2 hours. 7500 rub.*
8100 rub.**
Pyramid 7 tiers, 84 glasses, triangular baseService contents: building a pyramid from glasses, dry ice,
, fireworks
, rose petals, pyramid lighting, table, tablecloth, table skirt, bartender work up to 2 hours. RUB 10,500*
RUR 11,340**
Pyramid 6 tiers, 91 glasses, square baseService contents: building a pyramid from glasses, dry ice,
, fireworks
, rose petals, pyramid lighting, table, tablecloth, table skirt, bartender work up to 2 hours. RUB 11,500*
RUR 12,420**
Pyramid 7 tiers, 140 glasses, square baseService contents: building a pyramid from glasses, dry ice,
, fireworks
, rose petals, pyramid lighting, table, tablecloth, table skirt, bartender work up to 2 hours. RUB 14,500*
RUR 15,660**
* : Cost for individuals. **: Cost for legal entities and organizations, payment by bank transfer is possible.
How to build a pyramid from glasses at home
A cascade of glasses is spectacular, impressive and beautiful. Especially if you can fill the glasses starting from the top without spilling the fizzy drink. This show will brighten up any holiday. What will you need?
- Decide what kind of pyramid it will be. With a triangular or square base. It depends what you like best and the number of glasses.
- Count the number of glasses. It must be equal to the number of guests. More is possible, less is not possible.
- How many bottles of champagne? The volume of one glass is multiplied by the number of glasses, divided by the volume of the bottle. Round up to whole numbers +1 bottle.
- To install the cascade you will need a large tray and a stable table with a tablecloth. Appropriate decor: flowers, garlands, fireworks.
How to build:
- Draw a diagram so as not to be distracted by calculations in the process. Arrange the first row exactly in a triangle or square, it’s easy, then it’s more difficult and you have to be more careful.
- Depending on the shape of the slide, triangle or square, the stem of the wine glass on the second tier rests on 3 or 4 wine glasses from the bottom row.
- There should only be one glass on top.
If you want to impress your guests, practice. Start with small piles of 4-5 wine glasses. Installing glasses and filling them will require patience and dexterity. The containers must be placed evenly, tightly to each other.
Buy glasses with a reserve, in case rehearsals will not be without losses. To practice refilling, use an empty champagne bottle and water.
Tip: buy wine glasses with low legs, the width of the top in diameter is equal to the width of the stand (base).
Master class: Champagne pyramid
Some in films, some at a banquet, but almost everyone has seen this miracle - a pyramid of champagne. Who and when came up with the idea of building a pyramid of glasses - history is silent. But the essence has not changed for many years: the pyramid is a rather complex, but at the same time effective technique that will help fill glasses quickly and beautifully. The skill is to ensure that champagne, poured into the top glass, gradually falls on the lower tier.
Let's say right away: drinking champagne this way is not entirely correct. But for the sake of a beautiful spectacle, you can sacrifice the tasting characteristics of the sparkling wine. But it looks, at least, impressive. By the way, if you follow some simple rules, you can create such a spectacular show yourself.
Preparation To make things easier for yourself, use cocktail glasses or wide-necked glasses for the pyramid. You can start with a small number of glasses, for example, five pieces. The bottom tier consists of four glasses and one on top. Look for glasses with low stems; it will be easiest if the diameter of the stem and neck is almost the same, although the base may be slightly smaller than the neck. More often they take a classic martini glass.
Calculate the required amount of champagne in advance. Multiply the volume of the glass by their number and be sure to add at least another half bottle. For example, for 55 small glasses you will need 8 to 10 bottles.
Assembly Having chosen the glasses, decide on the design. The higher the pyramid, the more beautiful the sparkling cascade will be. If you want to create a champagne pyramid, then calculate its dimensions (number of glasses) and draw a diagram on paper - this will help you not get lost. The first tier is almost always a square. Of course, professionals make various shapes, for example, a triangle or even a heart, but it is better to start home experiments with a classic square. The second tier is already heavier. It is necessary that each glass of the second tier comes into contact with four glasses of the first tier. We go up, following this principle, until there is only one top glass left. The pyramid must stand firmly.
Process The pyramid is built, now you can pour the sparkling wine. Pour it into the top glass until everything in the bottom tier is full. Please note that there should be a thick tablecloth on the table; some of the champagne will inevitably fall on it. Although, with the correct construction of the pyramid, literally a few drops spill past the glasses - from the lowest, supporting level. Try not to lift the bottle high, this requires more skill.
A pyramid of glasses can be decorated with cocktail cherries, fruits, rose petals, multi-colored lighting, dry ice, and the sparkling wine itself can be tinted with syrups.
The largest cascade of champagne glasses was built in February 2006 by Dutch businessman Gert-Jan Stock. It consisted of 35,990 glasses. The height of the structure was seven meters. www.lefkadia.ru
How to properly pour champagne into glasses standing in a pyramid
Real skill is when the cascade is filled with champagne and only a few drops of wine from the supporting row are spilled onto the table. If the wine glasses are placed correctly, then this trick is quite possible for you.
After the slide is installed, the crucial moment comes: filling. Uncork the bottle and, bringing it to the top glass, begin to fill.
- Do not lift the bottle too high above the wine glass. But not too low so as not to accidentally hit the edge and break the slide.
- Take your time and let the champagne flow slowly. You can fill from two bottles at once, but do not rush.
By quickly filling the sparkling drink, the show will look more impressive, but there will be a lot of splashes and spilled drink.
Mistress of the house
Often during festive celebrations, such as a wedding or anniversary, guests are treated to champagne. Of course, you can simply put bottles of champagne on the tables and pour them into guests’ glasses, but often you want to organize a more spectacular presentation of this noble drink. If you want your liquor presentation to look bright and impressive, you may prefer a champagne slide. Such a chic pyramid, built from glasses, will certainly amaze all guests. At the same time, it is filled alternately from top to bottom. Today, there are many bartender shows in which a pile of glasses of champagne is filled right in front of the guests.
However, such a show is quite expensive, so not everyone can afford it. In the process of organizing such a show, you need to rent glasses, correctly install an unusual pyramid, think carefully about the decoration, and also invite a professional bartender. Naturally, all this will result in a fairly large amount. Therefore, many are wondering how to create such an interesting pyramid with their own hands. This is quite possible, but it is advisable to practice before conducting such a performance at an important event.
You immediately need to decide what the size of the pyramid should be, which completely depends on the number of invitees. It is not advisable to install glasses yourself if more than 50-70 people are invited. It is also important to calculate in advance how much champagne will be needed to fill all the glasses. On average, one bottle of champagne is enough to fill 3 or 4 glasses. The glasses should also be appropriate. Opt for the so-called Martiniques. The table on which the pyramid of champagne glasses will be created must be installed very stable. If necessary, you can make special stops from paper. Next, you should choose a tray that will fit the size of the area of the lower tier of glasses.
This way, drops of champagne will not spill on the table. You need to place the glasses on the tray so that their edges press tightly against each other. A second tier is built on top of them. In this case, the stems of the glasses should be installed at the point of contact of 3 or 4 edges of the glasses of the lower tier. It is very important to take your time and act carefully. The other tiers of the pyramid are placed in the same way, and only 1 glass should be on top. To fill all the glasses, you need to pour the drink in a thin stream into the top glass, after which the champagne spreads throughout all the glasses. If no errors are made during the installation and filling process, there will be virtually no drips on the tray, and all glasses will be filled to the top
Pyramids of champagne glasses from the Guinness Book of Records
The three most famous records for building a cascade:
- Amsterdam, Holland, 2006. Businessman Gert Jan Stock built a cascade in a shopping mall. 35,990 wine glasses were used, and its height was 7 meters, about the size of a 2-story house.
- Hus, Netherlands, 2007. Luke Broos built a pyramid of 41,664 glasses in the Seelandhallen exhibition hall, breaking his own record of 39,711 containers from last year. The height of the structure is more than 7 meters, 62 tiers of wine glasses.
- Antwerp, Belgium, 2008. In the shopping center, a group of enthusiasts erected a mound of 43,000 glasses, weighing almost 9 tons. The work took 3 days, 15 hours each.
Excessive alcohol consumption is harmful to your health. Take care of yourself!
That's all for the records, the last one hasn't been broken yet. I won't try to beat him just yet. I will train hard until March 8th and, hopefully, I will be able to surprise my wife and our guests. Have you tried pouring wine into glasses in a pyramid? Do you have any secrets for this process?
Which pyramid to choose?
So, structures made from wine glasses can be square, triangular, or less often they are simply lined up in several tiers. The choice among these options, as well as the size of the pyramid, directly depends on the number of people present at the event. If there are few guests, then it is better to choose a 2-story slide in the shape of a triangle. For 20 glasses you will need approximately 4 bottles of champagne.
Small pyramid of champagne for a wedding
When it is planned to gather a large number of people, the pyramids are naturally larger and are built in 6, and sometimes even 7 tiers. Well, what the maximum dimensions can be for a glass structure are known to the craftsmen from Belgium, who broke the Guinness record: they made a pile of 43 thousand wine glasses.
Large pyramid of champagne at a wedding
How and who can assemble a champagne slide?
The size of your pyramid directly depends on the number of invited guests. Of course, you can build it yourself, but this is not an easy task. The slightest mistake, and it may happen that either the glasses will simply fall apart and break, or, at best, the champagne will flow past the glasses.
Nowadays, champagne pyramids can increasingly be seen at all kinds of celebrations. For many years now, champagne has always been present at all more or less important events. Hardly anyone can imagine the New Year or a wedding without champagne! This sparkling drink sparkles in the rays of the sun or spotlights and itself sets a good mood for a good and bright future. The color of champagne can always be changed using syrups and adding dry ice and cherries to each glass. All this together will be both tasty and beautiful!
A specially assembled table and LED lighting will give the champagne slide an extraordinary show. There are two types of such tables. The first option is a table with LED lamps. The light on such a table is fixed and does not blink, but at the same time, if it is possible to dim the light in the room, then the champagne pyramid on such a table will look very impressive. The second option is a table with three LED strips, each of which is 5 meters long. This table is very bright and impressive; if you place it even in the shade on the street, it will shimmer and blink very beautifully with all the colors. Flashing speed and colors can be switched from the remote control. The color of the ribbon can be selected and fixed in accordance with the color style of your celebration. As a rule, slides are assembled from 20, 35, 56, 84 glasses. They contain 4, 6, 8, 10 bottles of champagne.
Today, almost every holiday agency can help you assemble a champagne slide. They will do the same for you when contacting bartender associations. When ordering this service, the newlyweds will not have problems with the delivery of glasses, installation of the pyramid, pouring champagne, special effects, lighting, decorating the slide with cherries, flowers, and dismantling will also not be their headache. Such pleasure will cost up to ten thousand rubles. You can also order a slide of champagne along with a bartender show, for example. Some restaurants give newlyweds a gift in the form of a pyramid of champagne if the wedding reception is held at them.
We all know that champagne is best served in narrow and oblong shaped glasses. Such a glass should have a long stem so that a person does not warm the champagne through the glass with his hand. Champagne is poured into a glass no more than up to the middle of the wine glass. But when it comes to champagne slides, the rules are somewhat different. To assemble such a slide, you need glasses with a wide neck. It is thanks to this shape of the glasses that the pyramid becomes stable and champagne does not spill from the glasses.
To assemble the champagne pyramid yourself, you will have to calculate the size of the slide and how many glasses it should contain. To start, it’s better to draw a pyramid on paper. The surface on which the pyramid will be installed must be perfectly flat. It is advisable to place the bottom layer of glasses on a tray. Already from the second layer, under each stem of the glass there should be three or four glasses from the bottom tier, depending on what shape of the pyramid you should end up with. Practice on plastic glasses first. Champagne should be poured evenly, in a very thin stream, starting from the top glass. Then it will go beautifully through successive downward levels. Good luck!
Rarely is a wedding complete without champagne. Traditionally, newlyweds drink this drink, and many guests prefer it to other wines or spirits. But you can serve glasses filled with a sunny, sparkling drink in different ways.
Most often, glasses of champagne are poured near the bar counter to each guest who expresses a desire. Champagne is served by waiters, or guests themselves come to the table with bottles and can serve themselves. But you can turn his presentation into a real show! For this purpose, a champagne pyramid (slide) or a fountain is created.
According to the rules, bottles of champagne are kept in ice in special buckets; the taste and aroma of this wine is best revealed at a temperature of 7-9 degrees. It is served in special glasses, which can be wide, in the form of a bowl, or more common - elongated.
A pyramid of champagne for a wedding is a method of pouring this drink, in which the glasses are arranged in a special way in the shape of a pyramid, and the drink itself is poured from the bottle only into the peak glass, the top one, and already flowing over its edges, fills the next rows, flowing down to the very bottom. That is why it is also called “Cascade”.
The honorable mission of the “spill” is entrusted to the newly-made husband and wife. This technique looks very beautiful both in life and in a wedding video, where there will undoubtedly be slow motion and close-ups.
The higher the pyramid, the more impressive it looks, but the risk of the structure falling increases significantly. The construction of a pyramid is carried out either in the form of a “square” or a “triangle”. Also, glasses can form a multi-tiered slide, standing in one row.
For this spectacular design, you will need specially shaped wine glasses, no less than the number of all guests.
Their base should be wide enough for better stability. The shape of these glasses resembles those in which martinis and vermouths are usually served - an inverted cone.
The surface for constructing the structure needs to be flat and not slippery. The glasses of the lowest tier are placed in the intended shape so that the edges of their bowls are in close contact with the neighboring ones.
The upper “floor” is placed with the base of the stem at the junction of three or four glasses - and so on until the very top, until the slide is crowned with a single glass, intended for starting the pouring of the drink.
To check whether everything is done correctly and to make sure that the pyramid is “functioning”, you can give it a water test drive.
If the slide was assembled incorrectly or simply carelessly, then when the champagne begins to pour, the champagne may flow past the lower tier onto the table, or the structure will simply fall apart, and some of the glassware may break.
If there is such an opportunity, then it is still advisable to entrust this important organizational moment to experienced professionals. Especially if it will be assembled from a large number of glasses.
It takes about half an hour to assemble or dismantle the slide, but here, of course, a lot depends on the amount of utensils used in its construction. The pyramid is beautiful in itself, but it is also possible to create additional decorative effects.
If the main lighting in the hall is extinguished, and the pyramid itself is illuminated with a garland, the result is a very impressive spectacle.
The lights and reflections of glass glasses, combined with the play of a bubbling drink and flowing foam, will create an incredibly beautiful atmosphere of magic and fairy tales.
To install the pyramid, special tables are used, which come in two types:
- With fixed LED backlight. On such a table, the lighting is provided evenly, without flickering or flickering, but in the dark it looks very impressive.
- Equipped with LED strips. The backlight on it is controlled by a remote control and you can select the color and intensity of the light bulbs blinking. This table can be placed indoors or outdoors in the shade.
With the help of special syrups, which are poured into glasses in advance, the champagne will take on its own color when poured on each tier (or, according to the idea, in a different order). Green, red, yellow, blue - filled glasses look very bright and juicy.
Glasses can be decorated with berries, flowers, and fruit slices. If you put pieces of dry ice in a drink container, the pyramid will be enveloped in a mysterious, foggy haze while it is being filled with champagne.
How to pour champagne into a pyramid of glasses - the secrets of the show
This method of serving champagne is not limited to the subtleties of building a pyramid of glasses. Champagne should also be poured in compliance with certain rules.
It should be remembered that, first of all, this is a spectacle, a spectacular and unusual technique intended to create a solemn and festive mood, and therefore there is absolutely no need for a rushed or crumpled action here.
If a bartender is working at the wedding, then you can trust him to fill a particularly complex and high slide.
If this mission is entrusted to the bride and groom, then they should not have wide and long sleeves that can sweep away part of the slide. For example, this could be the case with a themed wedding in the style of antiquity or fairy tales.
You need to pour champagne slowly, in a uniform stream, so that it is distributed equally in all directions and you get exactly the effect that was intended.
The bottles can be opened by a witness or one of the guests, serving them to the young ones fully prepared.
