Need help finding a way to make a trick possible

[SnuggleThug]

Hello fellow magicians,

my name is Jon. I have been practicing magic on and off for the last 10 or so years. I currently am a bartender and am trying to pull of a trick behind the bar that would give a great visual appeal, but I can't figure out how to do it.

The goal is to set 3 clear shot glasses on the spill mats (the black mats just before the bar top where the bartender keeps his/her tins, glass shakers etc) shows empty and then have a dark napkin or cloth placed over the glasses.

Proceed to make a drink into a shaker tin which will be filled with the powder that absorbs liquid, so when I come to the point of the trick where I would pour the liquid into the 3 shot glasses, I will turn the tin and the liquid will have "disappeared". That part of the trick is easy. The part I need to know is how I can show 3 empty shot glasses, place them in front of everyone in plain site and when I remove the napkin, have liquid be inside the shot glasses. PLEASE HELP ME! I'm trying to move to Vegas from LA to bartend and would love to be a bartending magician.

Thanks everyone!

Best,

Jon

 

[RealityOne]

The first solution I come up with is to switch out the shot glasses for a martini glass. That makes more sense in the routine and makes it easier to fill one object with a lot of liquid rather than three objects with a little liquid. For the method, I'll shoot you a pm.

 

[RickEverhart]

I'm just brain storming here:

1.) the shot glasses are switched at some point
2.) the shot glasses "appear" to be empty but actually contain the liquid (think lotta bowl / vase)
3.) something fills the shot glasses while a cover / cloth / contraption is over top of them hiding them from momentary view
4.) ????? still brain storming

 

[ToxicExperience]

I can think of how to do it with two:

Its like that one trick where there is a napkin with pennies that keep jumping around. Place two shot glasses on the mat, then when you grab the napkin, have two filled glasses hiding underneath the napkin, carried by your two middle fingers of each hand. Swap the glasses and drop the empty shot glasses behind the bar.

 

[Craig Browning]

Magic Gimmicks 101 -- a Mirror Glass

For those not familiar, these are a clear drinking glass with a mirror mounted in the center and a reflective surface on both sides, which allows the glass to appear empty and then full, once it's turned around (under cover of your napkin)

This method has an angle issue for working a bar however, IF the patrons can look down and into the glasses. Which brings us to a golden oldie or two. . . there are liquid loading devices out there, the most common (and easiest to work with) is a hose that runs from a reservoir hanging under your arm and down so that you can "squirt" the liquid into the glass as you hold it by simply squeezing the bladder with your upper arm.

I've given you enough to play with, let's see where you take it.

 

[chriswiehl]

im thinking along what craig is suggesting. either that or if you can get like "shells" for each. i also suggest, kind of on the side, to make the drink like blue, cause it would be easier to see at the end and would be more stunning.

 

[Craig Browning]

Adding color to the final loads has an important bit of psychology to it but I don't know that it goes with the direction the OP is trying to get to.

I meant to ask yesterday. . . won't the slush powder stick to the inside of your shaker? I'd strongly suggest experimenting in I do think you might have a sticking problem and potential tattle tales because of the shaking. Similarly, how are you going to get the sound of the ice in the shaker as you mix?

HINT: Look at the effect listings of some of the older magic shops like Abbotts. I forget the over-all effect but there used to be two or three bits that used a cocktail shaker back in the 50's - the early 80s if I remember right. You may try finding even a used version of these effects just to see which gaffed shaker system gives you what you need for vanishing the liquid (ala Milk Pitcher) while allowing you the advantage of making the proper sounds when mixing the drinks.

 

[Kpmagic]

incase you want to use this (this is something equally as powerful but doesn't use 3 glasses):

and btw i came up with this just now, it's not been done before:

get the shot glass gimmick which has a rubber ball on a pull which you stick in the mouth of the glass and shoot it up your jacket.
vanish the glass this way, then make it appear in your shaker, the glass full and ready to drink, the shaker empty, after mixing the drink. how? have a separate, liquid-filled shot glass capped shut with something in the shaker and remove this capping after shaking the tin and peering inside, looking puzzled. pull out the glass full of liquid for a reveal, then 'dump out' the tin to show there's no liquid in the tin. you apparently vanished the shot glass and made it appear in the tin, ready to drink, after mixing the drink.