Champagne Tower

Build a champagne tower and create the party of all parties

Are you planning to serve your guests champagne or other sparkling wine at your wedding reception? If so, why not make the most of the occasion and turn the welcome toast into a real ‘event’ by building a champagne tower? We’ll show you how and also offer some tips on alternatives for those on a tight budget. As well as being regarded as the ultimate party drink, champagne contains fewer calories than wine, is said to protect against dementia and is rich in antioxidants. However, it does, of course, contain alcohol, so moderate consumption of this luxury drink is recommended. By kicking off the party by pouring champagne (or another drink) from the top of a glass tower, you’ll naturally bring your guests together, allowing them to start chatting to one another, which helps to break the ice in what might otherwise be a slightly stiff atmosphere at the start. It makes for an exciting and fun event – and a festive start!

PHOTO// WEDDINGSBYMALIN

You’ll need:

* Coupe glasses, and they must all be the same (see the diagram at the bottom for quantities). Coupe glasses, which are wider at the top, make the structure easier to build and provide more stable layers
.* A stable and completely flat surface, ideally with a large tray underneath to catch any spillage
.* Champagne or another drink (see the diagram at the bottom for quantities).

Here’s how to do it:

1. Start by arranging the glasses in a cross (perfectly straight) on a square base, with an equal number of glasses along each side. E.g. 10×10, the next layer 9×9, the next 8×8, and so on.
2. Fill in the empty ‘squares’ with glasses. NOTE: Make sure all glasses are in straight lines to ensure the tower is stable.
3. Each glass must touch the surrounding glasses (no gaps) to ensure the best flow when you pour.
4. The subsequent layers above the bottom one are built by placing the glasses on top of the point where four glasses meet.
5. When it’s time for the party and the guests have arrived, catch their attention when it’s time to fill the glasses – this will be an event no one wants to miss!
6. Start by pouring into the top glass. Pour SLOWLY so that it overflows at a steady pace down to the glasses below, and so on.
7. Once all the glasses are full, the bride and groom begin by sharing the top glass. Then the guests can help themselves from the tower, starting at the very top and working their way down, tier by tier.
NB! Please remind the guests to be careful when taking their glasses so that the whole structure doesn’t collapse.

3 budget tips:

* Fill the glasses with sparkling wine or a finer cider instead of champagne. There are also plenty of delicious non-alcoholic alternatives
.* Build a tower of a suitable size and fill the glasses with ordinary cider before the party begins. You can then serve your guests champagne or sparkling wine in pre-filled glasses from trays or tables
.* Build a tower of any size and place flowers here and there in the glasses instead of filling them with drink. Glasses containing the guests’ drinks are placed around this ‘flower tower’.

Number:

The champagne tower is built up in ‘square tiers’. Each tier built is reduced by one glass per row; so if a tier consists of 6 glasses × 6 rows, the tier above it should be built with 5 glasses × 5 rows, and so on.

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