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How to Make a Drink Appear in a Magic Trick

One of the most iconic and dramatic effects in the art of performance magic is to make an object appear suddenly before the eyes of spectators, seemingly out of nothing. One way to divert the audience's attention to make this easier for the performer is to replace one object with another. Using a simple, time-honored sleight-of-hand technique referred to by magicians as "lapping," you can cause a drink to suddenly appear in your hand to replace what was there, such as changing water into wine. You will need to perform this seated at a dining table with your audience.

Things You'll Need

  • Drinking glass partially filled with a beverage
  • Bottle of water
  • Cloth napkin
  • Dining table
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Instructions

    • 1

      Seat yourself at the table with the bottle of water just in front of you on the table to your right. Have the cloth napkin next to it on your left. Both of your hands should be visible at this point in time.

    • 2

      Conceal a beverage glass in your lap between your legs before performing the illusion.

    • 3

      Begin the performance by reaching out with your left hand to take the napkin, drawing it back toward you to the table's edge. Just after your left hand begins to reach, subtly drop your right hand into your lap, allowing the more exaggerated motion of your left hand to distract audiences from noticing your right hand.

    • 4

      Hold the napkin against the table's edge under your first and second fingers of your left hand. At the same time, grasp the rim of the glass between the thumb and first and second fingers of your right hand.

    • 5

      Keep the left hand still as you pass the glass to the left under cover of the table and transfer it to the left first finger and thumb, with the other fingers still grasping the napkin in front of it.

    • 6

      Raise the right hand above the table, pick up the bottle of water and hold it above the edge of the table.

    • 7

      Lift the left hand, allowing the napkin to drape naturally and conceal the glass behind it, and move it up and to the right to place it in front of the bottle in your right hand.

    • 8

      Make eye contact with members of the audience as you allow the bottle to slip out of your fingers and fall into your lap once their view of is is obscured,.

    • 9

      Continue the motion of the left hand as it smoothly sweeps towards you. As the hands meet, grip the glass in your right fingers with as little movement of those fingers as possible.

    • 10

      Reveal the change without pause by moving the hands forward, upward, and apart as you draw the napkin back.

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