The World's Best Simple Bar Tricks

EXCERPT

Introduction

I've traveled all over the world as a journalist, and on my journeys I have found that wherever there are bars, there are bar tricks.  From Nepal to Norway, Turkey to Thailand, Greece to Guatemala--every bartender seems to have a trick or two.  I began collecting these tricks in my journal, trading with people for new tricks along the way.  After six years and more than sixty countries, I had quite a collection.

Unlike magic tricks, bar tricks require virtually no skill.  The props for these tricks can be found easily in bars, restaurants, and even your own home.  So sit back, have fun, and enjoy!


1.  The Walking Coin  (SPAIN)

Santiago de Compostela, Spain, has a bar named "Paris" and another named "Dakar." There are about twenty bars located between them.  Naturally, students in this town have developed their own Paris to Dakar rally--endurance bar hopping.  It was somewhere along this route that I learned this trick.

What You Need: a glass, two quarters, and one dime

The Trick: Get the dime out from under the glass while staying six inches away from the glass in all directions.

The Setup:
Using a table with a fabric tablecloth, place the glass on the quarters and the dime between the quarters, under the glass.

How It Works:
Use your index fingernail to scratch the tablecloth along the threads that the dime is resting on.  The coin will slowly appear to "walk" out from under the glass.


2.  The Cork Escape  (COLORADO)

At a restaurant in Colorado, a waiter put a bottle with a cork in it on the table.  "Try to get it out," he challenged us.  My family just stared at it.  My dad tried sucking it out.  My mom tried jabbing it with her knife.

"Easy," I said, taking the bottle and raising it over my head.

"No breaking the bottle," the waiter told me.  "At least not on my shift."

What You Need: a wine bottle, a cork, and a cloth napkin

The Trick: Get the cork out without breaking the bottle.

The Setup:
Push a cork into an empty wine bottle.

How It Works:
Twist the cloth napkin into the bottle.

Jiggle the bottle until the cork falls lengthwise into the napkin fold.

Pull on the napkin . . . and the cork pops out.

Tip: This trick works better with a lightly starched napkin.