Three Bar Tricks Involving Napkins
Non-traditional ways to
clean up before last call
MAGIC TRICKS generally come in kits, must be specially
designed for specific illusions, and are often expensive. Bar
tricks — a much more specific genre of trickery — simply involve
objects on hand at any local saloon. As an example, complimentary
bar matches weren’t originally designed to assist wagering
drinkers. In these examples, the humble napkin proves to be useful
beyond mopping the sweat from a tall cool one.
Matches, napkins, and other everyday objects are generally
discarded without a second thought. At Daily Lush, we see
greater possibilities in these overlooked objects — we see their
potential to do the seemingly impossible, which gives them an edge
of store-bought magic tricks. Such pre-fab examples of
sleight-of-hand encourage immediate suspicion. Upon seeing a
magician link and unlink three metal rings, audiences immediately
start suspecting trickery. For this reason, we find the bar trick
infinitely more impressive. It seems, for a moment, that something
impossible has happened. Magic has been produced with everyday
objects — plucked not from a hidden jacket pocket, but right from
the bar where anyone could have found them.
Bar tricks have the potential of reaping certain rewards if done
well: cash; a phone number; free alcohol. Before sipping a hard-won
drink, though, dedicate a toast to the simplicity of the bar
trick.
BERNOULLI’S BOTTLE
Materials: 1 empty beer bottle, and a small piece of
napkin.
The trick: Try to get someone to blow a napkin ball into
an empty beer bottle.
How to do it: This trick is based on scientist Daniel
Bernoulli’s principle stating that flowing air has less pressure
than inert air.
Be sure the neck of the empty beer bottle is dry before
attempting this trick. Tear off a small piece of napkin and crumple
it into a ball. This ball should be smaller than the bottle
opening. Holding the bottle horizontally, place the napkin ball
inside so that it rests on the lip of the bottle. Keeping the
bottle horizontal, hold the opening up to someone and bet that they
cannot blow the napkin into the bottle.
Because of Bernoulli’s principle, the ball will be met with
resistance from the air inside the bottle. This will cause the ball
to blow back out into the participant’s face every time.
CAPTURE THE BULLS-EYE
Materials: Dry napkin, pencil or pen
The trick: Mark a dot in the middle of a napkin and,
without lifting the pencil or pen, draw a circle around the dot.
There should be no lines connecting the dot and the circle.
How to do it: Begin by folding in a corner of the napkin
to the center of the square. Draw a dot at the napkin’s center,
ending with the pen on the tip of the folded corner. Keep the pen
on this corner while slowing easing the corner of the napkin away
from the dot. At any distance away from the dot, draw a circle. At
no point did the pen have to leave the surface of the napkin.
THE BIG SNEEZE
Materials: Napkin, utensil such as a fork or spoon
The trick: Blow your nose with such force that it causes
a napkin to fly upward in a comical fashion.
How to do it: This is less a bar bet than a bar
amusement, but it always seems to get a laugh, so we shall
include it. To achieve this stunt, sneeze. Grab a napkin and unfold
it to blow your nose. Secret the utensil inside the napkin before
bringing the napkin to your nose. At this point, the utensil should
be hidden under the napkin. When the napkin is to your nose, you
should place the utensil in your mouth in such a way that when you
bite, it will cause the utensil to rise upward until it is
perpendicular to your face. The napkin will rise as if by a
forceful blow. Feel free to make exaggerated blowing noises. Enjoy
the surprised expressions of your drinking mates. (Courtney
Mault)
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