How to Build a Champagne Spritz Tower

Trust us, this cocktail centerpiece is easy enough for any old Wednesday night.

Champagne towers are shrouded in mystery. And they certainly seem too hard for a weeknight dinner party, but — breaking news! — that is far from the case. We've hacked the champagne tower to make it a thing of joy, rather than a tower of intimidation. Just follow these steps and never, ever look back.

1 Choose Your Glassware

Your glasses can really influence the success of your tower. Plastic coupes are a great option for small apartments, but we’ve purposefully created a 14-coupe tower to help make a glass version doable and affordable.

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Size does matter, so pick a glass that ranges from 4 to 7 ounces (whether it's glass or not). If you already have coupes on hand, be sure to measure them so you can make enough cocktail to fill them to the top.

If you're using glass, be sure you find coupes that have a very slight outward curve so the rims of the glasses touch. This will help avoid spilling when you pour. We like these.

If you're using plastic, we recommend taping down the bottom layer with Scotch tape to help with stability. It might not look the fanciest, but it will ensure your tower doesn't waver when you're pouring.

2 Build Your Tower

Start with a surface you don't mind getting wet, like a fancy tray or a rimmed cookie sheet. Ideally, your tower won't spill or fall, but we are big believers in preparing for the worst — it makes a success all the more fun.

In order to make a "casual" champagne tower, we used 14 glasses. That means a 3-by-3 base, a 2-by-2 middle layer and a single glass at the top.

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Make sure the rims of your glasses are touching. Doing this will create little diamonds between the glasses; the second layer of glasses needs to be placed equally over these diamonds, and the same goes for the top layer. If you look overhead, you should see that the bases of the glasses cover any holes. Move glasses closer together if you see any gaps.

3 Make Your Cocktail

"Cocktail?" you ask. Yes, cocktail. Instead of making a regular old champagne tower, we're making a bubbly spritz tower. Why? It's more colorful and more drinkable — and we just can't get enough.

All you'll need to do is find a pitcher large enough to mix your drink. We've tested this in a single large pitcher (pictured) and two smaller pitchers. Either will work. All you need to do is a little math to make the perfect cocktail. If you're using 4-ounce glasses like we did, follow this recipe.

4 Pour!

Now for the fun: Simply pour your mixed champagne spritz into the top glass and let the cocktail overflow into the glasses below. Your set up will ensure that your cocktail falls into the glasses and not onto the floor.

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Do this while your friends are watching — they'll be horribly impressed.

5 Garnish

Since this a spritz, a garnish is a must. Float dried oranges and add an orange slice to the edge of each glass.

6 Drink

As soon as you've finished pouring, invite your friends to grab a glass. The tower is meant to be enjoyed (read: Instagrammed), then drank right away. You don't want to lose any bubbles!

We love the 14-glass tower because it's perfect for dinner parties and not too intimidating to build. Don't hold back: This masterpiece deserves the center stage at every party you throw.

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Photos by Allie Wist

About Hannah Petertil

A known candy hoarder and well-eaten traveler, Hannah gravitates toward grocery stores, where scoping out local favorites and ogling bulk bins could pass as her day job.