What Are Ice Fountains? How Do They Work?

Seeing an ice fountain for the first time in the wild is really exciting. Is this bottle of prosecco overflowing with sparkles? Is a birthday candle having a really good day? Ice fountains are a way to get your customers revved up and excited about your star menu items. As a bar or club owner, they’re your best friends.

Unlike traditional fireworks, ice fountains produce a controlled, elegant effect that's safe for indoor environments while still delivering the excitement and visual impact customers love. Ice fountains are also known as "bottle sparklers" in many venues, particularly when used for champagne or prosecco service, creating a premium experience that customers are willing to pay extra for.

The most important thing about using ice fountains is making sure your staff are fully trained on how to use them and what to do if something goes wrong. Find out how to use ice fountains and tips on safety and answers to ice fountain FAQs in our blog. In this article, we’ll cover exactly what an ice fountain is and how it works so you know what you’re handling in a busy venue.

What is an ice fountain?

An ice fountain is a type of firework that is safe to use indoors. It consists of a hollow main tube made of stiff card about 4” in length and about ½” in girth. The tube is packed with combustible pyrotechnic powder and chemicals that produce a thick plume of silver-white sparks. The top of an ice fountain's combustible contents fits flush to the top of the cardboard tube so the firework does not need a fuse. The combustible material is set alight when the top is ignited.

The cardboard tube of an ice fountain is often decorated with colourful designs or foil patterns, though the effect itself is typically a silver-white shower of sparks regardless of the exterior decoration. Premium ice fountains, like those supplied by Chorlton Fireworks, are specially formulated to produce very low smoke, making them ideal for indoor use without triggering smoke alarms or creating unpleasant odours.

The bottom of an indoor ice fountain is fixed into a plastic holder with a spiked mounting pin. This can be used to stake the ice fountain into a soft material. Ice fountains for cakes can be held in place by stabbing the plastic spike into the icing of the cake. If you want to attach your ice fountains to bottles, an ice fountain bottle holder is the safest way to do this.

When lit, an ice fountain produces not only visual effects but also a distinctive "sizzling" sound that adds to the dramatic presentation, creating a multi-sensory experience for customers. The effect is similar to that of a sparkler. Ice fountains fireworks are shorter than standard sparklers but they are fatter and produce a much thicker, most substantial effect. If you want something more eye-catching and dramatic than a sparkler, an ice fountain is ideal.

Unlike traditional sparklers which burn relatively quietly, ice fountains create a dramatic sizzling noise and light up a room with a bright flickering glow, making them more noticeable in busy venue environments. The plume from an ice fountain can reach heights of up to 6 inches, creating a vertical shower of white and silver shimmers that's significantly more impressive than standard sparklers.

While standard sparklers typically burn for about 45 seconds, premium quality ice fountains can last for over a minute (our ice fountains burn for a minimum of 60 seconds), giving staff ample time to present them to customers.

Depending on what you have planned and the effect you want to produce you might not use just one ice fountain at a time. While cakes and small desserts could be overcrowded with multiple ice fountains, you might choose to add a couple more to champagne or prosecco bottles (our ice fountain holders can hold up to three at once). If you’re working with a large cake like a wedding cake or using ice fountains in a display, you might need to stock up on several packs.

We stock ice fountains in packs of different sizes to help businesses of all different kinds. From 4 packs of ice fountains UK customers buy for personal use to stocks of 1,920 for shops and performance venues.

• 4 x ice fountains
• 80 x ice fountains
• 240 x ice fountains
• 360 x ice fountains
• 480 ice fountains
• 2,880 ice fountains

You might think that ice fountains get their name because of the icy looking effects they produce. Actually, this is because they have cold fallout. This means that they do not produce hot sparks that will hurt if they fall on you.

This "cold fallout" feature makes ice fountains particularly suitable for food presentation, unlike traditional sparklers, which can deposit hot residue that might damage food or present a burn risk.

This is great news for cakes that you stake ice fountains into as you don’t need to worry about melting any icing. Similarly, this means servers carrying objects with ice fountains attached to them won’t be burned by sparks.

Find a more detailed breakdown of ice fountains with diagrams on the UKFR website.

How does an ice fountain work?

The combustible material inside ice fountains typically contains various metal powders (often including titanium) that create the sparking effect, along with chemical compounds to control burn rate and temperature. When ignited, these materials undergo a controlled chemical reaction that releases energy in the form of light, heat, and the characteristic shower of sparks. Unlike outdoor fireworks which often contain explosive compounds, ice fountains rely on a slower-burning composition that produces a sustained effect rather than a sudden explosion.

When an ice fountain firework is lit at the top the combustible powder that sits inside it is ignited in a matter of seconds. The effect that follows is a plume of silver-white flame and sparks up to 6” in height.

Any good ice fountain should give you a good few seconds of duration so that your servers have time to reach your guests' table with a dish or drink, bring out an enflamed bottle, or just so that everyone can get a good look and take some pictures. Our ice fountains have a hefty duration of 60 seconds giving you plenty of time to transport them, put on a little show, and let your customers fully enjoy the effect without anyone rushing.

Our ice fountains' 60-second burn time exceeds the industry standard of approximately 40 seconds, giving venues a competitive advantage when creating memorable customer experiences. This extended duration is particularly valuable for larger venues, where staff may need to carry the lit fountains through crowded spaces to reach customers' tables.

Creative Uses for Ice Fountains

Ice fountains have become a great novelty for hospitality businesses looking to create memorable experiences. Here are some of the most popular and creative applications:

Bottle Service Embellishment:

• Attach ice fountains to champagne or premium spirit bottles using proper bottle holders to create a VIP experience that customers are willing to pay a premium for.

• For maximum visual impact, use multiple ice fountains (up to three) on a single bottle, creating a cascading effect that's impossible to ignore even in crowded venues.

• Pair with LED-lit bottles to create an effect that continues to draw attention even after the ice fountain has burned out.

Dessert Presentation:

• Beyond birthday cakes, ice fountains can transform any dessert into a special occasion. Consider using them for sharing desserts, sundae platters, or signature sweet treats.

• For wedding cakes, strategically placed ice fountains can create a magical moment during the cake cutting ceremony that photographs beautifully.

• Ice fountains can also be used on cheese boards or savory sharing platters, creating an unexpected twist on traditional presentation.

Promotional Events:

• Use ice fountains to mark the launch of new menu items, creating buzz and encouraging social media sharing.

• Coordinate multiple ice fountains across different tables for synchronised lighting during special announcements or milestone celebrations.

• Create signature moments at regular intervals (such as hourly champagne toasts) that become associated with your venue's brand identity.

Other Fireworks Like Ice Fountains

If you can’t use ice fountains or don’t want to there are a few firework alternatives that can get you a similar effect, although more subtle.

While ice fountains offer a unique combination of visual impact and safety for indoor use, several alternatives can complement or substitute for them, depending on your venue's specific needs and safety considerations.

Sparklers

Indoor sparklers have been used in similar settings for a bit longer than ice fountains and produce a more small-scale effect. This might suit your venue or customers better in some cases. We recommend these sparklers:

1. Extra-long wedding sparklers can be fixed to wedding arches or used in decor in a similar way to ice fountains. Long and elegant, they add a touch of class to any wedding.
2. Loveheart sparklers are perfect for valentines, anniversaries, dates, or just showing the love. Present your guests with a cake or bottle topped with a fiery heart.
3. Number sparklers can be used to give any birthday cake that extra personal touch. Choose from numbers 0–9 to celebrate any age.
4. Mini cocktail sparklers are great for virtually any occasion and make a good alternative to mini ice fountains, add a minimal touch to delicate desserts and help your guests celebrate.

When choosing between ice fountains and sparklers, consider that ice fountains generally create a more substantial, impressive effect that's visible throughout a venue, while sparklers offer a more subtle, intimate experience. Sparklers typically produce more smoke than premium ice fountains, which may be a consideration in venues with sensitive smoke detection systems. We offer indoor sparklers with minimal smoke if this is a concern for you. For venues that regularly feature both options, staff should be trained on the different handling requirements for each product to ensure consistent safety standards.

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