When it comes to performance, you need to rehearse to be prepared for the show. Rehearsal is your time to make mistakes, correct and then try again until you’re perfect. This applies to skills, sports and art. To be an expert, you need to practice, practice, practice and then practice more.
So, let’s talk flair bartending. Think Tom Cruise in the movie Cocktail. When it comes to flair bartending, most people know the basics, juggle bottles, and toss glasses and shakers around; bartenders use flair to impress their guests while making them delicious beverages. It’s fun to watch and quickly sets you apart from the rest.
Here’s the catch, there are two types of flair bartending, competition flair and working flair.
Competition flair is the show, the performance. It is spot on, choreographed and requires hour after hour of rehearsal. This is the spotlight, the big moment. The audience is waiting, so you better be ready, and it better be polished.
In competition, nothing is left to chance. The bottles are numbered, positioned accordingly, and contain just enough alcohol for the drinks you need to make. In competition, you work with the crowd, not your guest. Some people might not understand the difference; imagine talking to your friend versus talking to 100 people at once.
Flair competitions also allow for a little more freedom than the tricks you would pull behind the bar at work. When the bar is busy at work, you can’t take 3 minutes to make a drink, and you also are not supposed to spill; this is very frowned upon. Actually, spilling in competition is also a no-no, but it always happens and is overlooked. That is not so true at work on a Friday night. So why compete? Well, bartenders compete for a few things, money, prizes, better bartending gigs, and even viral clips on YouTube. The main difference is this is a show, and people are here to see the best, so practice perfectly, and who knows, it might just be you who takes the cake.
Working flair is your practice without pizazz.
A great working flair bartender is mixing drinks in a decent amount of time and using basic tricks to impress their guest. They do not slow down the pace of service, they do not spill, and they do not use the flair to shy away from guest interaction. Working flair is there to strengthen your relationship with your guest. The main difference with working flair is most people you serve are not expecting anything more than their beverage, so simple tricks go a long way. Tossing a glass behind your back and then a quick flip pour will have your guest walking away, remembering what a great bartender you are.
Here is the key to working flair; if nothing else, it is about great guest interaction with a few tricks mixed in. Your goal as a bartender is always the same whether you use flair or not. Have your guest heading home thinking, “what a great night, that was some of the best services I have ever had.” Working flair can help impress a guest and enrich an experience but do not overshadow one. This is a fine balance.
If you are interested in learning flair either for work or competition, you can buy specially made weighted bottles to practice with. These bottles will not break when dropped and mimic a good weight. Pair that with a standard aluminium shaker, and you have the tools you need to get started.
I have also included some video links for your reference to start learning the basics.
- How to Do a Flip Pour
- How to do a Palm Spin
- How to Do a Stall
- How to Do a Capture
- How to do an Arm Roll with a Tin
- How to Juggle Liquor Bottles
- How to Do Columns
- How to Open 3 Beers at the Same Time
If you’d like to learn more about flare bartending, we’ve got an article on how to practice flare bartending here.
Remember, learning new things takes time. Don’t get frustrated. With determination and practice, you will get there. If you are looking for more learning materials, YouTube is packed with stuff, and the internet is a wealth of knowledge. Best of luck; I hope to see you flipping bottles at a bar near me soon.
Jennie has worked in the bar and restaurant industry for nine years. She has been a host, expeditor, bartender, server and manager. She still works in the industry today part-time as a server at Milestones. Find her on Twitter @jenniedleaver and say hi.
