Bartenders have their own special fluid. Their daily bread is somewhere between art, science and magic. The world behind the bar is a sacred place, even during the wildest party, where the bartender lives in the middle of the fun without being a part of it. But what happens if you add a little bottle gymnastics to mixing a simple Margarita or an impressive Nuclear Reactor ? Flair bartending is created. James Bond and his shaken, unmixed Martini with vodka . Tony Manero, Saturday Night Fever and the famous 7&7 .
Carrie Bradshaw , Sex and the City and other Cosmopolitan . Wherever in the world you order these popular drinks of famous movie characters, they will taste exactly the same. But the experience will be different. From the moment you enter the bar, the show begins. And the main character is the bartender.
Photo source Part of the experience is the way the bartender greets you, how he mixes your drink, how he casually juggles the bottle or drum on the shaker, and how he serves the drink. Of course, the experience also includes a pleasant conversation with you throughout the preparation of the drink.
...it's all flair
Flair cannot be expressed. As soon as you try to put it in a box or capture it as a word, you suddenly have nothing. It cannot be specified. Passion, music, spontaneity, efficiency, movement, fun and many other aspects will only help you get closer to what it is really about. Miroslav Klačanský , master and instructor of flair bartending, Bartender School
Flair? These are bar artists
When you order your favorite Cuba Libre, you might come across a bartender who can turn mixing cola and rum into a science. He'll pick an interesting type of cola you've probably never heard of and mix it with real Jamaican rum distilled from seven types of cane.
You have just come to the so-called "mixologist", who focuses on taste perfection. He knows all the alcohols and how they react with each other. He uses all this to bring you the perfect taste experience.
Literally translated, flair means style. It is a greeting, a bartender's smile, getting to know the client. It is an integral part of the bartending profession, although everyone also needs to know how to properly hold a measuring cup or how to use other tools. Tricks speed up our work and make our presentation more efficient. That is why every bartender should practice them. Marián "Sikky" Chmel , multiple flair champion in Slovakia and the UK
Burning whiskey and the first flair bartender
Jeremiah “Jerry” P. “Professor” Thomas is a legend in the bartending community. The forefather of bartending was (apparently) the first to regularly use spectacular tricks when mixing drinks to entertain customers waiting for a drink. In addition to bottle flipping, he also had a game of fire or ice in his arsenal. He was an incredible showman, which was reflected in his popularity. He demonstrated his art on tour throughout Europe and North America in the second half of the 19th century. He was also the inventor of several mixed drinks, as well as the author of the first book on drinks ever, Jerry Thomas' Bar-Tenders Guide, or How to Mix All kinds of Plain and Fancy drinks . The most legendary of his drinks is still the Blue Blazer – a burning whiskey, which he poured between containers several times, creating “tongues of flame”. At the end, he let it burn down directly in the customer's glass.
Bar athletes
Flair at the highest level is more like a sport than a drink preparation. Bartenders juggle bottles, shakers, and other bartending equipment to the beat of music with a pre-rehearsed choreography. They also train for several hours a day and exercise to stay in physical condition. All so that they can stand in front of an audience for a short moment and show off their skills.
The life of a bartender is quite hectic. With flair, it's hours of hard work and only 5-8 minutes to show what the bartender has trained. There are many factors of failure in flair competitions, but you must not forget that you have to entertain people. Miroslav Klačanský , master and instructor of flair bartending, Bartender School
Flair competitions work just like competitions in any other sport. There are regional rounds, national championships, and even world championships. There are also several thousand individual competitions organized around the world.
Photo source The most important ones are: Pro Tours - a series of tournaments around the world, in which bartenders gradually gain points. The winner is the bartender with the highest number of points. Roadhouse World Finals - a major competition in the London bar Roadhouse. It concludes the Pro Tours tournament series. Grand Slam - a series in which the best bartender can win the title of Grand Slam World Champion. This is the most important title in the world of flair. Tournaments usually also offer financial prizes, which can reach tens of thousands of US dollars. Winners get the opportunity to show off their skills in prestigious flair bars, which can be a ticket to the big world for a promising bartender.
Thanks to flair, I met many interesting people with the same mindset. I traveled half the world and at more than two hundred competitions I gained a huge amount of experience not only in the field of flair, but also in psychology. I also got a job at the London Roadhouse bar, which is one of the most famous flair bars in the world. Marián "Sikky" Chmel , multiple flair champion in Slovakia and the UK
But what is the life of a bartender like?
People often don't think about what you have to go through to become a bartender and get behind the bar. They don't know what a bartender goes through from the time they open the bar until they close it late at night. How many hours they are on their feet and how much they know about each guest in the bar. If people knew this, they would definitely appreciate our craft more. Miroslav Klačanský , master and instructor of flair bartending, Bartender School
However, Miro recalls his experiences of preparing drinks at the F1 party in Abu Dhabi with a bit of pain...
Where to find your flair?
Flair is alluring and attractive. Being able to spin a bottle between your fingers or catch ice cubes behind your back is impressive and nice. However, it can seem a bit complicated if you want to start with it. However, you don't have to stop at the bar most of the day to learn a few tricks.
So, if you have a free long weekend, you can show off your skills in front of your friends at the next party at your home and mix them some of the most famous drinks.
Go for the experience
