Known as many names including Extreme bartending, the word Flair became popular among practitioners in the mid nineties. Today, good flair should be light hearted and entertaining while making quality cocktails. Exhibition flair involves tricks that are at a higher risk and more difficult to perform.
There are different styles of flair bartending competitions. The Blue Blazer rewards flair and mixology together, competitors gain points for both flair and creative mixology. When your applying for a job, the ability to move bottles and tins gracefully may make the difference between you and another bartender. Straws and napkins, along with bar tools play their parts in entertaining the customers.
Sure the earning potential of a professionally trained bartender is very good, but there is no substitute for experience. While the tin is spinning on your hand your hand should be open and the tin should rotate on the ball or middle of your palm. Or throwing a bottle up in the air from behind and catching it on the head. More impressive and entertained customers means more tips.
There is no right or wrong style of flair, it is about building your own flair identity and having fun while doing it. When practising for a competition, you want to make it as close to the real thing as possible. Many flair bartenders travel around the world to train, demonstrate, perform, work, and compete. Most experts will tell you never to practice at work and it is a good idea because you don't want to look like a fool trying new tricks, always do what you are comfortable and can hit everytime when you are at work or in front of a crowd.
Know your drinks, learn flair, and have fun. Bartenders love to make drinks and love to entertain, so get out there and started.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
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