flair bartending - Beyond Tiki

I ikitnrev Tiki Socialite D.C. / Virginia Joined: Jul 27, 2002 Posts: 1325	I ikitnrev Posted posted on Fri, Dec 8, 2006 5:14 AM Somehow, I missed this thread until today, where I had the pleasure of reading 10 pages of new material. Who says that nothing new or exciting happens on Tiki Central. Here are a few of random thoughts that entered my head in the past few minutes. I would say most TC people do not want flair when their drinks are being made, but we enjoy our flair when it is sitting on the table in front of us. We like the flair of the design and pattern of a tiki mug, the flair of the texture as we hold it in our hand, and the flair of the garnish sitting on the top of the mug. And yes, we enjoy the flair of flavor sensations as we sip our drink. The above is a long-lasting flair, which can last for many, many minutes, that can last as long as the drink sits before us. It is a more permanent, and yes, more subtle flair, than the obvious temporary flair of a highly skilled flair bartender performing his well-practiced routines and inpromptu juggling acts. Many of us TCers prefer mai-tais, which are best served in a clear glass, I love the slow, subtle, and Zen-like flair of the changing color hues, as the melting ice slowly changes the color from a dark golden brown to a slightly lighter shade. I myself believe this a maturation from my earlier college days, when I would be as equally mesmermized by the constant stream of slowly rising bubbles from my glass of beer. Flair bartending is a distraction, from the drink that is sitting in front of you, to the entertainment that is happening behind the bar. In this sense, it is similar to the blaring television set behind the bar. Flair bartending will be enjoyed most by people who look at the drink sitting in front of them, and see simply a lifeless un-artistic still-life, and are looking for someone to enter their life and say "Look at me, I will provide entertainment for you" And flair bartending (and television too) helps to that need to be entertained. Flair can be very good. When I think of over-the-top flair, I think of Liberace, and I appreciate all the excessive showmanship that he brought to Vegas and the world. One problem that Liberace faced though, was that after many years, people looked at him and saw only his flair, and most came to his shows to see this flair, while fewer and fewer people saw him in terms of being a highly skilled and very talented pianist. I would argu that even the best flair bartender/mixologist is under the same danger -- of having others see you only in terms of flair, at the expense of your precise misology skills. Flair can often be used to mask mediocrity. Very few people would enjoy listening to a group of amateur high school musicans, sitting in classic symphony formation, as they perform various Broadway songs and other popular hits. Few people, other than parents and other overly kind relatives, would want to purchase a recording of this music. But if you put the above group in matching outfits, and have them play while performing synchronized and precise dance steps and movements, then you have the possible making of a Drum and Bugle Corp, or a half-time show at a college football game, and many people - myself included - will be entertained. I wish we had more flair in our lives. I might appreciate if the clerk behind the cash register at K-Mart would spring into a short dance routine, and perform a couple of cartwheels before my eyes -- unless I was in a hurry. Flair can provide elegance, and style, and a subtle grace into our lives - but it is done best as part of one's overall style, and not with a eye glancing to the side to make sure that someone is watching and ready to applaud or tip you. James Bond has lots of flair - but one senses that he acts as he does at all time, and not just when there is a beautiful woman or evil nemesis nearby. I do like the idea of well-trained, fez-wearing monkeys, juggling bottles and making drinks (untouched by human hands!) and I can visualize this happening behind the secret back-door bartending rooms of the Mai Kai. I do applaud the Mai Kai decision, if this is true, to keep this sercret ritual of the drink-making process behind closed doors, as one of the only things cooler than fez-wearing monkeys mixing drinks, is the have a drink made by a secret fez-wearing monkey, but personally served to you by a beautiful woman wearing a revealing tropical outfit. This is a much wiser choice than having the beautiful women mhidden behind closed doors as they mix the drinks, and having monkeys serve the drinks. I love fez-wearing monkets, but one has to draw the line somewhere. Vern

Somehow, I missed this thread until today, where I had the pleasure of reading 10 pages of new material. Who says that nothing new or exciting happens on Tiki Central.

Here are a few of random thoughts that entered my head in the past few minutes.

I would say most TC people do not want flair when their drinks are being made, but we enjoy our flair when it is sitting on the table in front of us. We like the flair of the design and pattern of a tiki mug, the flair of the texture as we hold it in our hand, and the flair of the garnish sitting on the top of the mug. And yes, we enjoy the flair of flavor sensations as we sip our drink.
The above is a long-lasting flair, which can last for many, many minutes, that can last as long as the drink sits before us. It is a more permanent, and yes, more subtle flair, than the obvious temporary flair of a highly skilled flair bartender performing his well-practiced routines and inpromptu juggling acts.
Many of us TCers prefer mai-tais, which are best served in a clear glass, I love the slow, subtle, and Zen-like flair of the changing color hues, as the melting ice slowly changes the color from a dark golden brown to a slightly lighter shade. I myself believe this a maturation from my earlier college days, when I would be as equally mesmermized by the constant stream of slowly rising bubbles from my glass of beer.
Flair bartending is a distraction, from the drink that is sitting in front of you, to the entertainment that is happening behind the bar. In this sense, it is similar to the blaring television set behind the bar. Flair bartending will be enjoyed most by people who look at the drink sitting in front of them, and see simply a lifeless un-artistic still-life, and are looking for someone to enter their life and say "Look at me, I will provide entertainment for you" And flair bartending (and television too) helps to that need to be entertained.
Flair can be very good. When I think of over-the-top flair, I think of Liberace, and I appreciate all the excessive showmanship that he brought to Vegas and the world. One problem that Liberace faced though, was that after many years, people looked at him and saw only his flair, and most came to his shows to see this flair, while fewer and fewer people saw him in terms of being a highly skilled and very talented pianist. I would argu that even the best flair bartender/mixologist is under the same danger -- of having others see you only in terms of flair, at the expense of your precise misology skills.
Flair can often be used to mask mediocrity. Very few people would enjoy listening to a group of amateur high school musicans, sitting in classic symphony formation, as they perform various Broadway songs and other popular hits. Few people, other than parents and other overly kind relatives, would want to purchase a recording of this music. But if you put the above group in matching outfits, and have them play while performing synchronized and precise dance steps and movements, then you have the possible making of a Drum and Bugle Corp, or a half-time show at a college football game, and many people - myself included - will be entertained.
I wish we had more flair in our lives. I might appreciate if the clerk behind the cash register at K-Mart would spring into a short dance routine, and perform a couple of cartwheels before my eyes -- unless I was in a hurry. Flair can provide elegance, and style, and a subtle grace into our lives - but it is done best as part of one's overall style, and not with a eye glancing to the side to make sure that someone is watching and ready to applaud or tip you. James Bond has lots of flair - but one senses that he acts as he does at all time, and not just when there is a beautiful woman or evil nemesis nearby.
I do like the idea of well-trained, fez-wearing monkeys, juggling bottles and making drinks (untouched by human hands!) and I can visualize this happening behind the secret back-door bartending rooms of the Mai Kai. I do applaud the Mai Kai decision, if this is true, to keep this sercret ritual of the drink-making process behind closed doors, as one of the only things cooler than fez-wearing monkeys mixing drinks, is the have a drink made by a secret fez-wearing monkey, but personally served to you by a beautiful woman wearing a revealing tropical outfit.

This is a much wiser choice than having the beautiful women mhidden behind closed doors as they mix the drinks, and having monkeys serve the drinks. I love fez-wearing monkets, but one has to draw the line somewhere.

Vern

Post #271218 by ikitnrev on Fri, Dec 8, 2006 5:14 AM