flair bartending

Hey guys,

we have just launched a new monthly Vodcast about the bar industry. We will feature some of the Worlds top flair bartenders and mixologists along with competition reviews, drinks and top tips. The first episode features Tom Dyer, the perfect Mint Julep and much more. The second episode due out at the end of the month features Wayne Collins, Adrianno Marcellino and we look forward to the Roadhouse World final.
Future episodes will feature top tenders such as Angus Winchester, Nicolas Saint Jean and Christian Delpech. You can check out episode 1 by searching barwizards on http://www.youtube.com
Please rate the movie and send any comments to [email protected]
we hope you enjoy, if you do, please pass it on to all of your bartending friends,
Yours,

Neil Garner

Hi Neil,
Generally I am a scotch guy, straight, old and smokey. Since this is a tiki (tropical) forum it would have been great if you mentioned the "perfect mai tai".

Can you tell us how to make pork soda?

[ Edited by: Mr. NoNaMe 2006-11-09 17:36 ]

Flair Bartending is evil and will spell the end of Bartending if allowed to continue. When making drinks is not about making Good drinks but about watching Tom Cruise act like an ass in Cocktail and think "That's what I want to be when I grow up," Then it's time we just replace all the Bartenders with Robobars and a Juggler who's not good enough to earn a living on Venice Beach 'cause that's all "Flair" is.

But, hey... Good Luck with the Video Podcasts, eh?

Rev. Dr. Frederick J. Freelance, Ph.D., D.F.S

[ Edited by: freddiefreelance 2006-11-09 17:41 ]

On 2006-11-09 17:38, freddiefreelance wrote:
Flair Bartending is evil and will spell the end of Bartending

So when I ride the Taboo Tiki past the park to the Freak Factory at around 4pm, don't know which day, there are about 10 guys tossing bowling pins and shakers around. At first I thought they were practicing for the circus. Then I realized they were aspiring bartenders. I think the idea comes from some movie.
Have you ever picked up a bowling pin? They are like ten pounds. Unless they are swinging magnums behind the bar someone is getting hit in the eye.
I think I should bring the Grog Log the next time I pass by and give them quizes while they are juggling.

I think its great. If do you something long enough, you are going to want to try different or all aspects of that area and want to be better. Some want to be the best at their craft. Flair is alcohol. Otherwise, we would never have to go out for a drink and could drink in sweatpants in the lazyboy. PLus wouldn't have the little umbrellas. For the most part (thinking beyond tiki) alcohol company sell you more the look, then the fermented water.

Agreed. The issue with flair bartending is that the emphasis is on the bartender's flair over the quality of the resulting drink. When the emphasis is on a bartenders "flair" over a truly well designed mixed drink, the art of mixology is gone. True mixology is not about the bartenders show, but the resulting quality of the drink. At least in most people's traditional Polynesian Pop perspective.

Some people enjoy flair bartenders, good for them. I'm not one of them. I'd prefer a truly well blended drink, with an emphasis on the quality of the liquor and blends. And I have yet to experience that from a flair bartender.

With all due respect to their talents, I'd be surprised if a flair bartender used Zaya or Pusser's in their beverages. I'd expect them to use Barcardi. Which frankly is like salt compared to sugar after tasting higher end rums.

On 2006-11-09 17:38, freddiefreelance wrote:
Flair Bartending is evil and will spell the end of Bartending if allowed to continue. When making drinks is not about making Good drinks but about watching Tom Cruise act like an ass in Cocktail and think "That's what I want to be when I grow up," Then it's time we just replace all the Bartenders with Robobars and a Juggler who's not good enough to earn a living on Venice Beach 'cause that's all "Flair" is.

But, hey... Good Luck with the Video Podcasts, eh?

---

Rev. Dr. Frederick J. Freelance, Ph.D., D.F.S

[ Edited by: freddiefreelance 2006-11-09 17:41 ]

Sweatpants in the lazyboy! Now I wish THAT was my login name. Sweatpants in the lazyboy. Hell yeah!! THAT'S the place to be. That's where I am RIGHT NOW!!

If you're married, happily as I am, this is the optimum situation for drinking. A fuzzy, comfortable, happy reality far, far removed from Disaronno commercials or the myriad $8-a-beer-god-damn-that-music-is-loud meat market bars I've found in LA...

Juggling is awesome. Mucho skill. Very very fun to watch. I'll throw a five into the hat, best of luck. Follow that dream but.... bartending?

Hooray.

To the extreme.

Yeah. Toss the bottles. Be on ESPN3. Sure. Great. But for exhibition purposes only.

When not in the lazy boy, I'll keep my bars quiet and moody, thanks. You kids have fun.

curmudgeonly at 33,
Joe

This post was nice, if only because it gave me the opportunity to pause for a moment, and to realize that of all my bartending friends, none of them would have any interest in learning more about flair bartending. Discourses about how to approach drinkmaking as a culinary art, yes. Mixology as a circus attraction, no.

Thank goodness that, at least in my neck of the woods, seriously tasty bartending is on the rise. I'll choose to raise my drink to the bartender who's too busy focusing on making properly proportioned drinks to have time for throwing bottles around and other silliness. If you want that in your bar, rent a monkey.

Yes! Less Flair, more Monkey Bar Backs! You'll probably break less glassware, too.

I'd like to see a flair bartender pour a 1/4 teaspoon of Jay Wray & Nephew Pimento liqueur out of a bottle that just did an eight foot high quadruple twisting over the shoulder throw into a shaker. If he gets that measurement right... then I vote for flair! If not, then I'll have to group flair bartending along with another pet peeve of mine: the screaming, chanting and/or singing at the top of their lungs restaurant waitstaff in response to a diner actually admitting that "today's my birthday!".

brian has 37 pieces of flair... and a teriffic smile!

NOW ...... THIS is gonna get GOOD!!

I funnily enough had this conversation with some highly qualified bar tenders the other day.
Even the best mixoligists use flair to some extent whilst making drinks, their pour, their shake, it's not all juggling.
Would you prefer your drink made by some geek levelling his eye to the measure as he pours and counting the amount of shakes or someone that makes your drink look how it's meant to taste by the way he makes it.
Trader vic and Donn Beach were never the former and the Bartenders mentioned in the original post aren't either ( I know some very well).
Clowns don't belong behind a bar in the way science geeks don't either but a touch of flair goes a long way.

Well said cheekytiki. I think that good flow and knowing your procedures down pat is a big part of what you said. Watching someone who knows just where everything is and how to do it makes the mixing of a drink more like a dance that is enjoyable to watch.

I also agree with previous posters in that balancing a shaker on your head does not a good drink make. I will admit to catching a few minutes of the flair bartending competitions on TV but I'm usually cursing them for what they do (and hoping they drop something).

Toro!

Dunno if a Tiki Ti regular would call that "flair", versus just a flourish that ALSO yields well-prepared results, but anyway I like everything just the way it is there.

-Randy

I guess I am in a minority here..... I like the Flair bartenders. I think they put on good show, especially the ones who use matches and overproof liquor.

I don't want them making my drink. I want the guy in the back bar who understands that these drinks have an established recipe and call for quality ingredients put together well. The guy or gal who is busy tossing around the bottles is good for show, but I have yet to see one make a good drink that involves more than two or three ingredients and has a name that doesnt involve a body part or sexual postion.

The day I see Dale Degroff balance a shaker on his head and juggle some bottles is the day I'll hang it all up and take up stamp collecting.

BUT... presentation, which can include watching the bartender prepare the drink, is often part of the overall experience. Can you imagine a coffee grog at the Mai Kai without the flaming pour? But the flair or show part of the presentation must never take away from the quality of the drink. If it does, I won't go back, that's for sure.

On 2006-11-10 05:41, cheekytiki wrote:
Even the best mixoligists use flair to some extent whilst making drinks, their pour, their shake, it's not all juggling.
Would you prefer your drink made by some geek levelling his eye to the measure as he pours and counting the amount of shakes or someone that makes your drink look how it's meant to taste by the way he makes it.
Trader vic and Donn Beach were never the former and the Bartenders mentioned in the original post aren't either ( I know some very well).
Clowns don't belong behind a bar in the way science geeks don't either but a touch of flair goes a long way.

Honestly, about the Flair videos.....I was bored half way through and turned it off! :roll: I'll keep my jugglers and clowns in the circus. And YEA, I will take Bill Nye the Science Guy behind the bar over that! Mixology is a Science and an Art NOT a show. When I'm having to slap down $9 to $15 bucks for a mixed drink I sure hope they're leveling their eye to measure as they pour! :evil: Besides even though I now have some bartenders I call friends I'm not at the bar to WATCH a bartender, (unless of course it's some HOT vixen....at which point I'm sure not watching the bottle shake! :lol: ), I'm there chatting with friends, listening to music and I seldom care to watch the drink being made.
:drink:
Just another OPINION....and ya know what they say....opinions are like a**holes, everybody has one.....and most of them stink! :D

It just goes with the modern cocktail terrain. When the most complex drink you make is a LIT and you ask whether people want gin or vodka in their Martini and 99.9% of your drinks are hi-balls, you gotta do something else. You don't concentrate on amking a good drink. What is a better screwdriver or 7 & 7? You gotta find some other way to be "better." Don't blame the Flair Bartenders. They are the symptom, not the disease.

Good point Swanky.

This post has brought up some interesting thought regarding flair bartenders. I agree that every bartender usually has his/her own flourish, manner of measure, flip in pouring/shaking, personality, etc.

However, the day that I see Jim or Sonia (at FI) juggling bottles and lighting their body parts on fire...is well, the day that I start taking pictures! :D

Seriously though, if a bartender can mix like Jim or Sonia, then they can light their body parts and the bar on fire all they wish. In fact, that might be interesting Martiki. Perhaps, Ryan can toss to Stephanie and she can toss to Jessica, and back to Jim! And Thayer can catch the drinks on her tray balanced on her head from outside the bar! JUST KIDDING!!!!

A salute to Flair!!!

I never like to sit and drink in a place with a flairtender. It's annoying. However, I love to watch videos of the flairtending competitions. It's fun to watch.

Give me an old guy with a white shirt and Bowtie over an unshaved flair bartender anytime !

Dean

This is flair (and suckin' up)....
The hostess at fine restaurant asked if we would like to wait at the bar while our table prepared. We said OK and we're actually led to two bar stools.
I didn't hear or see (notice) any chatter between ANY staff. I ordered drinks for Mrs. NoNaMe and myself. Maybe 10 minutes later the lovely bartender said, "Mr. & Mrs. NoNaMe(not a question), your table is ready. Please follow this gentleman. Thank you."
That is flair. However, I was paying for flair.

On 2006-11-09 17:38, freddiefreelance wrote:
Flair Bartending is evil and will spell the end of Bartending if allowed to continue. When making drinks is not about making Good drinks but about watching Tom Cruise act like an ass in Cocktail and think "That's what I want to be when I grow up," Then it's time we just replace all the Bartenders with Robobars and a Juggler who's not good enough to earn a living on Venice Beach 'cause that's all "Flair" is.

Let us not forget Coyote Ugly and the franchise it spawned.

On 2006-11-10 16:24, Blue Thunder wrote:
Give me an old guy with a white shirt and Bowtie over an unshaved flair bartender anytime !

I agree.

try here

[ Edited by: Feelin' Zombified 2006-11-10 18:16 ]

On 2006-11-10 18:14, Feelin' Zombified wrote:

On 2006-11-10 16:24, Blue Thunder wrote:
Give me an old guy with a white shirt and Bowtie over an unshaved flair bartender anytime !

I agree.

Hey Zombified, Did you get your handle from ASF?

On 2006-11-10 18:22, Mr. NoNaMe wrote:

Hey Zombified, Did you get your handle from ASF?

no, they got it from me :)

Hey watch the geek comments!

Subtlety always impresses me more than ostentation.

On 2006-11-10 05:41, cheekytiki wrote:
Would you prefer your drink made by some geek levelling his eye to the measure as he pours and counting the amount of shakes or someone that makes your drink look how it's meant to taste by the way he makes it.

Funny you should say that...

The best bartenders I know, the ones who get my business regularly, are ones who don't assume that because they've made the same drink a hundred times they've got it figured out -- they still take the time to carefully measure, and often take a sample with a straw before serving it to make sure they got it right.

The point is well taken, though, that a bit of flourish with the presentation can be fun. But when the quality of the drink takes a back seat to that, then the priorities are way out of whack.

flawless victory...

thejab does a really mean shaker dance.

That and the previously described Toro Pour really isn't "flair" as defined in the competitions I've seen.
It should be a different word or phrase. Maybe flourish is the word, Randy.

Also, monkeys in a bar makes me think of a Miles painting.
I'm all for 'em. Especially chimps.

On 2006-11-11 03:58, Johnny Dollar wrote:
flawless victory...

Nice Mortal Kombat quote J$... :wink:

Let's all sit down and get a drink together... Flair Bartenders, Mixoligists........ :drink:

On 2006-11-11 05:27, pablus wrote:

thejab does a really mean shaker dance.

He gets fierce Backfield in Motion...

I experienced Flair bartending & delicious drinks at the same time in the same bar on the same day. The 2 can be learned to be used together. Unfortunately society and "Research studies" show that "Taboo Cove" in Las Vegas just wasn't what the Venetian was about. They gave it a try, and it got loose and sidetracked with the music and such. But it is just a fact nowadays that hip hop(as much as i dislike it)and new music in general will boost numbers to ANY bar(and numbers are what keep establishments open, like it or not). Taboo Cove was a great place, make no mistake...The drinks were good, and the bartenders(Manny, and Brian)made it fun as well. The direction that the bar made was to keep it open longer(right or wrong, the original Martin Denny's Greatest hits wasn't enough to keep the sales up, so they went to mainstream current music, which probably helped it to survive the "wrecking ball" for another couple years), which is unfortunate. That however, will never take away from the beautiful decor, the fine mixed drinks PLUS a touch of flair on top that just made it that much better! Thats the one place in Vegas I DIDN'T mind losing my money in!
I agree that is all about the drink first and foremost, but it doesn't hurt to top the drink with a little personality. Atmosphere and the feeling you are welcome in an establishment are probably thee MOST important factor in deciding whether or not you are about to enjoy your drink or not...

On 2006-11-10 21:28, Humuhumu wrote:
The best bartenders I know, the ones who get my business regularly, are ones who don't assume that because they've made the same drink a hundred times they've got it figured out -- they still take the time to carefully measure, and often take a sample with a straw before serving it to make sure they got it right.

The point is well taken, though, that a bit of flourish with the presentation can be fun. But when the quality of the drink takes a back seat to that, then the priorities are way out of whack.

I feel the same way. I'd gladly pay $10 + for one good cocktail than get three crap drinks for the same price. I have bartender friends who think they are doing you a favor by pouring "extra" booze into your drink, but it kills the flavor and ruins the drink in my opinion. If I wanted to drink to get drunk or annihilated, I'd go for the shot of whatever...

As I read this thread, I'm getting seriously worried that the very best part of the entire debate is being left behind: the concept of the monkey bar back.

We need to get on a Tiki Central Monkey Bar Back Corps, stat. I'll start making tiny fezzes, someone in a warmer climate will have to start working on the actual monkeys. I can work out a system of simple symbols and bright colors for bottle sleeves that will let a well-trained monkey do the initial stages of most of the drinks in the Grog Log and Intoxica! fairly quickly. But again, unless someone is willing to ship the monkeys here, or me to the monkeys, the training will have to fall to another TCer.

Let's not let this dream die on the vine!

On 2006-11-11 15:12, Tom Slick wrote:
I experienced Flair bartending & delicious drinks at the same time in the same bar on the same day. The 2 can be learned to be used together.......I agree that is all about the drink first and foremost, but it doesn't hurt to top the drink with a little personality. Atmosphere and the feeling you are welcome in an establishment are probably thee MOST important factor in deciding whether or not you are about to enjoy your drink or not...

I was trying to think about this on the lines of my experience as a chef and It seems to me if you don't put the cart before the donkey it would be OK.....but learn to mix REEEEALLY well FIRST, then the flair can come. Unless it's just 7&7s as Swanky said and then it's no different than the food jugglers at Benny Hahas :lol:

The bartender can mix the drink in his/her assh*le for all I care as long as it's decent....Hmmm, would that be feltch bartending?

On 2006-11-10 05:41, cheekytiki wrote:
Would you prefer your drink made by some geek levelling his eye to the measure as he pours and counting the amount of shakes or someone that makes your drink look how it's meant to taste by the way he makes it.
Trader vic and Donn Beach were never the former and the Bartenders mentioned in the original post aren't either ( I know some very well).
Clowns don't belong behind a bar in the way science geeks don't either but a touch of flair goes a long way.

"Let me point out right now that fancy twirling of spoons, flipping of glasses, and tossing bottles into the air are not the earmarks of a good bartender. Such antics not only do not produce good drinks, they slow any bartender down to a walk. Any guy who goes through a lot of gymnastics behind a bar is just putting on the flash. I've never seen one yet that made good drinks or made them fast...My best advice is to make every drink as though it were to be the best you've ever made, and you can't do this if you don't measure. Novice or professional, measure your liquor. You won't spoil any drinks and your customer will always know that they're getting what they pay for."

Vic Bergeron
Bartenders Guide by Trader Vic. (1948) Page 15.

Unfortunately, many in our society value flash over substance.

[ Edited by: Atomic Cocktail 2006-11-13 11:37 ]

On 2006-11-11 15:12, Tom Slick wrote:
The direction that the bar made was to keep it open longer(right or wrong, the original Martin Denny's Greatest hits wasn't enough to keep the sales up, so they went to mainstream current music, which probably helped it to survive the "wrecking ball" for another couple years), which is unfortunate. That however, will never take away from the beautiful decor, the fine mixed drinks PLUS a touch of flair on top that just made it that much better! Thats the one place in Vegas I DIDN'T mind losing my money in!
I agree that is all about the drink first and foremost, but it doesn't hurt to top the drink with a little personality. Atmosphere and the feeling you are welcome in an establishment are probably thee MOST important factor in deciding whether or not you are about to enjoy your drink or not...

Oh swell! So I can listen to Brittney Spears and the Back Street Boys at excessively loud volumes while watching jugglers make my drinks! :evil:
I guess if I had no FRIENDS that I actually wanted to sit and talk to this would be great, (minus Brittney Spears and the Back Street Boys at excessively loud volumes!).

Other than that I guess the reality of this entire post is that there is a TIME AND A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING! I don't go to Benihana's Restaurant because I think they serve the BEST QUALITY Japanese food. I go with friends, (for a birthday or other festive party like occasion), because we want A SHOW...and something we can all LAUGH AT! :lol: Poor quality drinks, poor service, very noisy, seating with total strangers while you're trying to have a celebration with friends, HIGH PRICES AND mediocre Japanese food,(tossed in your lap), (now so PC that there are seldom even Japanese working there. Our last server was some guy named Jesus! Still they call this "traditional Japanese-style hibachi steakhouses"). :x

My point being that I believe that there is a time and place for "flair" but I prefer to have my "flair" presented in the form of a precisely well made drink, by a trained professional who adds a fresh and lovely garnish, a decorative swizzle stick, a flower or a nice flaming shot of 151 Rum to the top of my drink....that's ALL the "flair" I need! :D

[ Edited by: Dr.TikiMojo 2006-11-13 13:07 ]

Well as you can see by my name....I am a flair bartender.

Some of you guys out there are very small minded (freddiefreelance) and need to get away from thinking that Mixology is the be all and end of bar tending.

If you asked the majority of the public to name the first cocktail that came into their heads they would most likely say "Sex on the Beach". I'm not trying to say that this means that they don't enjoy a good well made cocktail. I know I certainly do, and I know I can make a good cocktail too. It just shows that most people really couldn't give two sh*ts (except other bartenders) how a cocktail is made and with what. Most customers hardly know anything about bar tending, they just want their drinks.

I know being a flair bartender my knowledge about all alcohol is very very low but other aspects of my bar tending makes up for that. Bar tending is not all about making a good drinks with a dash of this and 5ml of that or flairing. It also involes customer service, smiling, talking, confidence, style, panache, experience etc. There is no point having someone who makes and awesome drink but has the personality of a stone. The same goes with flair too. I hate it when someone does this whole show behind a bar and then makes me a drink and its rubbish.

I just think you need to stop slating flair and get off your high horse. You don't see flair guys slating and having a go a mixology. We are trying (some people more successful than others) to put mixology into out routines on stage. There is a time and a place for flair and sometimes in some places it is not necessary. BUT it is wrong to just turn your back on it altogether.

To be honest someone could train me up in a month to enter a mixology competition and I could do well, but for a mixologist to be trained for a month to enter a flair comp and do well is well IMPOSSIBLE!!!!

I know that a lot of time and effot goes into both aspects of bar tending and both sides are very passionate about what they do. BUT pull your head out of your arse, and deal with it. It is gonna be around for a long time.

It has given me so much and I have been able to travel around the world and see some amazing places from it, and meet some of the respected mentors from the mixology world and class them as my friends.

We are all bartenders and like to promote our skills in different ways so we need to stop arguing with each other on reasons why "flair is evil" or "mixologist are just wannbe flair bartenders". The fact if the mater is, Mixology has not been around for a long time. The term mixology is fairly new....flair has been around for years and years entertaining people. Both are here to stay....DEAL WITH IT!!!!!!

hell with it all I"ll have a cold beer. I will even open my own bottle.

I would agree with all the above statement. For the younger crowd and middle aged too, drinking is a means to an end. LOve making.

the ukranian flair finals
wow, so you're the Borak of Bartending?

On 2006-11-13 15:41, tomdyerFLAIR wrote:

If you asked the majority of the public to name the first cocktail that came into their heads they would most likely say "Sex on the Beach".

Actually Tom mine would be a "Martini" or a "Mai Tai"! :drink:

I agree with you on the customer service end of things. You are correct. I would not be very happy with some one who throws together my drink, slams it down on the bar and growls, "That's ten bucks!".

But maybe you've walked into the wrong forum?
MOST people involved in the Tiki scene are extremely picky about the QUALITY of their drinks, (so much so that I belong to another group, not to be named, who actually meets regularly to review, monitor and rate the quality of various bars, bartenders and their quality!), while others might settle for a light beer....not a lot of "flair" there either!

Call me "small minded" but I find "flair" in bartending to be the equivalent of people putting 12,000 Watt Stereos with 6 - 20" Sub-woofers, all the wiring exposed with glowing neon wraps, chromed amps and 4 TV Monitors and a Play Station into a Honda Civic compared to a High Quality DVD Audio Surround Sound System with speakers at key points and heights for the greatest High Fidelity Sound possible!

While not entirely meaning to be condescending I use this reference since it would be my guess that most "flair" bartenders are in their twenties and attract a crowd who drive those beat box cars! :wink: Besides, it is a fantastic comparison! FLASH vs QUALITY
MOST people here do not feel there is a "happy medium" nor care since we just want to enjoy the best drink possible being well past the frat house days of power drinking and the like!

Finally I'll let my good friends Merriam & Webster draw the line:

Main Entry: bar·tend·er
Function: noun
Pronunciation: 'bär-"ten-d&r
: one that serves liquor at a bar

Main Entry: mix·ol·o·gy
Function: noun
Pronunciation: mik-'sä-l&-je
: the art or skill of preparing mixed drinks

• mix·ol·o·gist/-jist/ noun

Main Entry: flair
Function: noun
Pronunciation: 'flar, 'fler
Etymology: French, literally, sense of smell, from Old French, odor, from flairier to give off an odor, from Late Latin flagrare, alteration of Latin fragrare
1 : a skill or instinctive ability to appreciate or make good use of something : TALENT ; also : INCLINATION , TENDENCY
2 : a uniquely attractive quality : STYLE