Raring to Flair?

Burn baby burn

Burn baby burn

Where do I start?

One of the challenges that people face when learning how to become a flair bartender, is figuring out where to start. People are very eager to start juggling 4 bottles off the start, but that is bit of a stretch. Begin with easy, high impact – low risk moves that you will be able to execute with confidence with a little practice.

If a guest walks up to the bar, the first thing you do after you greet them, is offer up a coaster or cocktail napkin when asking what they’ll have. The coaster or napkin toss is an excellent move for those who are brand new to the sport. It is a fairly easy move to learn and execute, and doesn’t make noise when you drop it! Check out this cocktail napkin toss video from BartenderOne

RULES TO FLAIR BY…

1.Practice…Practice…Practice…Practice… Practice.

2. Even though you really want to show off your skills, NEVER flair drunk.

3. Never perform anything for your guests until you can land it 9 out of 10 times in practice.

4. Practice…

5. Don’t let the show slow down service.

6. Learn how to deal with drops. They happen. Make your guests laugh with you, not at you.

7. Save the risky moves for competitions, not for work.

8. If you think you have the move, practice it more.

9. Practice with plastic bottles. You can get them from BartenderOne’s barstore.

10. Have fun and keep practicing!

For some beginner, and advanced moves, please check out these videos. Practice makes perfect!

FLAIR BOTTLES

When you start to seriously get into flair bartending, you will need to invest in a few flair, or practice bottles. These bottles are great for practicing new moves and sequences, without worrying about having broken glass everywhere. Flairco is the original and largest designer of flair bottles in the world. Originally, there were only a few different bottles available.

B1 Flair Bottle

B1 Flair Bottle

Today, there is a huge variety to choose from including different branded name bottles, glow in the dark bottles, customized logo bottles, light up bottles etc. Ranging in price from around $19.95 (basic), to $40.75(lighted), flair bottles are very durable and should last a lifetime. However, flair bottles are NOT un-breakable. They are shatter proof. I’ve used over 250 flair bottles to date, and I have had a few break on me. ( Don’t throw them off the roof in the dead of winter!! )

Recently, another brand of bottles has hit the market place as an in-expensive alternative to the original. They are known as “flip” bottles. They come in a variety of colors, and you can pick them up for around $10. My experience is that these bottles are inferior to the Flairco brand. Although they look and feel similar, there’s just something different about them. I’ve also seen them break far more often than the original. For your own flair bottles or any other bar products, check out our barstore.

RED BULL POUR

The “Red Bull” pour is another fairly easy move to help get you started. This move, when executed properly, can impress even the toughest critic at your bar. The key to this move is to moisten the hand, firmly slide the can into the center of the palm, and then hyperextend the fingers to achieve maximum suction.

If you don’t feel confident that there is a strong hold, don’t attempt the pour. This move can be done with any can, including tall boy beer cans.

Remember, if you are just starting out, never attempt moves for the first time in front of your guests. You should be able to hit any move 90% of the time before you perform it live.

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