Flair Bartending (Paperback)

Flair bartending is the practice of bartenders entertaining guests, clientele or audiences with the manipulation of bar tools (e.g. cocktail shakers) and liquor bottles in tricky, dazzling ways. Used occasionally in cocktail bars, the action requires skills commonly associated with jugglers. It has become a sought-after talent among venue owners and marketers to help advertise a liquor product or the opening of a bar establishment. Competitions have been sponsored by liquor brands to attract flair bartenders, and some hospitality training companies hold courses to teach flair techniques. Sometimes referred to as "extreme bartending," the word flair became popular among practitioners in the mid 1990s. Also used as a verb (e.g "to be flairing"), the word refers to any trickery used by a bartender in order to entertain guests while mixing a drink. Flair can include juggling, flipping (bottles, shakers), manipulating flammable liquors or even performing close-up magic tricks (also referred to as "bar-magic").