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Fine Art Flair BartendingFlair bartending has been around in bars and night clubs for about 40 years. Ever since the age of time, people have been juggling things. Liquor bottles probably were not far behind for being juggled once they were invented. T.G.I Fridays restaurant stated training their own flair bartenders in the 1970′s to attract more customers for the entertainment. In the 1600′s Jan Steen a famous artist of the time, painted a bartender in a tavern doing a long pour of wine into a martini shaped glass. This was the first actual picture of what was to become flair bartending.
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Down the road, people found out that this wonderful substance (alcohol) was flammable. This is when fire shows started in bars and pubs, and was also used for lighting, cooking, and heating. Jerry Thomas, has been considered to be the first flair bartender on the books. He would perform neat tricks while pouring cocktails. Mr. Thomas was such a bar performer he had his own set of silver bar tools casted and was considered a real live performer of his time. His creation: The Blue Blazer Cocktail was a drink that he would light on fire and pour back and forth between 2 glasses which for the time, was pretty cool. And everyone who liked drinking wanted to watch this fun alcoholic performance. He was also the first publisher of a bartending guide called the Bartender’s Guide in 1862. Flair bartending today is not just about pouring drinks between 2 glasses, or lighting some 150proof on fire and playing with it. The actual meaning of flair bartending today is each individuals style of pouring a drinks, but with a unique twist for each and every individual flair bartender.
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Its pretty fun when you think about it, try flipping your cocktail shaker before filling it with your drink mixture and ice. Or try flipping a 26oz’er to your friend while he flips the cocktail glass while receiving the thrown bottle. Pouring it and sliding the cocktail down the bar. Now that’s cool, and also what we call flair battening. Flair bartenders will always get the job before a regular Joe. This is because flair bartending brings flair to the bar. It also brings more customers who want to watch the show, and in most cases, it brings better tips for the bartender their self. Japanese have a similar style of flair, but its when their cooking. Ever watch the movie, Beverly Hills Ninja? Well if you did, their was a scene where they are in a Japanese restaurant, and the chef is doing tricks with their food while cooking it. Its freeing expensive, and is a form of entertainment and that’s why is so expensive to eat at one of those kind of restaurants. Fortunately, for a flair bartender, they are only hoping for better tips which they normally get. If you are serious in becoming a Flair Bartender, their is only one thing to do, start training.
