What Are The Basics Of Flair Bartending

Flair Bartending is an art and a skill that many bartenders make look simple. However it is possible to develop flair skills even in your own home bar or pub shed. You can start with the basics of flair bartending and with a little practise become a home flair expert.

The basics of flair bartending start with the napkin spin, probably the most simple flair technique to master. Then there is the assisted roll to pour a drink, fairly easy to learn and looks impressive. Next comes the balance, which involves balancing a bottle, glass or shaker on the your hand, arm or other part of the body. But there are more basic flair moves to discover.

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What Is Flair Bartending?

Flair bartending is a dynamic and showy way of mixing drinks, combining the precision and creativity of traditional mixology with the spectacle of entertainment. At its core, flair bartending involves the theatric use of bar tools, bottles, and other props to create an engaging performance while preparing cocktails.

The craft has evolved significantly since its beginnings. Initially a niche skill set adopted by a handful of bartenders, it has grown into a mainstream attraction at many bars.

It’s not solely about mixing a good drink; it’s about creating an experience, a performance that captivates the audience. It elevates the role of the bartender from a drink mixer to a performer.

In flair bartending, the bartender’s personality, along with their technical skills, contributes to the overall charm. Customers look forward to the interaction, with each clink, spin, and catch as a beat in this rhythmic dance of drinks.

Professionals learn to read their audience, adapting their performance to maximize enjoyment while ensuring a quality beverage lands on the bar mat.

While us home bartenders might not be professional, there is no reason why we can’t add a little flair to our bartending skills.

Go through the basics and give them a go, a little practise to perfect each move and you will soon be impressing your home bar quests.

Basic Flair Bartending Moves

Before aspiring to throw bottles like Tom Cruise in ‘Cocktail’, you’ll need to learn the A-B-Cs of flair bartending moves. These aren’t just impressive tricks; they’re the foundation of a craft that fills glasses and rooms with awe.

These are the type of moves that flair bartender begins with. Each movement is an act of agility, and style, serving as a visual appetizer for the drinks to come.

The Napkin Spin

A perfect starter move for learning flair bartending, a little play with the napkin used to serve a drink onto.

The move involves spinning the napkin in the air and catching on the back of the hand. Then with a wide arch swing of the arm the napkin is rested on the bar directly from the back of the hand.

I tried this one myself and it took me five attempts to get it right. However after that it is hit and miss each time I try.

The tricky part is catching it on the back of the hand, the second part of the move is easy and I get that part every time. So every time I am in my pub shed I will be practising the napkin spin.

So that is the basic napkin spin, but it evolves from there, other upgrades to this move can be added. Plus once mastered you can add your own upgrade moves too.

Assisted Roll

So the assisted roll to pour a drink is a little more involved than the napkin spin. However still seen as a basic flair move.

This move starts with a shaker rim down on the bar, grab it at the rim end with the left hand. Next a bottle of liquor is picked at the neck with thumb down.

You bring the bottle up to the left shoulder, round the back of the head and onto the right shoulder. At the same time the left hand holding the shaker comes up to the right shoulder to meet the bottle.

Essentially the shaker comes up to accept the neck of the bottle. The bottle is upside down in the top of the shaker which is now rim up.

The left hand takes over and holds both the shaker and neck of the bottle, while the right arm stretches out in front. Roll the bottle all the way down the arm and as it gest to the end the left hand does a full 360 degree turn.

It sounds complicated, but it is not, having said that I haven’t tried this move yet. I am still perfecting the napkin spin, but this will be my next move to practise.

Again there are several upgrades to this move, and of course we can all come up with our own versions. That’s once we perfect the basic assisted roll move.

The Balance

The balance, also known as a stall is basically balancing a bottle, glass, shaker or other prop on your hand or other part of the body.

The hand is the easiest place to start, and the one to practise before you move on to arm, elbow, shoulder or even head.

The idea of the move is to pull a bottle or other object up and let it go in the air. You then catch it on the back of the hand and keep it there , while you do something with the other hand.

That could be pouring from another bottle or add ice to a shaker. Once you are ready to use the bottle or object balancing on the back of your hand. You lift your hand up in a quick movement so the bottle is in the air, catch it in your hand and pour if it is a bottle, or place if it is a glass.

This one looks like a tricky one to perfect, so will need plenty of practise. Just like the other moves there are other variations of this flair move.

Old School Pour

The old school pour is an impressive looking move that happens really quick. With a glass or shaker placed on the bar and a bottle of liquor next to it. You grab the bottle thumb down, basically with your hand upside down.

Turn the bottle over into the shaker (so your hand is the right way up and the bottle is upside down) and at the same time using your two smaller fingers catch hold of the shaker or glass.

Now lift the bottle and shaker together up in the air, then push down and in a swinging movement toss the glass over your hand and catch it with the other.

It looks impressive and supposedly fairly easy to perfect. There are not any real variations of this flair move, unless of course you can come up with your own.

Garnish Catch

The basic idea of the garnish catch is to throw it in the air, swipe it out of the air with an empty shaker.

So once a drink is prepared and say you take a wedge of lemon or lime to squeeze into the drink. Once the garnish is squeezed you throw it into the air with one hand, and swipe from the air with an upside down shaker. In quick succession you spin the shaker 180 degrees so it is upright and drop the garnish into the drink.

This one does look like it could be an easy one to master, but I haven’t tried it yet, so I might be wrong.

Again there are variations to this move that get more complicated, like swiping and catching several garnishes at the same time.

With perseverance, these moves can become second nature, progressing to more intricate combinations and routines.

Advancing Your Flair Bartending Skills

After you’ve got a handle on the basics, it’s natural to want to take your flair bartending skills to the next level. Improvement doesn’t happen overnight – it’s about consistent practise and a dash of creativity. But how exactly do you progress from those basic moves to routines that turn heads?

The key to advancement in flair bartending is incremental learning. Start by combining basic moves into sequences, building muscle memory and coordination.

As your confidence grows, increase the complexity of your routines, adding in higher throws and adding in behind-the-back catches. Embrace every fumble and dropped bottle as a learning opportunity.

A helpful strategy is to set specific goals. Instead of vaguely aiming to ‘get better,’ work on perfecting a particular sequence or mastering a new trick each week.

Use practise bottles and tools you would typically work with to ensure the skills you develop are transferrable to the bar environment.

Learning from more seasoned professionals can provide invaluable insights and inspiration.

The best flair bartenders are those who never stop learning. Seek out feedback, watch videos of experts, and always push the boundaries of what you can do with a bottle and a shaker.

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Flair Bartending at Home

You don’t have to be behind a bustling bar in the heart of the city to enjoy the art of flair bartending. With a few simple tools and the basics under your belt, you can bring this dynamic performance into your very own home bar or pub shed to elevate the entertainment factor.

Entertaining at home takes on a new level when you introduce flair bartending into the mix. Imagine hosting a party where your friends are not just impressed by the drinks you serve but by the show you put on.

It’s about creating an EXPERIENCE that will be remembered.

But remember, practise makes perfect. Start with those basic core moves you’ve learned, and then begin incorporating them into your home bar routines.

Use just the basic bartending tools, but practise bottles rather than real bottles. Keep safety as a top priority, especially when you’re still getting a grip on those tosses and spins.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, flair bartending at home isn’t about showing off (maybe a little) – it’s about enhancing the joy of making drinks and adding an extra layer of fun to social gatherings.

So, take your time, enjoy the learning process and share the thrill of flair with everyone who walks into your home bar.

Have you tried a little flair bartending in your home bar or pub shed?

Then do share your thoughts below and let me know how you are getting on.