Prepare to Flair

What are flair comps all about

Flair competitions are a beautiful thing and if you have never attended one then it is something you must put on this years to-do list. They encompass everything a good party needs: good music, good people and of course, booze.

As an outsider a flair competition probably looks like several different people going on stage and juggling bottles in front of a crowd, although this is what it is to a certain extent I’m going to take you deeper into what really makes a flair competition.

For major competitions bartenders can be practicing months in advance to a music track, which fits their persona and style perfectly. A routine will be choreographed to the beat, and all this takes time. Bartenders will spend hours each day refining their routine to fit the delegated time that they are permitted on stage. As an audience member what you get is years and years of practice compressed into just a few minutes on stage.

In days gone by the bartenders would go out the night before get hammered and then wake up with a hangover and start drinking again before the comp (bring back those days if you ask me). However, now as there is so much up for grabs many of the competitors are taking it easy the night before and staying clear headed for the event.

Prize Money

The prize money has risen dramatically since the first flair competitions, which means there is much more competition between the bartenders to win first place. The prize money offered can vary from event to event, and it is the competitions that put up the big bucks that attract the attention of the big names. Of late there has been some talk about what is the best structure for the prize money. There are many competitions that offer a huge first prize and then the prize money for 2nd and 3rd drops dramatically. People are starting to question whether the prize money should be spread a little more amongst the top 3 to 5. Meaning that first prize may not be as high, but the serious competitors coming in lower that first place can still comfortably cover their travel costs. As the results can be so close between the finalists this could be a good way to go.

Duration

Depending on the size of the comp it will normally start mid afternoon to early evening. During this time the contestants will be arriving, signing in and checking out the space they have. Also they will be using this time to prep their equipment use the practice room and catch up with their flair buddies. Some larger competitions such as Legends in Las Vegas, can run over a couple of days. This is due to the amount of competitors and there are also more rounds to attend.

In most flair competitions the highest skilled bartenders will go towards the end of the heats. This is the way it is and to work your way up into the latter part of the group you really need to show your worth before you earn the right to play with the big dogs. Keep competing, keep being consistent, bring something original to the table and put on a show, and you will work your way up, simple as that.

Requirements

When it comes to being a great flair bartender the best way to get noticed is to be yourself and be creative with your flair. No one is going to win a major competition with generic or “borrowed” flair moves. Bartenders need to show off their individuality and be original. When you see the top bartenders competing in finals you notice each has their own presence and personality on stage, an up and coming bartender needs to be novel with their flair to grab people’s attention. Being able to hold the audiences’ attention throughout your whole routine can be challenging but the more your watch the pro’s the more you see how it’s done. Some bartenders have a magical “X” factor when they are on stage where you are drawn to them and you can’t take your eyes off of them, others are so good at structuring their routine and building the level of difficulty that you just cant wait to see what they are going to do next. This I would say is the key to a powerful routine. A truly great performing flairtender has a well balanced routine which will incorporate working flair, using many different objects which is not necessarily limited to bottles and shakers, and then works their way through several object combinations and will hopefully pull out some show stopping moves and end with something spectacular to blow the crowd and judges away.

In many competitions the drink that is to be made will have a few minimum requirements and these requirements will vary from competition to competition. Many people stick to the minimum requirements that are stated in the rules but make a great cocktail with great technique and I’m sure the judges will notice.

Now, flair competitions can get quite technical when it comes down to moves performed so you can’t just have any old Joe as a judge. These guys really need to know their shit otherwise sparks could fly, and rightly so. Technicalities need to be recognized and with an inexperienced judge they might not be seen. In the past there have been disputes but with the right judges and with score sheets for back up it’s only right that the judges’ word is final.

Organisations

The rules of the competitions will depend on who the organizers of the competition are. There are two main organizing bodies, which are the FBA and the WFA. (If you would like to see an in-depth breakdown you can find that HERE.) It is a good idea for a competitor to know the rules of each competition for if a contestant knows what the judges are looking for in a routine they can work that to their advantage in their routine.

Just some last tips

Another important factor of a competition is the audience, and it plays a major part. If a bartender can connect to their audience then that is a huge plus. The feedback from the audience lifts the energy levels in the room and if the guy on stage can do that then that’s good for everyone. All good performers have a connection with their audience and as a bartender this can be done though the moves they perform, eye contact and showing that you enjoy what you are doing. People don’t want to watch someone doing something they don’t enjoy doing. Please the audience and you are on the way to getting big points.

Before the bartender goes on stage they will have their crate ready. This crate is where the bartender keeps all their equipment they will be using for their routine. Usually they will have preferred flair bottles that they like to use or other pieces of equipment that are part of their routine.

This area is best being away from the crowd as there will be many tins being dropped and that makes much noise. Remember that to pull off a sick move in the practice room is not the same or as easy as pulling it off on stage in front of 200 people. Respect in the practice room, kudos on stage.

So, all that said, get back into your practice room and start practicing.

You know what they say: “Go big or go home”