Witness the World’s Most Talented Flair Bartenders showcasing their unique art!
Witness the World’s Most Talented Flair Bartenders Showcase Their Unique Art!
Las Vegas, renowned for its entertainment scene, features flair bartending—an exciting mix of stylish drink preparation and acrobatic tricks. Flair bartending involves crafting delightful cocktails while showcasing acrobatic skills. These include juggling, tossing, spinning, and catching bottles, shakers, and other bar tools. Beyond serving tasty drinks, flair bartenders provide an impressive show for guests, flaunting their skills and style. In Las Vegas, the best flair bartenders are scattered across the city’s bars, nightclubs, and lounges. So, find them, order a delicious cocktail, sit back, and enjoy the spectacle!
Where to Experience Flair Bartenders in Las Vegas
Some of the hottest spots to go for a fantastic “pour-formance” are:
- Carnaval Court at Harrah’s: An outdoor bar and lounge hosting world-class flair bartenders competing for applause. Enjoy live music, dancing, and games amidst stunning bottle and shaker tricks.
- Catalyst Bar at The LINQ: A 24-hour bar at The LINQ Hotel and Casino with certified flair bartenders from the World Flair Association. Witness their flair moves with LED-lit bottles and shakers, creating a captivating visual experience.
- Circa Bar at Circa: Offering a modern flair bartending experience with highly skilled bartenders and stunning LED-lit bottles and shakers.
- D Bar at The D: Located on Fremont Street, this bar features flair bartenders entertaining the crowd with impressive bottle tricks on a stage above the bar.
- Fuel Bar at Grand Bazaar Shops at Horseshoe: A vibrant bar at the entrance of Grand Bazaar Shops offers friendly and energetic flair bartenders.
- Fusion Mixology Bar at The Palazzo: On the casino floor of The Palazzo. This bar provides a sophisticated flair bartending experience with certified bartenders and premium ingredients.
- Longbar at The D: Stretching across the entire casino floor, this bar features a team of flair bartenders. They keep guests entertained with their bottle skills.
- Mega Bar at Circa: The longest indoor bar in Nevada, located on the second floor of Circa Las Vegas. Flair bartenders showcase their skills amid a panoramic view of the Fremont Street Experience.
- OneBar at the Golden Gate: Located at the front of the Golden Gate Hotel and Casino, this bar offers a classic flair bartending experience with bartenders in vintage outfits.
Types of Flair Bartending Competitions
Flair bartending is not only entertaining but also a competitive sport featuring various competitions:
- Exhibition Flair – The most common type where bartenders perform routines with music, showcasing their skills and creating drinks with multiple bottles and shakers.
- Speed Flair – Bartenders aim to make a set number of drinks in the shortest time, incorporating flair moves and tricks.
- Working Flair – Bartenders make drinks for real customers, demonstrating flair moves while being judged on customer service and efficiency.
Las Vegas and other US cities host prestigious flair bartending competitions, including ones like Shake It Up at the World Bar and Restaurant Expo, where Yolanda Gregg was named the 2024 Shake It Up Champion! Click here to see her create the drink she made at home.
The Essence of Flair Bartending
It is not just about making drinks; flair bartending is a form of self-expression and entertainment. It revolves around:
- Skill – Requiring mastery of various flair moves and tricks, as well as the coordination and control of bottles, shakers, and body movements.
- Style – Allowing bartenders to showcase their personality through music, outfits, routines, and unique flair moves.
- Showmanship – A form of entertainment where bartenders engage the audience with charisma, humor, and confidence, using facial expressions and gestures to convey emotions.
Evolution of Flair Bartending
Flair bartending has evolved in complexity, diversity, and technology. Noteworthy changes include:
- Difficulty – Bartenders have incorporated noteworthy changes, including increasing difficulty with advanced moves like multiple bottle flips, blind pours, and fire flair.
- Diversity – Bartenders are actively becoming more inclusive, blending elements from different disciplines to increase diversity.
- Technology – Mixologists are advancing technology with tools like LED-lit bottles, wireless microphones, and social media platforms for sharing flair videos.
Origins and Evolution of Flair Bartending in Las Vegas
Flair bartending originated in Las Vegas during the late 1980s when two bartenders from the TGI Friday’s restaurant chain started experimenting with tricks and moves inspired by the movie Cocktail, starring Tom Cruise. The bartenders Dean Serneels and Mike McLean are considered to be two of the most experienced and influential flair bartenders in the world today. They called themselves the “Flairco Brothers” and performed flair bartending shows at various venues in Las Vegas, including the Rio, the Mirage, and the MGM Grand.
The Flairco Brothers not only founded but also participated in flair bartending competitions. One such example is the Legends of Bartending in 1996. They are regarded as the pioneers and founders of flair bartending in Las Vegas. Many other flair bartenders who followed in their footsteps and were trained by them reflect their influence.
