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Flair Lesson #2: Back of the Hand Cradle

Our first real move to learn is called a Back of the Hand Cradle. This is a good, basic, working flair move that can be done with nearly any bottle – probably not a great one for Chambord, but I particularly like tall bottles like Midori, Belvedere, or Galliano for this move. Get a nice comfortable throw across your body, letting it fall or tilt slightly. Use the back of your two hands, held slightly apart, to cradle the bottle and then springboard it back to your other hand. It’s not crazy difficult – you should be able to get the basic motion down after a few minutes of practice – but we’re starting small.

Start by practicing with an empty bottle or with a FlairCo practice bottle. Before you try this at work, be sure to try it at home with a “live” bottle – that is, a bottle nearly full with a pour spout on top. You’ll discover that it feels different with a little weight in the bottle and you’ll also be aware of whether or not you are spilling while trying this.

Spilling at work is NOT ACCEPTABLE. Be a good ambassador of flair. Thousands of people before you have worked incredibly hard to build a professional reputation for flair bartending as a craft and a sport. If you are constantly spilling at work or keeping your guests waiting for drinks, you are trampling all over the hard work we have all put in. Not to mention, if you’re spilling frequently at work, your boss is probably not going to be too thrilled with you. Get your spills out on a practice bottle at home so you can perform perfectly at work.

Also, don’t forget that your feet are not glued to the floor. As you’re learning all moves, this one in particular, it is not only more fun to perform but also more fun to watch when the bartender has a certain dance-like fluidity to their motions. Don’t be a robot doing mechanized moves. Pick up your feet and slide across the floor as you toss the bottle. You’ll notice a difference and you’ll start to have more fun.

The Discussion...

9 Responses to “Flair Lesson #2: Back of the Hand Cradle”

  1. Mnzur Momin says:
    January 10, 2013 at 2:48 pm

    I m trying hard :) Thank you so much sir.

    Reply
  2. Manzur husain says:
    January 10, 2013 at 8:49 am

    Thank you so much sir I am trying hard and making all effort to learn it online.

    Reply
  3. Mschuckstone Nava says:
    February 25, 2013 at 7:08 am

    I'm star today to practice, apreciate for share this videos thancks so much!

    Reply
  4. Mschuckstone Nava says:
    February 25, 2013 at 7:09 am

    ups start lol.

    Reply
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    June 3, 2013 at 11:53 am

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  6. Sunny Thapa says:
    September 19, 2013 at 12:42 pm

    thanku so much iam very day step by step partice sir

    Reply
  7. Ricky M Cabungcal says:
    April 7, 2014 at 4:31 am

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  8. Andrew McGuckin says:
    February 6, 2015 at 4:50 am

    How little liquid needs to be in the bottle to do this move? I'm practicing with a 750 mL bottle of Smirnoff (filled with water). With a little over 2 inches of water in the bottle I'm seeing major spillage. Should this be done only with bottles that are almost empty?

    Reply