First things first: this move took me forever and a day to learn how to do, even though most of my co-workers picked it up just fine in an hour or two. I was doing it exactly as they were but it just wasn’t working for me. So, if you watch the video, follow the steps, and it’s still not working for you, relax – you’re in good company. Keep at, try slightly different adjustments, and I promise sooner or later it will click for you.

There are a few important pointers to learning this move. First, make sure your hand is wet. It doesn’t need to be dripping wet, but a quick pass under a running faucet or holding an ice cube for a couple seconds should make your palm wet enough to provide a seal for the bottom of the can. Next, start by bunching up your thumb into your hand – almost like you’re trying to touch your thumb to the base of your middle finger. Grab the RedBull can with your left hand and push the bottom of it firmly into the “fat part” of your right hand at the base your thumb/palm. Twist the can slightly as you push it towards the middle of your palm – and as you’re doing this, begin to open up your palm, extending your fingers out and up as far as they’ll go. You should feel the suction in your palm from the bottom of the can if you’ve done it correctly. Once you can do this successfully, you’re ready to open up the can and pour it to finish off a mixed drink. When I do this move, I end up turning the can about 1/4 spin around; therefore, I start with the mouth of the can facing to the right so when I come to pour it, the mouth facing down into the glass the way it would be if I were to pour it normally.

One final note about learning the technique for this move. You’ll notice that as the Red Bull is pouring, the can will actually feel like it is suctioning more to your palm. I have no idea the scientific reason for this – like a good bartender, I should just make one up. However, it’s great that it does. So long as you have a decent enough suction when you start pouring, it should get firmer and more stable throughout the pour. That being said, if you move the shape of your hand during this pour you can just as easily lose the suction and the can will fall. Be sure you are performing this safely so as not to knock over drinks or make a mess.

I like this move for a couple reasons. First, I’m big on prop flair. Bottles and tins are great and fun and practical when you’re starting out, but I like to set those down and find other things in the bar to get creative with. Also, people aren’t expecting to see this kind of thing. Regardless of whether or not I’ve been flipping bottles all night, nearly every time I finish a drink with the Red Bull Suction Pour, I hear the guest’s surprise, “Whoa, that was cool. Hey, did you guys see that??” A lot of times they ask to see it again, which is a good opportunity to get them to buy another round.

Also, I get emails often from beginning flair bartenders who work in a bar in which the owner/managers aren’t sure how they feel about flair. Like most people, these bosses like to be entertained by a good flair bartender, they enjoy the ‘Wow’ factor, and as business owners they are always looking for something unique and interesting to set them apart from the competition. However, their biggest concern is making a profit – and they’ve seen bartenders before dropping and spilling and breaking, profits going down the drain. The emails I get from bartenders in this position always ask me what they can do to win over their boss, to be allowed to flip bottles at work. I’ll write a whole article about this when I get to it, but this move – the Red Bull Suction Pour – and most other Prop Flair moves are key to winning over not just your boss, but your guests and your co-workers. Learn to pull off the Red Bull pour swiftly and successfully and once your management starts noticing the reaction people get from this and other really basic prop flair moves, they’re bound to want to see more.