Flair Bartending Lesson #44: Corona Lime Trick
The first time I saw a bartender do this, my jaw dropped and I threw him a big tip. I couldn’t believe he had actually thrown a lime behind his back and caught it in the Corona bottle. Of course, he didn’t really. It was all about misdirection. It was late and I was tipsy enough to believe it (and had already thrown money at him).
This is a fun move that is really easy to do and – in a dark, noisy bar with not-quite-sober patrons – can really amaze your guests. The key to getting this move down is to keep the Corona bottle out of sight while you put the lime in it. As I move the Corona behind my back, I always hold a lime up with my other hand and ask “Would you like a lime in your Corona?” just to keep their attention away from the fact that there’s already one in it. That’s the misdirection. I’ll also take an extra practice toss with the lime, pretending I’m really being precise with my throw. Then as I bring the Corona bottle forward with the lime in it, I nonchalantly kick the lime that’s on the floor under the bar so that no one sees it.
This trick has amazed many of my guests but be prepared for some of them to call you out on it. Anyone who is paying close attention will realize what you did. Have a little fun with it. Sometimes the best way to sell this move is to act as surprised as anyone that you caught it – tell them it’s a new move you’ve been working on and don’t always catch it. Also, when they ask to see it again, tell them you’re not going to tempt fate twice, and just move on.
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