Flair Lesson #34: Repeating Circle Swipe Thru
This move can be a bit tricky, as it’s actually the first move we have that involves the 2 items in the air at the same time – which is technically considered juggling. Congratulations. Make sure you are comfortable with the Circle Swipe Thru before attempting this addition.
The difference between this flair move and the Circle Swipe Thru is the addition of the bottle toss and follow through of the tin toss at the end of the move. Easier said than done. In theory, the move is simple: at the end of the Circle Swipe Thru, just continue the momentum of the bottle and lift/toss it up and across your body, catching it in your left hand as you toss the tin in a similar trajectory and catch it in your right hand. As the bottle starts to descend towards your left (tin) hand, toss the tin up underneath the bottle letting it roll off your fingers. That’s it in theory – and truthfully, in practice – however, the reality of learning this move can be much more difficult.
The best advice I have for learning this move is Continue Reading » Flair Lesson #34: Repeating Circle Swipe Thru
Flair Lesson #33: Shadow Pass
A Shadow Pass is a move in which you toss any bar item behind your head and catch it with a no-look catch. You can do this with glassware, tins, beer bottles, etc. It can also be performed with a ton of variations on both the throw and the catch. Get good with the basic Shadow Pass because we’re going to add some awesomeness to it later.
I wish someone would’ve given me these tips when I was learning this move, as I likely wouldn’t have hit myself in the head as much. I learned the Shadow Pass by repeatedly trying the full distance throw behind my head and experimenting with where to hold my catching hand until I finally caught one (100s of attempts later.)
Don’t do what I did. Try this instead: Continue Reading » Flair Lesson #33: Shadow Pass
Flair Lesson #23: Swipe Thru
This move is a great fundamental move that you will use a ton. As we progress and learn a lot more 1 bottle and 1 tin moves and start putting together routines, you’ll find that the Swipe Thru is a cornerstone of those routines – a move that we use frequently to transition throughout the routine. So practice this and get good at it with both hands.
1) I like to start with the bottle in the right hand and the tin in the left. However, when we are learning 2 item moves we will often start by learning separately one hand at a time. So set the tin down and let’s start with the bottle.
2) Grab the bottle with your right hand around the body (not the neck or shoulders of the bottle.) The bottle should be pointing up or very slightly away from you. As we learn this move people have a tendency to tilt the bottle forward. Eventually, Continue Reading » Flair Lesson #23: Swipe Thru
Flair Lesson #17: Flip Stall
The Flip Stall is our first venture into what is called Exhibition Flair. I’m working on filming a video that explains the difference between Working Flair and Exhibition Flair, but if you’re reading this, then I haven’t finished or uploaded the video yet. Or, possibly, I forgot to link to that video. Email me and remind me. For now, what you need to know is that this move should only be done with a nearly empty bottle – anything more than 1/4 full bottle and you will end up spraying everywhere. Practice at home with a water-filled bottle and learn to recognize the sweet spot where you can do this without spilling.
I wish someone would have told me this when I was starting, Continue Reading » Flair Lesson #17: Flip Stall
Flair Lesson #16: The Stall
Whether you are brand new to flair bartending or you have been doing it for years, the Stall is a move that you’re going to be using more often than nearly any other move. When people watch a really good flair bartender, often they get engrossed with all of the bottle movement but they aren’t really aware of everything that is going on – just that a bunch of stuff is flying through the air. Flair bartenders use the Stall as a perfect way to pause or punctuate their routine, like a dancer hitting their mark, to give the crowd a moment to stop and cheer. Bonus points if they can do it in time with the music.
The Stall is essentially nothing more than Continue Reading » Flair Lesson #16: The Stall