Flair Bartending Lesson #76: Shadow Pass into Tin
The Shadow Pass into Tin is one of my absolute favorite flair bartending moves. Like a lot of Shadow Pass variations, this one just feels good when you get it down. Also, with the catch into the tin, it provides a nice pause in your movement, giving you a chance to smile at guests or give high-fives before flowing into the rest of your flair routine.
You should already be comfortable with the Shadow Pass.
Tips to getting the Shadow Pass into the Tin:
1) Use the right tools. This move requires a 750 ml bottle and a 28 oz. tin. A 1 liter bottle might technically fit into the standard cocktail shaker, but you will drive yourself absolutely nuts trying to learn this move with that miniscule of a margin of error.
2) Just like when we learned the original Shadow Pass, start small with your throws. In fact, don’t even throw it. For the first 20 times, simply move the bottle behind your head and place it into the tin. Rinse, repeat. This will help establish your hands’ muscle memory for what angles to hold the both the bottle and tin.
3) Use a good “lead-in” that will help flow into the Shadow Pass. I like to use the Circle Swipe Thru with a slight variation on the bottle-grab: as you change your grip on the bottle, grab the bottle by the neck instead of the body. Using this to build momentum for your Shadow Pass into Tin is not only helpful but also adds more of a mini-routine that is fun to watch.
4) “Cheat” a little if you need to by using your shoulder/neck to cradle the bottle a little bit. Eventually you’ll want to move past this but when you’re learning, this can be an effective crutch.
5) Practice this move a lot, trying to get further and further apart with your throwing hand and your catching (tin) hand.
6) The first time you land this move, celebrate like a boss. Then get back to work and do it again.
Bar Products Used in this Lesson
Flair Bartending Lesson #51: Same Hand Shadow Pass
This move – an advanced version of the Shadow Pass – is one of those moves that just feels awesome when you land it. Get comfortable with the Shadow Pass, practice the technique here, and you’ll have this move in no time.
Things to keep in mind:
1) Watch your throw, not your catching hand.
2) Turn your torso and pivot your right knee in and towards the ground. Continue Reading » Flair Bartending Lesson #51: Same Hand Shadow Pass
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