Flaring is the art of bartenders mixing drinks and preparing cocktails while juggling several bottles, a shaker and other instruments at the same time, or tossing individual elements in the air and turning them over. Having acquired this skill, a person can turn the process of preparing a drink into an exciting show.
Flaring Bottles
By far the main flairing tool is the bottle. In this case, real bottles of expensive alcoholic beverages are rarely used. First, they can be too inconvenient to present due to the peculiarities of shape, size and weight. Secondly, bartenders who do not have much experience in flairing are afraid to drop and break such a bottle. That is why special containers are most often used for performances or even the usual free "bar show" designed to impress visitors.
Flaring bottles are made of either glass or PVC. The latter option is especially well suited for beginners, as even if the bottle falls, it will not break and the show can continue. Special flairing bottles are carefully selected in size and weight, which allows bartenders to easily juggle them and do spectacular tricks.
It is also worth noting that flaring bottles are often made in bright colors. This makes them more visible and greatly enhances the effect of the bartender's actions. Bottles of different shades are often used so that visitors can easily distinguish them and follow the movements of the master, even when using complex juggling techniques.
What other tools are used by bartenders
Flaring often involves working with a range of bar tools, not just bottles and glasses. Basic movements are usually done using a shaker. The bartender must learn to quickly and beautifully rotate, toss, shake the shaker, stirring and cooling the drink, and then pour the resulting liquid into a glass. The difficulty of working with this tool lies in the fact that you need to have time to demonstrate the show in 5 seconds - on average, this is exactly how much time it takes to mix the drink.
More sophisticated options include using a bar spoon and straw. Also, people involved in flaring often use a swizzle stick in their performances - a special stick designed for mixing cocktails. To make the show more spectacular, you can choose a glow stick.
Another tool that can be used in flaring is the metal geyser. It is usually used in conjunction with a measuring cup to accurately measure the volume of each ingredient added to the drink, but during the show, the bartenders demonstrate the ability to pour "by eye", quickly and accurately.
