Bartenders’ Shakedown 2024

BARTENDERS’ SHAKEDOWN October 6-9, 2024

NO MATTER WHAT STYLE OF BARTENDER YOU ARE…
YOU CAN WIN IN ONE OF THE FOUR COMPETITIONS!
ENTER ONE OR ENTER MULTIPLE

REGISTRATION LINK CLICK HERE! <————

RULES POSTED USING THE LINKS BELOW!

The 1st Working Flair Bartending competition is back bigger! This multi-round multi-day open bartending competition takes place in Palm Beach Gardens, FL with 4 separate optional competitions for any style of bartender to compete in! Choose from one or multiple rounds to compete in the…

Accuracy Competition
Speed Competition
Cocktail Competition
Flair Bartending Competition

Three separate divisions for The Flair Bartending Competition with Pro, Advanced and Amateur division bartenders. This is a fun Flair competition with emphasis on Working Flair, Mixology and testing a Flair Bartender in a true working environment.

We are also bringing back 3 additional competitions this year. The Accuracy Competition which will test the bartender’s free pouring and speed accuracy.

The Speed Competition which will test the bartender’s speed and bartending skills to knock out cocktails as fast, clean and accurately as possible.

The Cocktail Competition which will test the bartender’s skills in crafting an original cocktail and sharing the story behind it.

We are also very happy to announce the return of the Mixology Matters Cocktail Conference! Whether you are a cocktail enthusiast or any style of bartender… YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS THIS EVENT! This event will be full of fun, Flair, features, Educational Seminars, Spirited Dinner, Sampling Stations, Games, Networking & More!

Join us for the “Bartenders’ Shakedown 2024” & “Mixology Matters Cocktail Conference” October 6-9, 2024.

This event is strictly 21 years of age and over and open to the public to attend and promises to be a fun and informative series of events!

Surrounding Airports:
West Palm Beach, Fl (PBI) approx 15 mins away.
Fort Lauderdale, FL (FLL) approx 55 mins away.
Miami, FL (MIA) approx 1 & 1/2 hours away.

Host Hotel:
Palm Beach Gardens Marriott
4000 RCA Blvd
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410
(561) 622-8888

Prizes

Accuracy
1st Place: $1,000 + Trophy

Speed
1st Place: $1,000 + Trophy

Mixology
1st Place: $1,000 + Trophy

Flair Pro Division
1st Place: $1,500 + Trophy + *Advance to Las Vegas to compete in the USBG “Shake it Up” IBA Flair Qualifier 2025 &
USA Qualifier Spot #1 for the Legends World Flair Finals in April + Hotel & Entrance Fee
2nd Place: $1,000 + Trophy + *Advance to Las Vegas to compete in the USBG “Shake it Up” IBA Flair Qualifier 2025 &
USA Qualifier Spot #2 for the Legends World Flair Finals in April + Hotel & Entrance Fee
3rd Place: $500 + Trophy + *Advance to Las Vegas to compete in the USBG “Shake it Up” IBA Flair Qualifier 2025
4th Place: $250 + Trophy + *Advance to Las Vegas to compete in the USBG “Shake it Up” IBA Flair Qualifier 2025
5th Place: $125 + Trophy + *Advance to Las Vegas to compete in the USBG “Shake it Up” IBA Flair Qualifier 2025
*Travel to Las Vegas is valid for inside the contiguous United States of America. Not valid for Alaska.

Flair Advanced Division
1st Place: $250 + Trophy
2nd Place: $125 + Trophy
3rd Place: $100 + Trophy

Flair Amateur Division
1st Place: $250 + Trophy
2nd Place: $125 + Trophy
3rd Place: $100 + Trophy

FINEST CALL STALL: $100 + Trophy (Flair Round Competitors)

MOST ACCURATE BARTENDER: $100 + Trophy (Anyone in the room of the finals)

Best Cocktail (Flair or Cocktail Competition)
1st Place: $250 + Trophy

People’s Choice Award (Any Competitor)
1st Place: $100 + Trophy

Most Honorable Bartender (Any Competitor)
1st Place: $100 + Trophy

Best Overall Competitor (From Overall Combined Rounds)
1st Place: $100 + Trophy

Top Female Competitor (From Overall Combined Rounds)
1st Place: $100 + Trophy

BEST 30 SECOND SPONSOR & FINEST CALL COMPETITOR COMMERCIAL (Open to any competitor)
1st Place: $500 + Trophy

BEST SPONSORS PROMOTION AWARD (Open to any Flair Bartender Competitor Finalist)
1st Place: $250 + Trophy

FLAIRCO FLAIR YARD DAY CONTESTS
FLAIRCO LONGEST 3 BOTTLE JUGGLE: $100 + Trophy
FLAIRCO MOST CONSECUTIVE BUMPS: $100 + Trophy
FINEST CALL STALL: $100 + Trophy

REGISTRATION LINK HERE!<————

Confirmed Competitors

Itinerary

Itinerary Sunday October 6^th, 2024:

5pm-9pm: Club Safari 12 Year Reunion
9pm: Mandatory Competitor Meet & Greet and Official Competitor Meeting
Palm Beach Gardens Marriott (Banyan Hall)
4000 RCA Blvd
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410

Itinerary Monday October 7^th, 2024:

11am Practice Room opens.
11am: Judges Meeting
Noon-8pm: Qualifying Rounds (Banyan Hall)
Noon-8pm: 52 Chefs Bartender Photo Shoots (Email him here to reserve your spot before its filled up) Invest in yourself & DO THIS!
9pm: Mixology Matters Cocktails & Conversations Dinner (Gardens Terrace)
Midnight: After Party

Itinerary Tuesday October 8^th, 2024:

10am-5pm Mixology Matters Seminars
5pm: Competitors Finalists arrive (Banyan Hall)
5-7pm Sponsored Happy Hour Sampling Stations (Banyan Hall)
7pm-Midnight: Final Rounds (Banyan Hall)
Midnight: After party

Itinerary Wednesday October 9^th, 2024:

Lake Worth Beach
10 S Ocean Blvd
Lake Worth Beach, Florida 33460

1pm: Flairco Yard Day
3pm: After Party Meetup

HAPPY TO BE A (LEVEL x5) FBA TOUR EVENT

http://flairbartendersassociation.com/

Competitors will be required to sign up for a FREE FBA account if they haven’t done so yet.

More info on the Mixology Matters Cocktail Conference CLICK HERE!

All competition questions will be answered from REGISTERED COMPETITORS by emailing “contact@barwars.info” with the subject “BSD Question” and then the answer will be posted at the bottom on the Bartenders’ Shakedown Main Page.

COMPETITOR QUESTIONS & ANSWERS WILL BE POSTED BELOW…

Q: “When will the full list of Sponsors be published?

A: As soon as they are confirmed and ready. More will be posted soon.

Update: The Agave spirit category for the Cocktail Competition will be…

Ilegal Joven Mezcal & Ilegal Reposado Mezcal.

Update: The TOP 2 Pro Competitors will also win a “Wild Card” spot to the Legends World Flair Finals in April in Portugal with Hotel & entrance fee taken care of.

Q: “I have a question, in all categories there is a qualifying round? I see that in the itinerary it says that they are on Monday, am I trying to find how much time of the qualifying round it comprises, and what cocktails do we have to make??

A: The qualifying rounds on Monday are the same for the finals rounds on Tuesday. Same time and cocktails. The only one that is different is the Accuracy Finals where the Top 5 advance on stage for a “Pour Off” to determine the winners.

Here is a video below of last year’s Accuracy Finals to see the difference.

Q: “Just to clarify, for the flair round, we can use the mezcals in our cocktail too right? Not just the vodka and brandy?“

A: So far the mezcals listed are just sponsoring the cocktail competition. The Flair Spirit categories that are not posted yet should hopefully be posted soon… once the contracts are signed. But you know what categories are listed so far to work with… Vodka, Gin, Rum, Agave Spirit, Whiskey & Brandy.

Update: The Vodka category for the Accuracy, Speed & Cocktail Competition will be…

SKYY Vodka

Update: The Rum category for the Accuracy & Speed Competition will be…

1996 White Rum

Update: The Whiskey category for the Accuracy & Speed Competition will be..

Stowloch Whiskey

Q: “Hi so if we make a lemon or citrus “super juice” can we use that in our competitors choice bottles? Or will that conflict with finest call? Because it is still a homemade ingredient that is t a syrup, and is t something that finest call produces.”?

A: Great Question! Since Finest Call Single Pressed Lime & Single Pressed Lemon are so identical to a “super juice” it would be NO for those side by side… HOWEVER, if you did a homemade ingredient and added more to it like a homemade Citrus, rosemary, clove, etc… DIFFERENT “flavored super juice” then YES that would be allowed.

Q: “I might have missed it in the rules, but is there any restrictions on Music ? Does it have to be clean or can I use explicit lyrics?”

A: Clean. If it’s not in there I’ll update. Sponsors don’t go for that.

Q: “In accuracy rules I saw 1996 White Rum, are we using the same brand for flair and speed round?”

A: Answered above already…. Copy & Pasted “Update: The Rum category for the Accuracy & Speed Competition will be…

1996 White Rum”

So yes to Speed but this will not be the rum for Flair. The sponsors are being added when the contracts are finalized with each brand. Some brands are sponsors for different rounds like Yacht Life Vodka for Flair and SKYY Vodka for Accuracy, Speed & Cocktail. Just because you see one brand does not mean they are sponsoring all of the other contests as well.

Update: The Gin category for the Accuracy, Speed & Flair Competition will be…

Conniption American Dry Gin

Update: The current Judges & Staff page is updated…

Update: The current Competitor roster is updated…

Q: “Do we get a separate ticket to the mixology matters conference for each entry into one of the competitions? The reason I ask is because I signed up for multiple events and I wanted to bring my wife?”

A: Yes, for the Mixology Matters Cocktail Conference. The Dinner on Monday night is only for competitors, Staff, Sponsors and the limited tickets sold for Dinner on the site.

Update: The Rum category for the Flair Competition will be..

Bacardi Superior Rum

Update: The Bottled Beer category for the Speed Competition will be..

Michelob Ultra

Update: The Agave spirit category for the Accuracy, Speed & Flair Competition will be…

Ilegal Mezcal

Update: The Whiskey spirit category for the Flair Competition will be…

Jim Beam Bourbon

Update: The Rum spirit category for the Cocktail Competition will be…

Black Coral Rum

Q: “Quick question: when the rules say “at the end of six minutes” for time limit. that means 6 minutes or 6:59 minutes?”

A: 6 minutes.

Q: “Hi what size will the provided bottles be in the well for the working flair? All liters or some 750s or all 750s?“

A: Should all be 750 mls except the Finest Call which will be 1 liters. That is what was requested. Will know for sure once the product gets delivered.

Q: “Where is the Accuracy schematic?“

A: There is no bar layout posted as you are able to setup the bar up anyway you like for the most part adhering to what is stated in the rules…

“Bartenders can rearrange the bottles in the speed well & glassware any way they want as long as the glassware starts/finishes on bartop and bottles start/finishes below the bartop.

Bartenders will start with their hands on the timer and time will start when they lift their hands and begin their round. Bartenders will then complete the round as accurately and quickly as possible without spilling. You will only be pouring the designated spirit portion of the cocktail into the appropriate marked glass with the correct spirit bottles filled with room temperature water.

You can pour the cocktails in any order.

Only 1 bottle of each brand is allowed for the round.” etc…

Q: “Is the Bartenders Shakedown part of the FBA Tour, and if so what rounds would we get points in?“

A: YES, great question! Bartenders will receive FBA Tour points for every round of competition they enter… Qualifying & Finals rounds of Accuracy, Speed, Cocktail & Flair.

If you haven’t signed up for your free FBA membership yet, please do so beforehand to save you a step at the Competitor Meet & Greet.

You can sing up for free using the link below and only takes a few minutes…

http://barflair.org/register.cfm

Q: “Few questions regarding the Speed Round:
- Are we allowed to use our own bar tools? (Tin Shaker sets, Stainless Mixing glass, as many strainers we wanted, our own Ice scoop, bar spoon, etc.)

- when cocktail recipe said “Shake & Strain” that really means shake and strain over fresh ice or can be done Legends Style = quick shake and transfer mixture with the same Ice into the vessel?“

A: Great Questions! YES you are using your own bar tools and YES you can have as many or little bar tools as you like.

When it says “Shake & Strain” no not like Legends style with a dirty dump or quick shake in the same glass you are serving in. We are being more strict on this, this year. Proper Shake & Strain over fresh ice.

Q: “Are the brands for the bartending comp updated

Bacardi

Ilegal

Jim bean

What are the size of the bottles?“

A: This is already answered above, Please keep up to date and check this page daily for questions & answers.

Q: “In the Spanish Long Island for the flair category, for the splash of Brandy (set in 1oz) can it be pour in any order (for example for first bottle I grab to flair) or does it has to be pour after all the other spirits?“

A: YES, The Presidente Brandy can be poured in any order.

Q: “For speed round, can we remove the bar mats if we don’t want to use them?“

A: If you are talking about the bar mats on the bar… YES.

Q: “For speed round, can I bring my own set napkins?“

A: No.

Q: “For Flair Round, can I use the old Bacardi bottle (intact label) for my Spanish Long Island?

For flair round, in the rules says “On stage there will be a back bar with various expressions of Vodka, Gin, Rum, Tequila, Whiskey set half full & Brandy set to 1oz,”

And also on the schematic says from #1-6 would be all the sponsor bottles (on the rail) I was wondering if both (rail and back bar) are going to be set up with 1/2 full bottles and 1oz Brandy?“

A: Not for the Spanish Long Island but Yes to your specialty cocktail., per the rules… “Additional sponsored spirit bottles for your Specialty Cocktail in your recipe can be supplied by the competitor and must be in its original bottle and packaging and can be set minimum of 1/2oz.”

YES, the speed rail will have a set and the back bar will have a set to to use and be a backup as well.

Q: “May another version of a sponsor brand be used in our cocktail as well as what’s in the sponsor list. In example Jim Beam, yacht life vodka, and Jim beam apple?“

A: Yes, for your Specialty Cocktail in Flair you may use another expression of a sponsor and it would count towards that spirit sponsor category. So you could use Jim Beam Apple & Yacht Life Vodka to meet the requirements of the 2 minimum sponsors. You are always welcome to use more then 2 as well.

“Additional sponsored spirit bottles for your Specialty Cocktail in your recipe can be supplied by the competitor and must be in its original bottle and packaging and can be set minimum of 1/2oz.”

Q: “Is there a specific form to be fill or format to submit the cocktail recipe and the cocktail network live competitor slide?“

A: No. Cocktail Network Live competitor slide consisting of Full Name, Head Shot, Personal Brand, Work Sponsor, Pro Sponsor (optional logo), Years Bartending and Years Flairing by October 1st. But in your email please include your cocktail info…

Cocktail Name

Full list of ingredients

Procedure

Garnish

Ingredients & Procedure of any homemade ingredients

Q: “I have a question for you about the cocktail, can I use any type of glassware for example some tiki mug?“

A: YES.

Q: “Is there qualifiers and finals for speed and accuracy?”

A: Yes. Same as last year… and Cocktail.

Q: “ how many people goes to the finals?”

A: Will be announced at the dinner Monday night.

Q: “Are there deductions for having curse words in your song?”

A: Not a deduction but a Disqualification as that would fall under “Unsportsmanlike Conduct: Disqualification”

“No explicit lyrics or obscene acts in the competition will be allowed.”

Please if you are unsure as there are different levels to this, send your music to Rob Husted BEFORE your round to listen to and make the call. It’s not worth all of the time you spent practicing and preparing to waste it all away for a few curse words in your music.

Q: “Speed Competition Questions:

•   Where should I place the beer after pouring (what volume of bottle or can)?
•   If there are extra straws, should I put them back?
•   Can I switch the places of the Real syrups in a station?
•   How many times should I shake, how many stirring rotations?
•   Will there be spill stops on the top?

Can i replace my own drip trays with no logo or just removed them at all?”

A: 12oz bottled Beer completely poured into pint glass on a Bevnap. Bottle can be placed anywhere after.

Extra straws are fine in hand, on bar, just not extra in drinks.

Yes, You can rearrange the front bar however you like.

Minimum shake and stirring is one complete time if you do more that’s up to you?

Spill-stop pour spouts yes.

Yes.

Q: “ Hey Rob does the signature cocktail have to contain 2 spirits or can I just double the amount of 1 spirit?”

A: 2 Sponsor Spirits & Reàl.

Q: “For Flair round, can we star with ice in the glasses for the 4 signature cocktails?

(Like last year)“

A: YES, You May Pre-Ice & Pre-Garnish your 4 specialty cocktails only.