LEGENDS XI POUR-OFF CHAMP POURS OUT HIS THOUGHTS! – Eduardo Gomez Interviewed

How long have you’ve been Bartending? I have been bartending about 9 years.

And Flair Bartending? Same time as bartending. Actually I got into bartending world cause of Flair.

Where do you work? Now I am working at OFF THE HOOKAH in Las Olas, river front, Fort Lauderdale but in a couple of months I will go to work in Dubai at Cavalli Club. So excited!!!!!!!

What got you into Flair Bartending? Because I friend of mine. Before Flair Bartending I used to play pool (billiard) professionally and so I met this guy. We started to hang out until one day in a big club, a bartender gave him a empty J&B 750ml bottle. We went out the club about 5:30 am, we cross the street to eat and that place is where I attempted my first Flair move……… After a couple of hours my friend said to me, let’s go home, so came 11:00 am I was still practicing until I landed 10 times this two moves he taught me…. That was a passion beginning!!!!!!!!
How did you start out learning to Flair? I had luck because I could practice with the best in those days, but I am very enterprising so always trying to take my Flair to another level. Another thing that helps me a lot was, trying to remember every move I learn, dream, think, wish, etc. I wrote them down so can keep them and don’t forget them so help me to start a new way to create moves and teach them as well.

Tell us about the Flair scene in Argentina? I don’t like what I am going to say but is on the decline and that’s why the best Flair bartenders went out of the country, there is not any true competition, who stayed don’t pass on Flair with the same passion as we feel it, they have a wrong perspective about Flair. I am talking about Flair bartenders, teachers, schools, etc.  Everyone seems like they see Flair only flipping plastic Flairco bottles and we now know that’s not true, so hopefully if we all work together we can bring new faces into this wonderful world and show them a different way.

Tell us about the Universidad del Cocktail? Universidad del Cocktail is a school heading to beverage management and there is an event department, who takes care of private, social, corporate parties, etc and also is the first school to get into Flair bartending. Right now they have different courses, separate in levels 1 to 4 and Working Flair course. They are doing well but like every business in Argentina with our special economy, go up and down. Although they have done so much for Argentinean Flair. I took my first courses there and were very cool, I’ve learned so much. After I graduated, after a while I became teacher. So I could improve more and more…..

Describe to us your style of Flair? I don’t like to close myself in a few words but if I have to say something I like to improve always, use different things on my routines and try to not copy anybody so I can keep myself  behind the bar……. good or bad, it is mine!!!!!!! Of course there are a few moves everybody uses.

What makes you stand out from other Flair Bartenders? What I said before, trying to keep myself, do not copy anyone…..

What do you hope to get out of Flair? I already got it. I travel around the world, knowing different cultures and people and work in many places. Before I started in Flair bartending I never thought about it.

What is your favorite Flair Bartending competition and why? There are two in the same level but with different points of view……one is Legends because we have to be prepared for everything, you can not leave anything by chance, if you do that, you are gone. I think it’s the most complete world’s competition and the other one is Roadhouse because it’s looking for the best and higher level of Working Flair and Exhibition Flair. Both push you so hard!!!!!!! Which it’s really cool.

Who do you look up to in this Sport? Keep my mind free, when I Flair I don’t think anything else other than Flair after that I would like to compete as much as I can and later become a Flair judge. So I can help with all I know to keep setting up a good Flair scene.

Why did you compete at Legends XI? The team 0054 was the reason, at the beginning to be honest, I said I am going to compete but my mind said NO. I was worry about my job and I felt a little bit weak about my training. After I couple of days practicing at Rodrigo’s garage I figured it out so I went to Vegas. Rodrigo Delpech and Mauro Garrido pushed me and I had a chat with Rodrigo which gave me the energy I needed.

Tell us about your thoughts going into Legends XI and all the preparation beforehand?Was very hard because we have to mix practicing with work and if you want to make a good performance, no matter what… you have to practice. Sometimes was very difficult because we were very tired even though we went down stairs get into the garage and practice. If we didn’t practice in the morning, we do it at night doesn’t matter the time. We didn’t think about how many hours practicing, we set up in order of rounds and how many times we have to do them. It is nice to train with Rodrigo because he has so much experience and many advices to provide. I think I did well after all I went only to qualify for finals and I got much more than that.

Once the competition started, what were your thoughts? When qualifying started I felt great and very confident because I knew that I‘ve been training hard. And my goal for legends XI was to get into the finals, after that doesn’t matter. Of course once I got into the finals I tried to go as far as destiny would let me and I say so because I didn’t practice for finals and it’s true!!!!!!!! So I felt so happy getting 8th place and winning the pour off.
How did it feel winning the Legends XI Pour Off and what is the secret to being an accurate Flair bartender? It was amazing and then in my first Legends I won a round on stage….unbelievable!!!!! My secret after practicing is keeping the count in rhythm, whatever it was; you have to be confident on that!!!!!!

How often do you practice? I used to practice like 8 hours per day but now without competitions depends how I feel that day. With a competition ahead is very different, I practice as much as I feel so!!!!!!

What are the advantages and disadvantages of being a Flair bartender? The advantages everybody can see it at first sight, you have more resources to prepare drinks providing a payless show doing that, talking about accuracy, speed, style and Flair.
The disadvantage is we have to deal with almost all managers, owners, etc because they have a wrong picture of us. Unfortunately there are some people who call themselves Flair bartenders and they are not. But I know is not a big issue, once they watch us working, everything changes.

What is your advice to some of the new bartenders wanting to compete in Flair Bartending competitions? A universal rule…….PRACTICE first of all and then listen to experienced people and try to learn about them. One more thing, you have to read carefully the rules. That’s help a lot!!!!!!!!

In your opinion, what makes a good Flair Bartender? Like in other subjects in life, you must keep informed, trained, always getting better and improving your talent. If you have books, read them if you don’t have any, find them just like an example. Practice, study and share info.

Tell us about your experiences working in a Flair bar here in the states rather then in Argentina? If we want to compare how much you can earn in Argentina than Europe or EEUU, is so different. In Argentina people aren’t used to tip out, in Europe you can find some but in EEUU almost all people tip out. So what you can earn per hour plus tips, can be good money.

Right now I prefer to work in EEUU either Europe because economy lets provide bars better than in Argentina (beverages, cocktails station, etc). About crowd, a like them all. Each one has their on things, good, bad, funny so let me learn about it all the time.

If you could help influence Flair to change our sport somehow, what would it be and why?   I would like to arrange a TV show showing every thing about Flair from inside, but I will choose Flair bartenders with different styles and tell them they must perform deferent routines than the others so we can show something nice for people. Trying to mix Flair with other disciplines. Doing this way will take Flair to the next level. I would like to see Flair more in bars….

How do you help connect with the crowd while you are on stage and how is it different when you are at work behind the bar? My first competitions were impossible for me do that, after a while I started to think that the crowd are my customers from that point was so easy for me to stand up in front of no matter how many people. Simple but true!!!!!!

Do you think being a good Flair Bartender behind the bar has to slow down your service as well? Oh yeah it is worth it!!!!!! I don’t think being a good Flair bartender has to slow down service!!!! You have to come to my bar and watch me work I Flair every time I can, sometimes I am so busy that can not throw a bottle into air but I can do a cut. You must to catch your customers attention as they were a bottle in the air, that’s the key to keep everybody happy and make money.

How is the Mixology scene different here in the states rather then in Argentina? We have many of the same recipes with other names. There are many cocktails that you can find in every bar, fernet cola, gancia batido, strawberry daiquiri, Energy Drinks with Absolut Vodka and in other hand there are bars that try to improve mixology all the time.  Here in the states I found almost all people know what they want; in Argentina they are more open.