MAURO PUTS ON A SHOW! – Mauro Garrido Interviewed

Age? 29 years old.

Where are you from? Mar Del Plata, Argentina.

How long have you’ve been Bartending? 6 years.

And Flair Bartending? 5 years and 8 months.

Where do you work? Barmaniac in Hollywood, Florida. I have only been in South Florida for a few weeks and have been working at Barmaniac. We are the future of bartending. The next generation that will soon prove to be an industry standard.

What got you into Flair Bartending? For the love of the sport!

How did you start out learning to Flair? I started training after the first time I went to a competition, It was at the “Hard Rock” in BA Argentina. I was addicted. I learned from competition videos from Argentina.

Tell us about the Flair Bartending scene in Miami, Florida? The Flair bartending scene in Miami is Barmaniacs.

Describe to us your style of Flair? 100% pure, uncut and imported from Argentina!

What makes you stand out from other Flair Bartenders? The effort I put everyday to separate myself.

What do you hope to get out of Flair? Our sport is an international one. I look forward to visiting different cultures that up until now I have only imagined.

What is your favorite Flair Bartending competition and why?  Legends of Bartending. It’s the most comprehensive, competitive and international.

Who do you look up to in this Sport?  El Master, The Bullfighter, the Gordo, El Loco, Al Nene and Gianni.

What are your thoughts on the FBA Pro Tour, (likes and dislikes)? I love the fact that it lends creditability and professionalism to the sport but I think it’s disappointing that allot of Flair bartenders that deserve to be there can’t make it to the competitions.

If you could help influence Flair to change our sport somehow, what would it be and why? I would like to find an easier way for more Flair bartenders that want to go to competitions to get there.

What are some common myths about the profession of Flair bartending? That we have all the money, get all the ladies, that we’ve seen “Cocktail” and that our name is “Tom”!
How often do you practice? 1 hour at least a day when I’m not practicing for a competition and 5 hours during competition time.

What is your advice to some of the new people wanting to start competing, any helpful hints? lots and lots of training. Learn from watching the best.

Tell us about your first Flair Competition and your experiences there, What were you feeling, Did everything go as planned? It was about five years and five months ago at Mar Del Plata and the comp was “Intercurso”. Nothing went right. I was terrified but still managed to get third place.

Tell us about where you are working Flair Maniacs? This must be the first Flair bar that is actually designed for Flair. I get the same sensation I did in Tampa so watch out!

Tell us who is working with you at Flair Maniacs? Ivana Delpech (a.k.a. Sexy Lady), Martin Janica (a.k.a. Bullfighter), Cesar Romero (a.k.a. Stuntman) and Rodrigo Delpech (a.k.a. Game over).

Now that you are back in the United States, what are your goals and how do you plan to accomplish them? To defend my title as international racquet ball champion. Keep Rodrigo Delpech from winning eleven in a row (playstation soccer game) and to practice everyday.

Tell us about your visit back home? it’s always good to go back to your roots. friends and family come first.

What is the Flair scene like back at home? Excellent. Always new faces, new tricks and best of all lots of competitions.

What advice do you have for someone wanting to come to the United States and get a job as a professional Flair bartender? If you really want it, the chance will come. Just be ready for it.

What are your plans now? You’re going down Rodrigo (at Playstation Soccer)!

What obstacles do you see our sport of Flair bartending encountering in the near future and in your opinion, how can we overcome them? As long as we keep doing it for the love of the sport we can overcome any obstacles that lie in our path.

If you had the opportunity to convince a skeptical Bar manager to hire a Flair Bartender, How would you go about it? I would ask him to watch me for ten minutes working behind the bar. That will do more then enough.

What are some common obstacles you face as a Flair bartender opposed to a regular bartender? Skeptical management that doesn’t understand the value of what we do.

What is your favorite drink? Jager bomb, but only in a race with a friend. Best out of three (just to be fair).