THE NEW BLOOD OF FLAIR! – James Burke Interviewed

How long have you’ve been Bartending? I have never had a job as a bartender, but I have bartended at different places for promotions.

And Flair Bartending? I have been Flair bartending for about 3 ½ years on and off. In say on and off because I was still in high school when I started out and I needed to put school first.

Where do you work? Right now I am un employed but going to school at Becker Colleage in Worcester, Massachusetts USA.

What got you into Flair Bartending? My dad actually gave me the idea about trying out Flair bartending. He hangs out at Club Safari in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. and he knows Rob Husted who is a Flair bartender there.
How did you start out learning to Flair? I started to learn how to Flair when my dad introduced me to Rob Husted. I thought that it would be an interesting hobby so I started to practice with him once a week after school.

Tell us about the Flair Bartending scene in Boston? To be honest there really isn’t a huge Flair scene around here. I know there is a small handful of bartenders who Flair in the Worcester area, and there are a couple who Flair in the Boston area. There is also a Flair bar that I have heard of, but never been to, that is in Springfield, Mass that is about an hour from Worcester.

Describe to us your style of Flair? I really don’t know how to explain my style of Flair. A lot of people have said that I used the same style as most of the Argentineans that I compete with because when I first started out they were always teaching me some of their tricks.

What makes you stand out from other Flair Bartenders? I think that the fact that I started practicing Flair bartending before I was even 18 years old makes me stand out from other Flair bartenders. I was able to get more Flair experience in before I turned 21 so now I’m more prepared at a younger age then those who started out later.

What do you hope to get out of Flair? I hope to get other bartenders in the New England area interested into Flair bartending.

What is your favorite Flair Bartending competition and why? My favorite Flair bartending competition as of right now would have to be Quest. It was really exciting with the amount of competitors that show up from all around the world for that competition. Also I like the fact that they have the three different divisions (amateur, advanced, and pro) so anyone who comes to compete has a chance at the finals.

Who do you look up to in this Sport?  I look up to all of my friends who I have competed and practiced with down in Florida and up here in the New England area. (Rob Husted, Scott Payette, Rodrigo Delpech, Levi Donaldson, Nicolas Antivero, Rodrigo Cao, Mauro Garrido, Martin Janica, Cesar Romero, Teddy Buckley, Craig Henry and everyone else I have competed against.) I also look up to my friends and family who have supported me all along and my girlfriend for supporting me as well.

What are your thoughts on the FBA Pro Tour? I have not been able to compete in any of the FBA comps except for Quest because I just recently turned 21, but from what I have heard from other Flair bartenders all of their competitions are really exciting and everyone seems to enjoy them. I really can’t comment on my likes and dislikes because I truly don’t know a whole lot about the FBA Pro Tour, but I hope to know more about it in the near future when I start competing in them!

Tell us your thoughts on Flair bartending and bartending in general? I think that Flair bartending is a very exciting hobby/job to get involved with. There is a lot of entertainment in Flair and it always draws a crowd. When it comes to regular bartending I think it is a great job to have if you enjoy nightlife and if your bartending your making money rather then spending it. Also it is a good way to start a career as a Flair bartender.

Where do you see the future of our sport? I hope to see more of the Flair competitions being broadcasted on the Food Network.

What are some common myths about the profession of Flair bartending? I do not know of any myths… yet.
How often do you practice? I don’t practice that often really. I usually pick up my Flairco bottles and tins every once in a while when I am taking breaks from studying and play around for 30-60 minutes.

What is your advice to some of the new people wanting to start competing, any helpful hints? The only advice that I can give to new people who want to start competing is try not to be nervous. It feels very awkward when you stand behind that Flair bar for the first time with an audience, but when you are at a competition all of the competitors and everyone in the audience is very supportive towards you.

Tell us about your first Flair Competition and your experiences there, What were you feeling, Did everything go as planned? My first competition was BarWars 5 at Club Safari in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. I was really not sure what to expect because I had never been to a Flair competition before. I couldn’t even explain how nervous I was when I did the qualifying round in front of a small group, but after breaking the ice and qualifying for the finals I had more confidence. The next night which was the finals I was really excited. The fear of performing in front of an audience was over me, and the competition turned out to be one of the best experiences of my life.

Tell us how old you were when you first started to learn Flair and take it seriously? I started to learn how to Flair bartend when I was 17 years old. I started out learning all Working Flair and I started to take it more serious about a couple months later when I was first introduced to Exhibition Flair.

What was it like starting out at such a young age? It was awesome starting out at such a young age. I liked how all the other bartenders would comment on how great I did at a competition then point out the fact that I am not even 21. Then they would tell me how great I am eventually would be down the road because I started out so young. The only disadvantages about starting out so young is that I was not able to compete in most of the competitions because I was under age, and that I was never able to hang out with the other Flair bartenders and drink with them.

Now that your 21 can we expect to see you at more Flair competitions and if so which ones would you like to compete at? I am sure that since I am 21 I will be at all the competitions that I can make it to. I would really like to make it out to Las Vegas some time for a competition, since I am now of age and I can enjoy myself out there .

Why do you compete? I compete at these competitions strictly for fun. I enjoy showing off the different tricks that I know and all the new stuff that I come up with.

Do you feel intimidated at Flair competitions sometimes because of your age? I never feel intimidated about my age at all. I actually like the fact that I am usually the youngest competitor competing at a Flair competition.

What are the advantages of learning Flair bartending and competing at such an early age? One good advantage at starting so young is that when I finally turned 21 years old, which is the time most people start practicing, I already had Flair bartending experience.

What are your plans now? Right now I am working on getting a degree in business management at Becker College in Worcester, Mass. I am also trying to find a part-time job at a bar so I can put money away for college payments.

If you could help influence Flair to change our sport somehow, what would it be and why? The only thing that I would want to change about Flair is the way it is being promoted. In Worcester, Mass. there are a couple of people who Flair and there is one little competition that goes on once a year and the only way I hear about these things is through word of mouth. There are never ads in the paper or anything on the radio about clubs that have Flair bartenders or clubs that are putting on a competition. If there was a bigger budget from the sponsors the promotion money would be there to not only promote the event but also further promote the sponsors.

What obstacles do you see our sport of Flair Bartending encountering in the near future and in your opinion, how can we overcome them? One problem that I can see in the future for Flair bartending is that a lot of bartenders between the ages of 18 and 20 are going to get into Flair bartending, but it isn’t going to work out that well because a lot of the competitions that are held you have to be 21 years old to get into the venue. I think there needs to be an unwritten rule in this sport that if you are at least 18 years of age and you are a Flair bartender you should be eligible to compete in any Flair event.

What are some common obstacles you face as a Flair bartender opposed to a regular bartender? One obstacle that you have to face in Flair bartending is coming up with a good variety of Working Flair tricks when you are working behind a bar. The customers at the bar are not going to want to watch you do the same trick over and over, there needs to be a variety of Flair going on.

Do you think corporations and sponsors investing in Flair bartenders is an effective way to promote and educate and why? I think that companies that invest in Flair bartenders are a great way to promote. Usually when liquor companies sponsor an event at a bar, not only does the audience get to see the different types of tricks being done with the bottles from the sponsor’s, but the bar usually does drink specials with the liquor that is being used in the competition.

What is your favorite drink? My favorite drink would have to be an Irish Car Bomb!