In this article courtesy of the World Flair Association, the world’s best cities for flair bartending are dissected and analysed. Time to get your flair on!
From the day you started your career as a bartender through to the day when you hang up your bottles, you will remember all the towns and cities you have worked in. As you work and live in these cities they become part of you and naturally, a part of your flair bartending. With this in mind, here are some of the best and best up-and-coming cities to work and flair in…
Las Vegas
This is a big one of course, the ‘Entertainment capital’ of the world and the city that has some of the world’s best flair bars. After all Las Vegas is all about the show and there is no better place in the world to get behind a bar and impress your guests. Bartending is a professional career in the US and you can be particularly well rewarded if you end up in the right places.
Two of the best flair bars in Vegas are right across the strip from each other, Carnaval Court and Fuel Bar – if you can get a job at either of these or one of the main bars in the casinos, then your flair and bartending skills are set to improve as you can learn a lot.
Las Vegas is about big moves and big tricks, after all you know Americans don’t do anything small. Many of the greatest flair bartenders have lived and worked in Las Vegas and that is no coincidence. If you’re not from the USA, getting a visa to work in Vegas can be difficult. If you’re good enough however, your employer will definitely help you with that.
Milan
Milan is a modern and cosmopolitan city and one of the world’s fashion capitals. Of course, where there is a cosmopolitan way of life and high-end fashion, bars of all shapes and sizes aren’t far away. With over a million people living in this popular tourist city there are plenty of bars, restaurants and hotels to choose to work in.
Often labelled as the most stylish people in Europe, you will certainly learn a new element of style to your flair living and working in Italy – after all, flair bartending is a very popular pursuit. In Italy good quality bartenders or baristas are highly respected and sought after so if you’re looking for a country to stay in and learn your trade then Italy is a great place for it. For a cocktail from the molecular mixology camp, the Nottingham Forest bar is the place to visit, with many other bars such as Cafe Miani or 1930 where you can go for a taste of history and Milano elegance.
Warsaw
Warsaw makes our list as one of the most up and coming cities to work and flair in. It has only been over the last 10 years that this historical city has seen a big change in its bar culture. Young people in particular have started to move away from the traditional clubbing culture and more towards cocktails bars for parties and gatherings. As a result, the bartending culture in Warsaw has grown massively too.
Craft flair has been particularly popular in Warsaw and it has become a hub for experiencing craft flair culture at its finest, visiting bars such as The Roots or Kita Koguta (which literally translates to Tail of the cock…) you will experience elegant and sophisticated service featuring impressive flair. Expect your craft flair skills to develop when living and working in Warsaw, particularly if you remain part of the flair bartending scene and go to work at one of the cocktail bars. There are now two bar schools in Warsaw and the Just Flair League (WFA supported) which provide a great starting point for beginner bartenders to compete and develop their own style.
London
London is widely known as the ‘Mecca of the bartending world’ and for good reason – it has the most bars in the world in a city and the widest variety of style and type of bar. Many of the world’s best bars are touted as being in London and many of the world’s best flair bartenders live and work there every day. London’s flair bartending pedigree only grows stronger when you see that the longest running flair bartending competition in the world, The Roadhouse World Finals, also take place there every year.
The sheer variety of bars in the city of London will allow any fledgling bartender to choose and find the type of bartending education they want. From TGI Friday’s to Be At One, Adventure Group to London Cocktail Clubs and all of the other independent cocktail bars in between, bartenders who choose to live and work in London will have a large list of opportunities to choose from when it comes to discovering or furthering their flair bartending skill – all of these bars will push their bartenders to showcase their flair bartending skills during service.
Most importantly however, London is a hub of people. In this city you are likely to be able to meet a huge host of flair bartenders who you can exchange knowledge with or compete against – ensuring the possibilities to grow and learn as a bartender are endless.
