What is Sambuca? How it's made

An italian liqueur. It is as strong as vodka or whisky (37.5%) but is easier to drink due to its sweetness which masks the taste of the alcohol. It tastes like aniseed or liquorice and comes in several varieties and colours, including white sambuca (which is actually clear), black sambuca(which is more like a dark purple) and red sambuca (which is actually red).

It originates from a region of Italy around Rome. Civitavecchia, a famous port near Rome has some of the famous Sambuca producers, but nowdays it is being produced all over Italy majorly.

Contemporary mixology bars and the market in general are asking for constant inovation, so some of the Sambuca producers have launched many other styles of Sambuca liqueur that are primarily infused with angelica,

What is IPA Beer

There is a beer that is ever more popular in America recent years. It is growing in popularity and getting more diverse in styles. Love them or hate them, IPAs are growing in popularity, at least according to yearly data compiled by the Brewers Association (those lovable rapscallions). In addition to letting us know that sales of IPAs have increased by 47% in volume, the trade group has released some promising stats concerning the rest of the craft beer industry -- a whopping 1.5 breweries are opening in America every single day, and there are now over 3,200 brewers total across the country.


SAVOR THE FLAVOR | The IPA style of beer has a whole lot going for it. First and foremost is taste, which some could argue is an acquired one. The flavor of IPA beer highlights the complex and varied results that can be achieved through hops and other beer ingredient staples. The pronounced and unique flavor profile of IPA allows for a better understanding of brewing beer in general as hops and malts are often identified individually. We truly hope our database will help with the taste discovery process of the thousands of IPAs currently offered.

52 things that will annoy Bartender

First peak in to this amazing video and praise this guy that protects the bar as an institution. Harmony rules.
1. Snack out of our garnish fruit tray.
2. Rip your cocktail napkin up into tiny bits of confetti and millions of pieces.
3. Ask for another lime wedge so it can sit on the rim of your glass un-squeezed.
4. Take up a barstool with your kid or purse.
5. Try to enter the bar before it is open, then ask: “Is it cool if I just wait?” No, no it is not.
6. Make us wait while you try and describe the drink you had last week, made by the other bartender, who was not us.

What about Bourbon? What is Bourbon

Bourbon whiskey is recognized as a distinctive spirit. It is a spirit that is getting ever more popular  massively all around the globe.
These days you can find a great story behind a Bourbon concept as well as behind a Cognac one.

The days of prohibition are long gone, when many bourbon brands were put to extinction. Some of those were recreated in the past few decades and now really going head to head with scotch globally.

In my opinion, bourbon is much more easygoing and suited for someone who looks to start enjoying whiskey than any other type of.

When I was just starting my bartender career I loved mixing with Rum or Vodka, creating new cocktails or having older creations recreated.
Nowdays I am more into mixing with good Bourbon or good Brandy.
I also believe that creating a cocktail with a noble spirit keeps the mixology more neat, more in terms of simple, a lesser number of ingredients but all with sense and quality, gives a result of a drinks with more meaning and easier perception.

 And this smart bartender tells us the basic facts in bourbon production.

What Bartenders think of your orders

FORGET YOUR HAIRCUT, THE CLOTHES you’re wearing, and your body language; believe it or not, your bartender can tell everything about you by what you order at the bar. Here is what your drink order says about you (according to your bartender):

Goose & Cranberry (or Red Bull): You don’t know what you’re doing.

Whiskey, neat: You’re hot.

Jäger Bombs: If you are a male, you miss your frat boys. If you are a female, you have low self-esteem that can only be appeased by sex with a stranger.

Old-Fashioned: You recognize the value in hard work, and hold the reward for that hard work in high regard.

Bailey’s on the rocks: You still live at home with your parents.

Moscato: You’re just ordering this ‘cause you heard it in a Drake song (p.s. it is a sweet Italian wine).

Bacardi 151 for a friends: You’re a dick.

Bacardi 151 for yourself: There’s something wrong with you.

Demand something free: You are with a group of squealing girls wearing tiaras and/or matching shirts and will tip poorly (if at all).

Long Island Iced Tea: Your ID is fake and you are here to get white-girl wasted.

Apple-Tini: You hate the taste of alcohol.

Whatever’s cheap: (In my head: you!). This is an sign that you won’t be tipping either.

Jameson: You know what you’re doing.

Cosmopolitan: You’re aging, lack imagination, and have watched too much SATC.

White Russian: You have never worked in a bar before, so you have a fool-hearted confidence that the milk in the cooler is not expired.

Shot of well Tequila: You are emotionally unstable.

Don Julio on the rocks: You too know what you’re doing.

Patron Margarita: You wish to spend $15 on a drink that will taste exactly the same as a $7 drink.

Champagne for everyone: You have too much money and don’t know what to do with it.

Hennessy and Coke: “Can you guys play some rap music?”

PBR: Hipsters don’t tip.

Alize in a snifter: “Oh, you (think you’re) fancy, huh?”

Amaretto sour: You’re a female who never knew what to order, so a bartender made it for you once and now you order it all the time because it’s the only drink you know how to order.

1 Candy Apple, 2 Porn Stars, 1 Sour Jack…: “Are you fucking with me?!” You are the bane of my existence.

Gin & Juice: “Sure buddy, is Snoop Dogg shooting a music video in here that I’m not aware of?”

A Hi-Ball: It’s your first time in a bar, you heard they were on special, but you have no idea what a hi-ball is. But you still ask the bartender for a “Hi-Ball.”

Caesar: You’re hungover.

Bottle of Rosé: You cry during sex.

Compiled by Lisa Millar-Jones from the bartenders at Caprice Nightclub and taken from Matadornetwork.com

11 things people don't understand about being a Bartender

1. It looks easier than it is
On average, bartenders probably do 10-12hr shifts, sometimes with no break. There are hours
of prep work, hours of clean-up, and hours of catering to the demands of people who have no
concept of a bartender's actual hours.
2. Their lives are not an endless party

The bartender is like the parent at a slumber party: they are working to make sure everybody
else is having fun, while trying to keep them from getting in too much trouble. And once the kids
go to bed, they're up late cleaning the mess.
3. When you're in an environment that's extremely high volume, everything goes out the
window
A skilled bartender always wants to make the best drink possible, but in a busy bar there's a
balance between meticulous craftsmanship and breakneck efficiency. This is particularly true of
inexperienced bartenders who don't have their recipes memorized. If they're slammed with
Negroni, Manhattan, and Old Fashioned orders back-to-back, they're immediately in the weeds
and will be much less excited to discuss the intricacies of their tiki menu.
4. Bartending is largely about multi-tasking and quick memory recall
Bartenders do everything at once. A home-cocktail-enthusiast might be able to make a good Manhattan, but it's an entirely different thing to make three at once while taking a beer order, running a credit card, and being eye-pulled by 10 strangers. Most decent bartenders can multi-task like maniacs, good ones can do it while keeping their drinks to a high standard, and only the best can pull it off while maintaining a hospitable smile.

5. People trust bartenders more than their therapists
You're not paying a bartender for their time, you're paying them for a way to waste yours. So advice from a bartender seems to come with the same air of authority as a professional counselor, but without the baggage of a ticking clock.

6. The human interaction is what makes bartenders feel like they're people too
You might run into a gruff bartender who doesn't want to chat, but most are pretty outgoing people. They wouldn't be in this industry if they didn't like talking to strangers. Strangers who tip them well.

7. Most craft-cocktail bartenders rarely order cocktails
They want to make it easy on the other bartenders by just getting a beer and a shot, and not
bogging someone down by making a 10-ingredient tiki drink. But if the night is slow, a bartender
will usually try to order a drink that's indicative of the establishment. And always with a glass of
ice water. They don't expect you to order like you're in the industry, but would appreciate it if
you did.
8. Some bartenders drink during their shift, but not all of them
Some bars don't allow it. Some bartenders don't care about that rule. It's not uncommon for a
bartender to do a few shots during a shift to take the edge off and as hospitality lubrication. But
many have a general policy of not drinking with customers, and will go so far as to pour water in
their own shot glass instead of vodka to maintain the illusion that they are fun party dudes.
9. Bartenders don't always remember a name, but they always remember a tip
Tipping well is the number one way to get a bartender on your side, but an experienced
barkeep can usually tell when you're trying to buy their friendship. That won't fly. Also, a good
tip isn't always just cash; it can be a good attitude, a bit of well-timed banter, or just the ability to
read the wavelength of the bartender and act accordingly.

10. A bartender's "favorite drink to make" is what you'll most enjoy
Ordering a bartender's signature cocktail might earn you a slight nod of approval, but usually
your barkeep is much happier to make you something you're not going to regret spending eight
bucks on. If you're looking for drink advice, give a few hints as to what you enjoy or ask what
the bartender would be drinking if they were on the other side of the bar. Odds are they are also
professional drinkers.
11/9/2014 Understanding Bartenders - Things You Didn't Know About Bartending - Thrillist
http://www.thrillist.com/drink/nation/understanding-bartenders-things-you-didn-t-know-about-bartending-thrillist-nation 1/1
11. Girls don't actually want to sleep with bartenders
Ok, well, some do. But the reality is that most women aren't patient enough to wait until 4:30am
for their bartender-crush to close up shop, return home, down a pair of cheap beers, and catch
up on their /r/cocktails Reddit feed.

Taken from/credits to: http://www.thrillist.com/

OTVARAM KAFIĆ. SVA TA MAGIJA.

Jedan od onih stručnih pojmoga koji  vam se uvrtu u glavu, mimo još njih 1000 iz bar terminologije. Kakva je to industrija i zašto se uopšte naziva industrijom ako se tamo ne proizvode konkretni proizvodi? Ili se prozizvode ustvari?

U svakom slučaju jedan od najbrže rastućih domena  današnjice. Jedan od osnovnih razloga zbog kojeg svi mladi ljudi hrle u gradove i tamo ostaju iako je život tako finansijski zahtjevniji. Ali bar industrija danas nije što je nekad bila. Barovi i Klubovi, kafići i Pivnice su postala mjesta kulturnih dešavanja ali i ovih drugih. Ipak, i u jednom i u drugom slučaju ova mjesta imaju određenu karmu i konkretnu energiju.

I danas vam je Bar industrija iliti Ugostiteljstvo ustvari Industrija zabave. Brzo se živi, radilo se ili ne radilo, ljudi vole zabavu i stalno su u potrazi za istom. Ne mislim da ih stoga treba kriviti što u što baš u ovoj dimenziji dnevne rutine ispunjavaju osnovne potrebe svog društvenog života za razliku od nekad ranije.

U barovima, kafićima se može vidjeti sve i svakoga, čuti sve šta se dešava, opustiti se, upoznati nove i zanimljive ljude i prosto je nezamislivo da takve stvari danas ne postojie. Na istorijskom tajmlajnu one su ustvari uvijek postojale.

Kako vrijeme teče tako se i trendovi mijenjaju. Neka mjesta su popularna neko vrijeme a onda to budu neka druga, zatim su opet ova stara ili neka nova. Baš kao i sa muzikom. Te neke društvene tokove je teško razumjeti, a oni su direktno vezani za popularnost određenog bara ili kafića, kluba.

Pored toga, ima ta dimenzija koju nosi osoblje u jednom „Etertainment“ baru(baru zabave), mjestu u koje se ide da bi se provelo, vidjelo i bilo viđenim.
To je definitivno onaj dio cijele ugostiteljske u koji valja ulagati i gdje treba biti pravi šahista i psiholog da bi priča trajala. Puno puta smo čuli i ima istine u toj staroj dobroj: „konobari prave posao a ne gazda“. Umjetnik želi da kaže da su oni nosioci harizme jednog kafića. Jer tu se ne radi o Hotelu čiji je fokus da po dobrim ili odličnim internacionalnim standardima puži vrhunski smještaj i druge usluge putniku sa drugog kontinenta.
Barmeni i konobari defintivno prave razliku. Po klišeima je dobro imati nekoga iz „Raje“ ili nekoliko njih na centralnim pozicijama. I ima istine u tome. Kafić je „In“ onoliko koliko su mu barmeni i konobari „In“ ili raja. Nezavisno od ciljne grupe mušterija vodeći se ovim razmišljanjem definitivno ćemo imati dobar efekat i kreirati dobar početni renome ukoliko se kafić tek otvara.  Na kraju krajeva, to su ljudi koji su na prvoj liniji odbrane, oni komuniciraju, prodaju, zabavljaju...

Da li to znači da možemo imati kakvu god kafu, standarde kafane sa autobuske stanice ili pak bezvezni i totalno „out of date“ eterijer. – Apsolutno jok.

Ovo samo govori o tome koliko je teško složiti kafić ili klub da funkcionišu dobro ali i dugotrajno. Danas puno ljudi ima dovoljno novaca da otvori kafić ali ne toliko puno ljudi zna kako izaći na kraj sa multidimenzionalnošću ovog posla.

Ja bih to ovako složio ako bi otvarali neki originalni kafić sa akcentom na večernji posao i taj tzv „entertainment“. Kako bi posao trajao i donosio; Dimenzije barskog poslovanja na kojima konstantno morate postizati preko 80% od tržišnog standarda jesu:

Ø  Lokacija.  –Amerikanci će vam reći da su za uspiješan bar biznis potrebne tri stvari. A to su: lokacija, lokacija i lokacija. Uzmimo za zgodno da smo ovu stvar već ispoštovali i da otvaramo kafić u urbanom dijelu grada ili nekom veoma naseljenom dijelu grada.

Ø  Koncept.  –Dobro osmišljen koncept, puno prije otvaranja samog bara. Za ovo već treeba barem 2 ljudi mimo samog ulagača. Nema šanse da stvar pluta tek tako. Neće trajati. Poželjno je da su to dvoje ljudi iz sfere „entertainmenta“ i sami, muzičari, glumci, osobe iz javnog života sa određenim afinitetima ka originalnim stvarima i umjetnosti, poznati hedonisti ili proslavljeni likovi iz bar industrije ili sa rtv niše. Prilagođavanja zadatom konceptu od samog otvaranja bara su neminovna ali ako promijenimo koncept za 180 stepeni biće teško zadržati stare dok pridobijamo nove goste. Pubovi i pivnice su trenutni hit. Finansijske mogućnosti prosječnog BiH građanina su se promijenile ali apetiti i dalje rastu. Ljudi žele ludu zabavu i oni koji su im to priuštili uz vrhunski pub koncept, sa smislenim enterierom, sposobnim „entertainment“ osobljem, bilo rock, mashup, poprockcajka ili možda kafanica koncepta, stvar bi po defaultu trebala funkcionisati barem do 2020. U cijeloj BiH Banjaluka sigurno prednjači sa takvim pivnicama ali i ostali pomalo sustižu. Po onome što sam ja vidio putujući, a gume znaj da putujem, nisam vidio pub koncept od početka pubomanije u BiH, neke 2010, da nije profunkcionisao. I tržište se već zahuktava.

Da sumiram(koncept):

1.       Dobri „entertainment“ menadžeri,

2.       dobra ponuda( barem 3 točene pivice i bezbroj drugih piva različitih stilova kao i dobra vina, nešto koktela na meniju pod obavezno i dobra kafa, grickalice, a kuhinja bi bila dodatni plus);

3.       obavezna živa svirka, u današnje vrijeme sigurno.

4.       enterijer koji prati filozofiju iza koje stoji cijeli projekat,

5.       propratni eventi i događaji koji upotpunjuju ponudu preko radne sedmice, tipa „Beer pong“ takmičenja i slično.

Ø  Osoblje. – E sada, nećemo valjda dozvoliti da uložimo toliko novca i energije u neki projekat pa da nemamo dobrog iskusnog menadžera, koji je ujedno i dobar ekonomista ali i psiholog. Zvuči nemoguće, fenomen. Nije baš. Zar još da rizikujemo ne uzmemo kvalitetno osoblje, ili ga ne edukujemo pa praktično sami stvorimo to. Edukacija nije uvijek prosto nabrajanje stvari i slušanje predavanja u Bar Akademiji. Ona je takođe i konstantno Tim Liderstvo. Na ovome se mora raditi i puno prije otvranja samog bara. Nabavimo ili stvorimo Barmene i konobare koji su komunikativni, zabavni, veseli, „Raja“, realni, sposobni, dovoljno ozbiljni ali i „Party people“. Pored svega ovoga, osoblje koje prodaje mora znati šta prodaje. Tamo neki termini Whsky, Whiskey, Scotch, Bourbon, pa da li je Brandy što piše ustvari Konjak i zašto ga tako zovu ako nije. Ti termini ne bi trebali biti strani. Ili bar većina njih. Ukratko, vaši barmeni i konobari ne moraju biti vrhunski znalci bar pojmova i same bar kulture ali moraju znati o onome što prodaju. Tačka. Drugim riječima, moramo ih edukovati ako već ne znaju. A kompanije od kojih kupujemo svu tu robu imaju ljude za to.

Ø  Ekonomija. –Ništa manje važna stvar i jedna od ključnih za isplatnost projekta. Da, jeste teško naći dobar balans između cjenovne realnosti svoje ponude i njene pristupačnosti lokalnom džepu.

Pod jedan, tradicije i standarde cijena recimo kafe i piva koje postoje u kraju ne bi smjeli kršiti. Ovo je jedna dimenzija barskog poslovanja u kojoj mora da se vodi računa nezavisno od svih drugih. Sve treba davati na preispitivanje i voditi i finansijsko knjigovodstvo i računati stvari po principu finansijske isplativosti. Ako nema smisla mijenjati cijene nekih artikala probati fokusirati prodaju ne neke druge koje imaju smisla. Pod dva, voditi kako finanskijsko knjigovodstvo, po principu milja ušla četiri izašle, isto tako pratiti i brojno stanje stvari radi lakše orjentacije pri narudžbi ali i kontroli poslovanja. I naravno, u svemu imati mjeru i toleranciju, vezano za ostale stavke u poslovanju.

Ø  Psihologija (Menadžment) –Odlična tematika. Liderstvo koje zna da vodi željeznom pesnicom ali i da nagrađuje, da zadivljuje, da edukuje, da i samo uči u procesu i da se konstantno konsultuje sa svima u kolektivu je nešto što moramo imati. U ovoj našoj priči situacija bi bila na 3 nivoa: Nivo 1. Osnivač koji ima direktive i satvove, zamisli i htijenja, bilo da se radi o fizičkom ili pravnom licu. Ovaj opis dobrog lidera bi se morao dobrim dijelom odnositi na na osnivača. Nivo2. Osnivač + menadžment(„Entertainment direktor“, Glavni Barmen kao šef Bar osoblja i Ekonomista tj. Knjigovođa). Nivo 3. Svo osoblje zajedno uključujući i nivo 1 i 2. Tj, od Osnivača do Čistačice i pomoćnog kuvara. Motivacija, edukacija, komunikacija, proslava i nagrađivanje.

Ø  Sistem. –Još jedna kreativna dimenzija, umjetnički obojena. Ukoilko ste „Stand alone“ kafić ili restoran, a to u našoj zemlji uglavnom jeste tako, ne pripadate nikakvom lancu barova i niste dio neke hotelske grupacije; po defaultu imate ovaj problem za riješiti. Radi se o tome da se svako od nas zasiti rutine, jednostavnih zadataka i uloge koja nam je dodjieljena ako nema izazova. Tim više ako ste angažovali ljude sa velikim ambicijama. Jednom kad ti ljudi odu, odlaze i gosti za njima. Da bi sačuvali ovakve ljude i dali im izazove, moramo im dati mogućnost da se edukuju, rastu i razvijaju se u svim ovim dimenzijama barskog poslovanja.

Drugim riječima, oni žele „up the scale“ ili od pozicije konobara, ako su to realno zaslužili u ulogu Barmena barem u roku od dvije godine marljivog rada i truda. Potom za dvije godine opet u ulogu glavnog Barmena i na kraju Entertainment menadžera ili generalnog menadžera. Ljudi žele izazove. Žele rasti i napredovati. Na taj način ih možemo zadržati u koliktivu dosta dugo, ako nam ti ljudi vrijede. Sve je psihološka igra. Ukoliko imamo više od jedno restorana ili kafića, to je onda još bolja sitaucija i sada smo već mala kompanija koja svog najboljeg Barmana ili Kuvara može nagraditi pozicijom u nekom drugom od svojih lokala. Odlično.

Sistem je nasušan za dugovječnost. Jasan sistem.

Multidimenzionalnost ugostiteljskog posla je onoliko složena priča koliko i bankarski sektor. Ima puno toga na šta se mora misliti. I zaista, bez dobrih ljudi i sistema, programa i kvalitetnog menadžmenta nema ni unosnog posla. Siguran sam da je ova tematika dosta zanimljiva svima iz Bar industrije. Zato glavu gore i na posao. Svima puno sreće.

S poštovanjem,

Nebojša Lazarević

Bar Akademija Shakers.

Bartenders n Focus. What do Americans have to say.

Truly original slide of videos that I have found just now.
It is always great to view the different styles of mixology with bartenders from different backgrounds and this time it is what do Americans have to say.

Love the equipment. Missed that American salesmanship concept behind, when talking. Boys and girls know the business.

Enjoy it.
Cheers.

Love his bar. The mixing glasses. The tools. All 10+.

New York New York. Works great. Simple but works.

And Jamie says it neat. Great video.

CLASH OF THE BALKANS - BOSNIA FLAIR TOUR

Hello everyone. We are happy to announce that we are preparing a good happy dayz flair fun for all of you boys and girls. 


I am glad to inform you that there are two competitions to take place in a 4 day flair tour across Bosnia-Herzegovina, named CLASH OF THE BALKANS-BOSNIA FLAIR TOUR. 

Competition no.1:

MINISTRY OF FLAIR - THE FAMOUS GROUSE CUP

(City of Sarajevo)
Bartender Association of Bosnia-Herzegovina is an organizer of this competition. Ministry of Flair-The famous Grouse cup is a fully provided with accommodation.

7.4.2014 Monday, noon - Mixology Quals

7.4.2014 Monday, afternoon - Flair Quals

8.4.2014 Tuesday, noon - Mixology Finale

8.4.2014 Tuesday, afternoon - Flair Finale

LINKS: 
FLAIR RULES
MIXOLOGY RULES
Application mail for flair competitors: gatsbysgrandson@mail.ru
(simply put your name, approx arrival, T-shirt size and feel free to ask anything else).
Please keep in mind that you will have to apply for both competitions separately

Application mail for mixology competitors: duvnjakedis@gmail.com
(simply put your name, approx arrival, T-shirt size and feel free to ask anything else).
Please keep in mind that you will have to apply for both competitions separately.

Competition no 2.

VOLARE CUP(City of Mostar)

Wednesday 9.4.2014 - MIXOLOGY

Wednesday 9.4.2014 -  FLAIR QUALIFICATIONS 

Thursday 10.4.2014 - FLAIR FINALE

IMPORTANT: 
Please keep in mind that Bartender Association of Bosnia-Herzegovina is not the organizer of Volare Cup and we are only posting it as a favor to our friends. Therefore, we cannot be responsible for anything regarding this particular competition. 
However, the two competitions as confirmed, stay in line and are as scheduled, which means that nothing practically changes as much as you might be concerned.

This COMPETITION DETAILS is the direct link to the VOLARE CUP in Mostar city. Be free to check it out. You will find info about rules, judges, prize money and in the end an email to reach the organizer and participate.

TRANSPORT.
Dear friends, there are many ways to reach us. The best way is probably flights to Sarajevo and Mostar City from Germany, Austria, Serbia, Croatia, Turkey, Switzerland, Austria, Italy(Bari, Milan, Pisa, Naples etc). If you have a good connection to Italy you will easily reach us. Sarajevo, where the first competition in a row takes place is very well connected to the rest of europe by air. Germanwings connects every few days from Cologne. There are connections to most of the Europe. Please check the links bellow.

SARAJEVO.
SARAJEVO AIRPORT

MOSTAR.
MOSTAR AIRPORT
REFERRED BOOKING AGENT

We sincerely hope to see you here. The nightlife is awesome and the cities are full of historical sites. We also hope that the other conditions please you. Safe trip.

Flair Newspaper 14. What's happening?

Here is what has been going on recently in the flair world. There have been a lot of interesting happenings in the industry for the past several weeks. I see things developing across the ocean as Vladymyr Buryanov and Danilo Oribe launch a new Flair training concept under their new project named Las Vegas Flair Academy. They have got The John Bundy, a man who trained Tom Cruise and Bryan Brown in the movie Cocktail on one of the trainings.

As the story goes on they are teaching their flair philosophy in Europe as well by doing a flair masterclass in Rome. It is a positive thing to see progressive elements of Bartending kicking of in America after some time. We all wish them happy flairing.

You can find out more about their work and courses on Las Vegas Flair Academy

Lets move on. Love this new video update on the results of  Bar Achievement Awards. In my personal opinion it is super to have projects like this going on, as it feeds the Bar industry and makes all of us work more progressive on ourselves and on moving our views about bar industry today closer to a wider public.
It is sure great to have all those who have really worked hard throughout the year being promoted and awarded.

Post by Bar Achievement Awards.

Let's all give a full support to this project because these kind of things are a promotion of Bar industry in general and us all. Gratitude to the Just Flair TV and their partners.

You will find more on this subject on Bar Achievement Award.Be sure to visit it.

Just a couple of days ago there was a this new Grand Slam rated competition in Assen, Netherlands, called BarTT Grand Slam. The final lineup looked as follows:
1. Alexander Shtifanov
2. Tomek Malek
3. Marek Poslyszny
4. Bruno Vanzan
5. Vaclav Abraham
6. Tom Dyer
7. Miika Mehtio
8. Manuel Weiser
9. Vitaly Kolpin
10. Denis Trifanovs

You should also check this short interview with the winner. Try to see into the flair Bartenders views and way of living.

Liquor News 2

Great news for a top shelf whisky fans. There is a lot of positive things going on.

CROWN ROYAL XO
Crown Royal launches it's super new XO concept. This Uisge is is to be a greatest blend they have ever created. Made out of more than 50 of their finest whiskies with notable hints of vanilla and dried fruits with the smoothest finish and amber, topaz in color.
As it was originally created to commemorate the tour of Canada by King and Queen back in 1939, this spirits takes, in my own opinion even higher ground. Being a top shelf but still quite affordable amazingly smooth whisky it will sure be a top pick among the whisky sippers as well as a great product to be offered in one Bar, Club or a Restaurant.

Master Blender, Andrew MacKay underlines that this great 50 whiskies blend is finished by ageing in Cognac casks from the French Limousin forest and, which defines it and further enriches it's being. Company states that it will retail at recommended price of $50.

SVEDKA VODKA NEW FLAVORS
Svedka, in my views one of funkiest packed Vodka brands, now has new flavors among their infused vodka portfolio. These new ones are a new mixed flavor concepts, and it will be interesting to see how will they perform at the market. We are talking about Svedka Strawberry Lemonade and Svedka Mango Pineapple Vodka. If being asked, I think that the second one of these has a greater future ahead, taking in consider the bartenders point of view when mixing drinks, and I believer it will find it's niche to be Cocktail(Martini) and Tiki tropical sphere of Cocktail Mixology. Still, I wish them a great success. As a reminder, some of the others that they have in their portfolio are Svedka Colada, Svedka Strawberry Colada, Svedka Orange Cream(my favourite), and other, basic ones they have created such as Svedka Clementine, Raspberry, Vanilla, Citron and Cherry.

DIAGEO INVESTS CLYNELISH
Diageo is on their course to invest some thirtythousandpounds in the Clynelish Distilery. This being a part of their new agenda to invest some one billion pounds into their Scotch Whisky brands production facilities, so to increase production. Part of this action among other things will be to invest in new mashtun, 10 new washbacks and six new copper stills. Those who enjoy it know that Clynelish is highly prized distillery, and very impotrtant player in the Scotch Whiskey industry history. I say Cheers.

Flair Newspaper 13.1 Update

Here is an update od Flair 13. We have finally got videos from Flairmania competition in Riga, held just a few days ago. This great comp has been a real show in the flair world, first of the big ones this year. Take a peak on those videos and post a comment as we wanna know who had the best routine in your own opinion. 

You will find all the other videos on Flairmania Youtube channel as same as these.
Cheers!

Flair Newspaper 13

Dear All, beginning of the year in flair world is completely in shadowed over by a Flairmania competition, held in Riga, Latvia, it is the biggest comp in the Baltic region. As it was every time, this years lineup is really impressive and Flairmania lives up to it's name. It was held on 16th of January and hosted by Olympic Voodoo Casino in Riga. A great comp, and superb vibe, surely a great afterparty later. You could watch the livestreaming on Bartending.lv and see it for yourself.

Post by Flairmania.

This competition is now traditional comp to visit and it has grown to a great comp over last couple of years thanks to a great work and professionalism of colleague bartenders from Latvia. You can see the final results on the poster to the left. The lineup was some different in the qualifications today and the first 10 are listed on the poster to the right. We are now waiting for bartending.lv and Justflair TV to upload their videos to the web to see the performances

Before that happens enjoy this funky trailer they have made to tease all of us to pay attention to this year's edition of Olympic Casino Flairmania.

Another interesting competition that rises to the west is new brand, new concept that is being prepared in Holland, as the WFA site announces the "BARTT" Flair will have a max of 30 competitors and will sure place Holland into a Big competition flair map as they say on their site. This competition is at the WFA Grand Slam level and will be held in Assen in Holland on 10th and 11th Feb. 2014.
You can find out more about it on http://www.barttending.nl/

Adam and his JUST FLAIR TV Crew are announcing the biggest competition in Poland this year as they say.
It will be held in the city of Rzeszow, in south of Poland. Stage really looks great and they are expecting a big game over there.

It is scheduled to kick of in 13. of March 2014 and all are invited.
For any more than this You can contact Mr/ Adam on the email stated at the end of the video broadcast below. Cheers!

Bartenders flair. Flair basics.

There is one subject I have always wanted to discuss about. It is a thing of a great importance in my views. Overflairing is one thing that bothers me. There must be some common sense in performing a Cocktail creation in working flair. One must know that there are other ways to make an impression on a guest, and surely working flair that contains a one or at most two series of fast, interesting tricks, spins or stalls is a great thing to do. Even so in an empty bar.

You sure don't want to overflair in that manner to give an impression that you are super selfie and careless what people at the bar think about that or perhaps, what they might need at the moment.
Barman should not forget that a smile, talk, ease, a great sense ruling the space and controlling the vibe in the bar makes a great start for quick working flair when creating.

I would say, those two fellow bartenders got it all explained in this great video. Cool video.

Liquor News

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SCOTCH WHISKY

I have got some updates on liquor industry. According to the latest figures that are available scotch whisky industry has grown 87% by export in last 10 years. US being it's main market by now is to be matched in some figures by some rising markets in Asia, as expected in the next decade.

Whisky is certainly one of the most iconic products of UK and it looks like it is to continue to grow in production and export in next few decades, as the new markets continue to expand.

MILLBROOK DISTILLERY

Talking about Uisge, new edition of Bourbon is being introduced by the Millbrook Distillery in Kentucky - Millbrook Private Reserve 2013 Straight Bourbon Whiskey. It is a sophisticated and subtle Bourbon with hints of spice and honey. Adding to this they are also planning to launch it's "Barrel Strenght Straight Bourbon Whiskey" this January, as well as introducing a "Camp Fire Rye Whiskey" next year.
Check more on http://millbrookdistillery.com/

BEEFEATER GIN

An interesting news is that London Distillery of Beefeater is to open it's doors to public. Great move in my opinion as it will bring their philosophy closer to the consumers.

MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN COCKTAIL

Liquor.com informs that the Museum of the American Cocktail will open in its great, new, larger building, as they closed in 2012 for relocation. This new space offers a lot more, and there are special rooms for exhibits, lectures, tastings etc. They plan taking their mixology seminars to LA coming year.

RICHLAND RUM LAUNCHED

This new, upmarket brand is made of sugar cane syrup, not molasses, grown in the same region as distilled. Being made only of two ingredients, sugar cane syrup and water from the Georgia Aquifer, bottled in original bottles with a super premium concept it would be great to have one of these in your bar. As much as I know, available only in US for now. Richland Distillery's founder Erik Vonk, reminds that Rum was first to America, before Bourbon or Whiskey came along and that he is thrilled to see a Rum Renaissance continues evolving in the last years. They are among a few Distilleries in America fully dedicated to hand crafting domestic, authentic Rum, savored by Whisky & Bourbon fans, Cognac and Brandy connoisseurs.

You can find out more on their website: 

http://www.richlandrum.com/