The Boozy Breakfast.

The liquid nitrogen fell through so no instant Guiness ice cream this morning. However the long list of tricks that goes up my sleeve wraps around a few times.

The Breakfast of champion bartenders was about to be served.

Pancakes with Vanilla protein powder and soda water were topped with banana that had been cooked in brown sugar, butter, Fortey Creek Whiskey and Amaretto. This might have been the tastiest thing I have ever cooked in my life. Simply amazing.

The bacon was fried with more whiskey and maple syrup.

Second course

French Toast with Grand Marnier and Orange Zest. This was topped with fresh barries and the crowd fav banana's foster style topping as mentioned above. The bacon on the other hand took another turn.

I sent Troy down to the bar to find anything to cook the bacon in. He returned with Jose Curevo Tequila. Hmmm. I grabbed a fresh orange and a fresh lemon. Squeezed them both on thop of the bacon with a heaping amount of Mr. Curevo. The result. Margarita Bacon. This was the second biggest hit of morning. After breaking the nights fasting we were off to my personal Speakeasy for some creating.

Everyone paired up to create a specialty drink with specific instruction. We needed to see Strong, Weak, Sweet and Sour. We spent the after noon taaste testing many of the 100's of ingredients I have on the bar and doing a couple fo runs to the store.

After we had invented four great cocktails we photographed them and put them into a menu for everyone to take home. This was a great day. Perhaps one of my better training days over my entire training career.

Off to the Angel Inn. A Haunted bar in a city the hosted the 1812 British, American games.

This turned out to be a causual night infront of a fire laughing at the pain and suffering of the frost bite our Southern fried students we crying about. Sorry no it was a great night of conversation in front of a fire with 5 glasses of Port. We would have bought a bottle but they said no?

It all comes together tomorrow

We had a great turn out for Level 2. A small and eager group is my favourite way to teach. The group consisted soley of former Arts and Sciences Level 1 students. Erica came back from Florida, Crystal returned from Las Vegas, Gord and Nick are two local boys and of course Karl, Troy and Dale all Boot Camp veterns also returned for more debachery.

Each of these people had gained different skills over the time between sessions. Some had not gained any yet still wanted to come and play. The say practice makes perfect however in some cases it needs to be remembered the Practice can make better as well. Perfect does not always need to be achieved. You do need to practice though.

We got everyone juggling on day one. We also did some speed and accuracy testing. Everyone had great pours yet the speed was a factor on determining that Gord was the top pourer in the group. Other multi bottle flair was shared and then it was off to dinner and then an early night for the weiry travelers.

More tomorrow.

D

Day 2 was a tough day. The itinerary I developed was not working out due to the vast array of skills. Not only was level of difficulty a factor. Some students wanted to learn to juggle bottles, some wanted juggling tricks and four bottle, one has amazing bottle and tin yet could not catch 2 bottle in one hand and some needed to get thier nickers tightened to catch consistent one bottle moves.

We did some free style training with and without music to see how we moved with the level of difficulty being removed. What this isolated for me was exactly where our student body was at. The exhausting day felt as though it had ended on a negative when in fact it had not ended at all.

Off to the Casino. Shane Roach and some guy that did not even acknowledge the group were working the bar. Shane as always took very good care of us. Everyone is always enchanted by Shanes cool style behind the bar. He does the flair because he likes it. The feed back he gets only feeds his desire to supply professional bartending with Flair. Shane invented drinks for us on the spot, amazed us with not a drop or a spill. Karls jaw nearly snapped when it hit the marble bar top. "I just love the way he moves" he says.

The night ended for me after a great indepth conversation about the program and the expectations of each student. I had come back to life only to be heading back home.

The biggest day of the program was to come in the morning.

I am very excited to let you all know that the training schedual for 2008 has been updated.

I have the 1st six months of the year ready to roll with new programs and incentives for everyone.

Arts and Sciences Level 1

January - 21- 41

March - 24- 27

May - 26- 29.

NEW Arts and Sciences Level 2

January - 28-31

June - 16-19

Bartending with Flair - 2 day flair only workshop

Feb 18-19

April - 14-15

June 2-3.

All students will recieve a 15% refund on all purchases through the Flairco Bar store for 1 year from graduation in any program. I also have a $50.00 off your next class for alumni that  suggest the programs to other bartenders who graduate from the course.

Boot Camp updates will also be forth coming as more details on the camp are sorted out.

We are looking forward to seeing everyone in 2008. We are looking to have a fantastic year at Flairco.

Cheers

Dean

Ok So I am hurting just a little.
The Barmetrix team had their first Canadian Managers workshop yesterday. It was an excellent presentation that talked to bar owners and managers about structuring their time and how to better manager their own businesses. It was a great day for all as the owners took the day to work on their business as opposed to working in their business.

Quest is ON.
Levi qualified for the finals in 7th spot. We are looking forward to his show.

As for the Boot Camp guys. Flippin fantastic. The amateurs all put on great shows. Advanced still to go today. Shane and Mike are both ready.

Out of 32 Amateur competitors here are the Boot Camp results.

Joey Stepp - 2nd place over all 187.67 points

 1st place Variety 
 3rd place Presence
 3rd place Composure
 2nd place Entertainment
 3rd place Flair
 2nd lowest deductions

Karl Anderson – 8th place overall 163.42
 1st place Presence
 1st place Composure
 1st place Entertainment
 Lowest Deductions score

Troy Dohaniuk  - 13th place overall 92.08 points

Dale Kerpan – 27th place overall 71.67
 5th place Entertainment

The best of luck to the guys competing today.

Advanced is done.

Mica Dew from Team Canada is in first place going into the finals tomorrow.

The always smooth and cool Shane Roach took 16th place overall with 12th place in Flair.

Mike "Spills" Mills had us all nervous wreaks with a round that we all new was going to be close to making the finals. Bubble Boy means getting close and not making it.  Too many "Spills".

8th place was still a great finals placing for this Quest rookie.

We are all very proud of te placing of all the guys. We all learned a ton and are much more prepared for the next one. All the guys are counting the minutes to the next comp.

Good luck to Mica and Levi in the finals tomorrow. I just posted a picture f the Boot Camp team on the picture gallery.

Cheers

D

Six cadets joined us in September to attend the Flairco Boot Camp.

Private - Tuft - Joey Stepp - West Virginia

Private – Karlmel – Karl Anderson – Orlando, Florida

Private – Baggins - Troy Dohanhyck- St Catharines, Ontario

Private – P SLIP – Dale Kerpan- Toronto, Ontario

Corporal – Papa – Shane Roach Niagara Falls, Ontario

Corporal Spills – Mike Mills – Pennsilvania

Each of the guys showed up with various degrees of talent and preparation.  All of them showed up with an open mind and a willingness to succeed. We studied the fundamentals of preparing a flair show on the first 2 days and Levi Donaldson came in and sharpened the guys up with an in-depth speed round break down. Levi is a maniacal genius with his expert dissection of what is arguably the most difficult round in professional bartending competitions.

The winner of the week was Mike Mills with the best overall speed round and the cleanest flair show. We are all very anxious to see Private Karlmel on stage as his showmanship and unique style won him the admiration of us all.  

Private Tuft’s combination of fast flair and showmanship will do him very well at what will be his first Quest.

Baggens and P- Slip both complete rookies not only to flair and to bartending competitions. They are also green bartenders with only months of working behind the wood.  They had no idea just what level of commitment they were getting themselves into with the Boot Camp. Both have faired well and are pleased to still have a month to practice. Good luck Gents.

Corporal Papa Roach – Spent some time sorting out a new style for himself. Watching the styles of all of the other guys Papa is looking to out do himself at this years Quest. Shane was the only bartender to run deduction free at Quest 2005.

Watch for videos and testimonials coming up soon on the website. For now check out the Photo gallery for pics.

Overall as the Captain of this project I am looking forward to the day of the competition. 4 of the 6 guys are ready. #5 and #6 will be ready by game day. The Flairco Boot Camp Quest 07 is going to put on a great showing at Quest. We may not win but we will have the most fun of all.

I in life there are always a few opportunites that help you turn corners. You do not know what the opportunity is until after you have taken it however. I  have past up many great opportunities for one reason or another and I try not to pass up new ones. This is one of those great opportunities that would at first make you shy away.

I was approached by the Cosmetics Department from the top Canadian drug store cahin Shoppers Drug Mart to present some sales and service seminars to their sales staff. 3 sessions totaling over 250 ladies from around Ontario.

WHAT! I know that is your reactions because that was mine and everyone else I have spoken with about it has had the exact same reaction."WHAT!" WHat is the connection between cosmetics and bartending, what could I share, what could I possably find to draw a connection. 3500 BC the Babyonians invented distillation to make perfume. We now use it today to make alcohol as well. OK  a stretch. How about the fact that both are retail jobs. One over 2 feet of pine one over a glass counter. Each has customers that need to be greeted and assessed in 30 seconds. The cosmetics ladies have multiple products for multipple uses and multiple prices. Geeting in 30 seconds, establishing needs, exceeding expectations it is the same for any retail. The compasisons to presentaions given by the top presenters from Shoppers and my own Bartending presentations were quite interesting.

The 3 sessions were all quite unique. 60-80 ladies. Who else to better entertrain these ladies than a bartender. A bartender with his own brand of wit, humor and magic. 

more to come. gotta run

I just got off the phone with Levi Donaldson. We were discussing the curriculum of the up coming Quest Camp. This is going to be an exciting few days for everyone involved. We are looking forward to delivering a memorable Boot camp to some up and coming Bartenders. The results of the camp will be put to the test at Quest so we will not truly see the fruits of our labor until then. I am sure I will be as nervous as the competitors themselves at the competition.

The Arts and Sciences program is looking really good this month. I will be presenting some new techniques in Mixology as well as increasing some of the Flair content of the program.  I am not sure if Niagara Falls is ready for a new crew of Flairco’s crazy bartender training to rumble through town again. The city recovered from our last adventure.

Flair with you soon!

D