The knowledge

a bartender's moves can often turn a visit to a bar into a remarkably more pleasurable experience. angus winchester offers a few of his favourites that rarely fail to impress

One phrase that is bandied round in bartending circles is "working flair" - the flair boys use it to show they are not bottle-juggling monkeys, and the mixologists use it to show that they too could throw bottles around like the monkeys but choose not to. But are they talking about the same thing? Some think that working flair is merely the use of simple moves - such as stalls or grabs. For the mixologist it is the simple Boston spin when picking up the sealed unit, but after the last six months I have revised my own definition. It is the demonstration of familiarity with every tool, the tradecraft of every action and pulling off as many cool pours as you can.In Tony Bourdain's infinitely readable Kitchen Confidential he talks of pro chefs having "moves". "He spun and twirled and stabbed at meat with considerable style and grace - economy of movement, nice technique..." Every good bartender should have the moves and the better the bartender, the better the moves. Remember that 90 per cent of all communication is non-verbal and you can see that the talented bartenders are the ones that make it look good.Bartenders do have moves. My own personal favourite is the "long pour" (being six foot two on a good day helps that look good), but Trailer Happiness has a relatively low ceiling so I've had to work out some new moves. In a bar it's good if the best tricks are passed around and become standard. Working flair is all about making the drink in a manner that is watchable as well as efficient. If everyone prepares drinks in a watchable manner it sets a professional tone to the place, but it should never add to the time it takes to serve the customer. So here are some tricks I borrowed from Trailer Happiness and will be using in the future.Pete Kendall's champagne opening trick - firstly rest the kick or punt of the bottle on your right thumb (did you know that's what the dent is called?). Then unwrap the foil and grab the wire tab in your left hand. With some panache, spin your hand clockwise three times (all champagne cages open in three complete turns), rotating the bottle on your thumb. Then pull the cage off and check out the admiring glances - nice! This trick can of course be practised by opening the cage and then reversing the spin and closing it again.Mike T Ryan's Split Pour (pictured) - is a nice trick when making two of any cocktail. Shake the two drinks in an ice filled Boston. When straining, put the two glasses side by side on the bar, then push the hawthorn strainer down until the steel edge hits the rim. Pour two different streams into the two glasses simultaneously - the trick is to pour the glasses side by side, keeping the shaker pouring equally, this may require a slightly awkward hand position and needs practice. The double double - good for four cocktails. Make two Bostons of the cocktail and shake simultaneously before tapping the shakers against one another (gently) to open them. Then split pour simultaneously.So these are not all totally serious tricks, nor are they by any means new - they tend to be drink-specific or bar-specific. The most important thing, however, is that preparing drinks is efficient and pleasing to watch. You should be able to do any trick at top speed and get it right every time. Style is not the most important part of modern bartending - I often describe it as the keepy-ups of the bartending world - but it is one of the more enjoyable parts and makes even a slow night interesting. It is also one of the most visually pleasing things that a bartender can do and thus one of the most appreciated.

I am trying to put together a series of DVDs showing off bartending techniques from around the world. If you want your tricks immortalised, get in touch via my website www.alconomics.com