A barman with a flair for cocktail mixing is taking his talent to the UK Bartending Championships.
Simon Hilton, bartender at Braintree restaurant Frankie and Benny's, is aiming to become the best in Britain at flairing, a style of drink-making involving bottle flipping, glass juggling and shaker spinning performances.
Cheers! - Simon Hilton, 24, will be taking his cocktail-mixing skills to the UK Bartending Championships this month.
The trend began in the late 1980s after Tom Cruise played the lead role as a bartender in the film Cocktail. Now Simon is hoping to wow the judges at the 2003 UK Flair Bartending Championships, which start this month.
The 24-year-old from Halstead joined Frankie and Benny's three months ago when it opened at Galleys Corner, Braintree, and the company is helping him out with time off to practice, and expenses for travel and hotels while he competes.
Simon, whose favourite cocktail is a Mojito, says he first became interested in flairing four years ago while working at bars in the Far East, Australia and America.
He said: "It's simply practice, practice, practice. Timing is everything, and once you're confident with that you can try really outrageous moves."
Currently he trains for two hours a day using plastic bottles designed to mimic the weight and feel of real bottles of spirit.
He added: "That way you can build up strength so your arms dont feel like they are going to drop off!"
The competition is held at the Roadhouse in Covent Garden, London, which will also host the world championships in November.
Published Wednesday, June 4, 2003
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