Move over Brian Flanagan, there's a new dog in town. Actually, given his continuing reign over the world of flair bartending, Christian Delpech can lay claim to having displaced Tom Cruise's Cocktail character a long, long time ago. With enough wins to be called the Tiger Woods of the watering hole, Delpech is all prepped to lead his Flair Devils team to victory April 1 at Harrah's first King of the Ring flair bartending competition out at Carnaval Court on the Strip.
How did you first start flair bartending?
I started in 1995, almost 1996, I would say. Eight years ago, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where I come from.
I have to ask you the Cocktail question. Was that your inspiration?
Yeah, yeah. It was a long time ago. I started practicing the same moves, the same routines as they show in the movie. But it's pretty short, you know? The moves they show. So I started to create stuff.
And do you guys really get all the girls, like Tom Cruise?
Oh, for me it doesn't matter. I have a girlfriend.
What about the single bartenders then?
For them, yes. They get lots.
How much work goes into practicing for a contest? Do you choreograph routines?
I practice all the moves for one month, doing the same routine every day. I do it to music with DJs, music that is produced. Before I used whatever songs were popular, like Ricky Martin. Songs everybody knows. But people started to copy each other, people using the same music, so now I produce my own. It's always choreographed. And if I don't have the time to practice, I don't do it.
What are judges looking for?
It depends on the contest. There are different moves, how you execute them, whether you land or miss, the smoothness with which you do the moves. Also, if you go from one routine to another, your style and originality of your moves, how well you're choreographed and your interaction with the crowd. Whoever has the most points overall wins the world championship.
Aside from bragging rights, and I presume a trophy, what else do you win?
For entering, they give you a package with stuff, like T-shirts. If you win, the top prizes are money and trophies, a trophy for each round.
How much money are we looking at here? Hundreds?
Thousands. At the Legends of Bartending World Championships a few weeks ago, I won $8,000.
How confident are you about the upcoming competition?
I'm confident. But I'm not going to compete in the individual category. I'm going to compete in teams, with my brother.
What's the competition like between Carnaval Court and, say, Shadow Bar?
All the bartenders from all over town, we all get along. We cheer for each other. We're old friends. The guys I know from Shadow Bar, they're still my friends. We support each other.
Tell me about Flair Devils.
It's a training school. We train bartenders, and also we're going to be opening a school at the Rio. We teach people basic bartending, and we also teach them flair, to the highest level you can get.
How long does it take to get from a rookie, a guy who can maybe mix a gin and tonic, to someone who's tossing bottles behind their back?
It depends on how much you practice. It is a skill. If you make the decision for it, in a month, you could be doing something. We teach you how to be an entertainer, rather than a bartender. We teach you how to make the customers be a part of the show, but not at the cost of service. Service is above everything.
On a typical night, how much can a flair bartender expect to take home?
It depends on which bar you work at. Whether it is a nightclub or bar. But it will increase your tips, guaranteed.
When is your video due out?
Volume 1 [Christian Delpech: Working Flair] is out, and volume 2 is out. A DVD is in the works.
When you were a kid, did you ever expect to be one of the world's best flair bartenders?
No, I never expected that. I always wanted to be better, but that was all. To keep working and getting better. I was always pushing myself to be better. You can't look back, you must always look forward. You have the time to look back when you retire.