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Scoring Criteria |
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Difficulty
The degree of difficulty that the bartender's routine contains as a whole. Only moves that are successful will be taken into account when determining the bartender's difficulty score. If a bartender attempts a trick and does not hit it, and does not go back to attempt it again, the trick will not count towards the bartender's difficulty. Difficulty can come in several forms. It could be the level of difficulty in one individual move. It could be the combination of a series of moves put together, or it could even be the way a bartender incorporates music with their routine and moves. Keeping a routine on cue with music demonstrates tremendous difficulty. (This could also add to the SHOWMANSHIP and OVERALL PERFORMANCE)
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Smoothness
The flow in which the bartender executes their moves. To score well in this category the routine should be smooth and not choppy. The bartender should transition their moves very well. Moves should blend together and not have breaks for re-adjustments in between. The bartender should maintain smoothness throughout the different routines they perform. If a bartender has many drops they will lose points in smoothness. There are different types of smoothness, very dependent on each particular bartender's style.
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Technical Execution
The control with which the bartender has over their entire routine. This includes bottles, tins, tools and/or tricks that they attempt. The bartender should be able to hit the moves they attempt. The bartender should be in control of the objects they flair with throughout the entire routine. They should be able to hit pauses and stalls when intended. The bartender should also demonstrate good bartending skills. Judges will look for good flair pours and cuts. Bartenders should not step back and flip bottles then walk up to the bar and make a normal pour. Bottles should be flipped into pours.
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Balance of Routine
The Balance of the bartender's routine refers to the way they break up their routine. If a bartender performs for five minutes and four of it is spent on one particular style, such as bottle tin or three bottle, for instance, then the remaining minute is used to bang out the drinks, that is not considered a good balance. If a bartender has to rush at the end of the round to finish up the drinks, that would affect the bartender's balance.
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Variety
Variety is interpreted in two ways. Moves and styles. Bartenders will be judged on the variety of different moves they perform and variety of objects they perform with. The more aspects of flair they display the higher they will score. If the bartender is repetitive with their moves they will score lower here. If a bartender performs only the same style of routines they will score lower. (example: If the competitor were to do their whole routine with two-bottle tricks, even though they might not repeat moves, they would score lower here than someone who does bottle/tin, two-bottle, two-tin/one-bottle & three-bottle tricks, as long as the latter bartender, also does not repeat moves.) Also, there are different styles of flair. Two bottle & tin routines could look totally different, based on the style with which they are performed. This can go for all kinds of routines, thus creating more variety. The utilization of flair with other bar tools, such as muddlers & glassware will help to add to the bartender's variety.
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Originality
Bartenders will be awarded more points for more original moves. If you have signature moves that help to define you, you may do those and gain points here. What we are not looking for are entire sequences of moves or entire routines that we have seen before. This is where the creativity really comes into play. Bartenders that score the highest here will have routines that are highly original and creative. Judges will be extremely knowledgeable in flair.
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Showmanship
This category is a measure of the Showmanship displayed by the competitor on stage. Showmanship can consist of the competitor's persona, demeanour and / or stage presence. Competitors can add to their Showmanship using choreography, costumes, or just their own charisma. The competitor should exude confidence and composure and be in command of their performance at all times. This category is not necessarily about bottle flipping, but rather the competitor's ability to entertain and perform. Music Interaction may also contribute to the score in this catagory.
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Overall Performance
This is the category where the judges ask themselves how entertained they were by the competitor's round. How well did the competitor put the whole package together? A competitor doesn't have to be the best flair bartender to entertain. Put on a good show and score well in this category. Vice-versa, the competitor may not be the best at showmanship, but incredible at flair, and still score well here. The best score though will go to competitors that can balance entertainment from both flair and show. How well a competitor works through mishaps can also affect the bartenders score in this category.
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