Shaking all over
Warsaw's smooth-talking bar stewards were out in force recently in an acrobatic display of skill, bravado and sweaty palms during T.G.I. Friday's annual "Freestyle Bartender Championship."
The rules were simple: six contestants, six judges, six drinks each. The contestants waited nervously for their drink assignments from the stern judges as unruly guests egged on the bartenders.
One by one, they approached the bar, each hoping to win a ticket to Oslo this summer and display their prowess at T.G.I. Friday's European championship.
Knowing that a successful bartender relies on his ability to feel out a crowd, each one tried to make as charismatic an entrance as possible. Hands were shaken, quips were made, bottles were prepared and the action began.
The first, unsteady contestant skulked up to the bar, grabbed her drink list and spent a fair amount of time stopping to adjust her headset, cleaning up a bottle she had just dropped or blushing at another failed maneuver. But once the second bartender stepped up, things began to improve.
Nicknamed "Misiek," or Teddy Bear in English, he proceeded to warm up the jaded crowd with a stream of jokes, smiles, hollers and winks. The bottles began to twirl, the beverages rolled out and Misiek finished with a round of applause.
With the crowd cheering and music grooving, the judges began to shed some of their stern exterior. They stuck to about 10 popular drink recipes: no unknown exotic numbers, but rather a couple of Manhattans, some daquiris and a few even-girlier drinks.
Dressed in a stars-and-stripes top hat, the next bartender began to show some resemblance to Tom Cruise in "Cocktail." Vodka sprays were flying and bottles spinning. Drinks were poured quickly, with flair and a killer smile. And predictably enough, the bartenders improved by leaps and bounds, until finally the No. 1 T.G.I. Friday's bartender charmed her way into the hearts of the crowd.
Even though a fair few bottles dropped throughout the competition, this nervous group of Warsaw's finest showed that even an amateur bartender can charm a crowd with the help of a smile and a few free drinks.
