Casino Niagara is coming alive with its presentations of Flair bartending. This weekend the Casino celebrated its annual Fun A Polluza event. This weekend saw the introduction of a Cow Bell that solicits tips from people wanting to be part of the fun. We were wacking that thing hard with every $20.00 tip stuck to our foreheads. I had arranged for a cordless Mic to MC the happenings on Quench bar and off we went.

Robert "Bobby" Orr. (Who else but Canadian Parents would name thier son Bobby Orr. None the less. Bobby did his first ever live solo show for a very busy bar and the crown knocked his socks off. After winning international trophies in Hockey and other sports Bobby tells us he has never felt a rush like the one he felt with a solo Flair show.

I was up an hour later with a safe show from my archives of flair moves. Complete with a broken bottle and the intentional dropping of a 10 shaker tin stack over my back. Thanks to Sean Oana for teaching me this mess making move. The crowd goes crazy.

Headlining is Shane Roach. Moving up the FBA Pro tour points game Shane was ready.  With some old school Twisted Sister "I wanna rock" blasting the house Shane was dancing and going crazy.

I stepped to the side on the mic and beside Scotty. Scotty is another up and coming flair bartneder that was working the Cow Bell for the crowd. Let me tell you he was working that bell really hard. Being beside Scotty ment that I was UNDER the BELL. He was banging away when suddenly he missed. No he did not miss his spot on the bell. The Bell was no longer there. It fell. The Cow Bell Fell.

ON MY HEAD. Like a rhyme out of a Dr. Suess book. "The Cow Bell Fell. "

A bit dazed I did not miss a beat screaming for Shane. I turned and someone said the immortal words

" Hey .. your bleeding". I had blood gushing out of my head. Off I go to medical.

It was just a little gouge however. A little pressure and some tape strips later. I was good to go. The nurse gave me the option of stitches in the hospital and even offered a cab to the Emergency room. I decided that the ER at 12 o'clock on a Saturday night was not an effecient use of 5 hours and headed back to the bar.

So next time I say something that is just not right. Feel free to ask

 " Did you get hit with a Cow Bell or something?"

Out for now.

Have not updated since July 1. My bad. Summer just took hold and ran. Had some time off with my family, introduced Canada to a state of the art training program (Coming soon to a trainer near you). I have also updated the Arts and Sciences program for the Niagara Casino's. We now have Non Flair guys taking and appreciating the program. They are talking about the value and the fact that it is so much more than flair.

Food Network Challenge promotion Detriot was .. well...OK.  Levi left early and they made me do a show. Talk about a Yard Day.

Check out the Food Network Challenge Sunday Nights 10/ 9C for the "Bartenders Battle", "Cake Decorating" and "Thanksgiving Feast". I make appearnaces on each of these episodes. 

Finaly finished off my home bar. I am currently working on setting up my office in my Cold Celler. I have been banished to the dark netherregions of the house. It is all good. I am surrounded by a wine rack and some booze. What more could a guy ask for?

Just had a great day in Chicago promoting the Food Network Challenge Series. Sunday nights at 10/9c.

The crowd at the TASTE of Chicago is fantastic. Partly because of all the beer and wine booths I am sure. We hosted a mini competition with 6 of Chicago's top bartenders. Todd Hudson, Angela Howard, Colin Adams, Rob Taylor, Yoseph Dimitrov and Jason Ochoa. The comp was designed to be fun. The rules were very loose and the best part was that the competitors themselves had to vote for the top three. Rob Taylor came in third with Yoseph Dimitrov in second and Jason  Ochoa in first place. There were only tropheys and pride on the line however these bartenders put on a great and enthusiastic show. Thank you again to each of you. I owe you all a personal favour (Favor for Rob).

Headed out tp Howl at the moon tonight with Levi and the production crew. Should be fun.

My next training in Niagara is schedualed for July 11th and 12th.

See ya'll soon.

Cheers

Dean Serneels

The Flairco Cup was great. Sure there were some mix ups with the rules and the Law crossing paths. Even with those mix ups everyone seemed to have a great time. The Flairco crew along with other local bar stars went out of thier way to ensure the time in TO was fun outside of the comp. This way if you hated the comp you could still say you had fun in TO with the guys. My evil plan worked again. I hope to have some of the Flairco Cup pictures up by this weekend. I also have a follow up story that will be running in Canada's TAPS magazine. I will also send it to Rob at Flairbar to see if he wants to run it. To be honest I have not check out the recent edition of Flairbar to see if there is already a posting.

Thanks again to everyone that helped with and partied at the Flairco Cup. Hope to see you again next year.

Cheers

Dean

Having now worked as the host and emcee for 2 (yet to air) episodes of the Food Network Challenge I was invited to host some of the shows promotional events this summer. The first was this past weekend at the Indy 500. In addition to me hosting the event organizers asked me to bring two flair bartenders with me to demonstrate and teach flair to the people at Indy. I have posted just a few pics in the Photo Gallery. I am sure Matt will add some of his as well in the next few days.

We started our shows on the Friday in the hot sun and on the parking lot. Marc Summers from the Food Network show Unwrapped did some audience games as I emceed the description of Flair bartending on the smaller stage. Matt Jones and Levi Donaldson joined me at the event.

Mr. Summers was not able to join us on the Saturday and I was given double duty to MC the Bartending stage as well as to run audience games on the main stage. Saturday turned out to be one of the busier of the three days for us and we gave away a ton of Food Network swag while baking in the sun.

We left the Speedway around 6. Had a great dinner at the Hyatt. (Thank you Deborah) and crashed. The earliest I have been to bed in my last 18 years of bartending. The Hot sun sure can drain you. In addition to being early to bed. I was also early to rise. I was up at 5 am to do camera rehersals for the mornings Food Network Challenge. Marc Summers would be hosting the Cake Decorating Challenge and they wanted a professional introduction for him for the cameras. My 5 am wake up proved to be a 20 second intro of Marc and then he was off and running. With any luck those 20 seconds will make the show.

The super hot sun was fatal to the cakes on stage that morning. A 9 layer cake melted in the hot sun prior to judging. The icing had all torn away from what I thought was the best entry. The next closest to finished chef won a chance to compete on the Food Network Challenge this fall.

As for the Indy race itself. You would need know everything about Indy drivers and cars to truely appreciate the event. However, just being there when the Indy Chairperson said "Lady and Gentalmen... Start your engines" was super cool. The F16 Fly overs of opening cerimonies was also very cool. The best part of it all is when the cars get up to speed. TV does not do them justice. It is so loud that they vibrate inside your bones. We all left before the finish to beat the crowds but on the way out we managed to get right beside the track. The piercing sound was so powerful that my right ear felt like there was a pin inside it. Only comparable to the pain in my left ear when a girl at the bar screamed "RUM AND COKE' into it. My hearing in the left has really never been the same.

Anyway. Indy was a great event and it appears as though Food Network was happy enough with us to have us out to the Taste of Chicago and the Detroit Jazz festival later this summer.

 See you then I am off to a yard day at Shane Roaches house.

Cheers Dean

The first night of qualifiers is now behind us. Mike spent most of the day as a taxi from the airport to the hotel with the contestants and out of town judges. The Beer and Cocktail opened up with a Mixology stage and the Skyy Vodka main stage.

Our first round of qualifiers saw many local competitors and Terri Leesburg. Shane Roach form Casino Niagara had a good safe round and Lesley had the flair round of her life. Terri Leeburg presented us with the best drink of the night in the Lavender Libido.  Honerable mention to Dan Dorions concocktions as well.

Heading into the Friday night qualifiers we are expecting a full house as we introduce the international competitors to Toronto. With such a great roster the finals night is expected to be just out of this world.

See you tomarrow

Hello again my Flipping friends

It seems I will be starting a new position  with the Niagara Casinos over then next few weeks. My title will be the Departmental Trainer. Mental trainer for short. LOL. Anyway it is a part time training positon that will require that I actually work the bars and the bartenders while on shift. Sounds easy enough. Except that by law here in Ontario I need to have a gaming lisence and be an employee of the Casino before I can even step behind the bar. The last week has been full of Compliance and Casino trainings. Full day trainings about how to be good casino employee. "What does Hopsitality mean to you?" are questions we have to answer as a group. These are questions we discuss as groups in the FBI programs. A little redundant to say the least but hey. All for the greater cause and bigger picture. Should be starting to facilitate that role shortly after the Flairco Cup. We are also discussing major bartending competitions at both Niagara Casino venues over the next 6 months. Stay tuned.

Until next time

Keep on Flipping.

Dean

New York was the most low key good time I have ever had in New York.  Matt and I were there for an event with DJ Chef. He does exactly what his name implies.

We went in a day early to enjoy Milk and Honey. Of course thier number did not work and we ended up at Little Branch instead. This was after we met up with Cyndi. She had an early morning and kept telling us how much she hated us for dragging her away from her local watering hole.

Anyway the drinks were OK. This is unfortunate due to the hype we gave Cyndi about the cocktails. We ended up feeling a little pretentious. We love our cocktails though. It is not like dancing on the bar. Anyway I hope Cyndi was hurting too much the next day. She ducked out pretty early for us but her 5 am wake up call must have sounded like a blow horn.

The next night was the event for AM New York. A  local rag that talks about the nightlife and people of the city. Fairly low key event with Matt and I flipping bottles to the retro tunes of DJ Chef. We did not taste his food but we did taste our drinks.

Matt is still on tour. He went from Harrahs San Diego to New York to Japan with in 10 days. San Diego and Japan are both large group trainings with the FBI. Looking good.

New York wrapped up an 8 city tour for me. Man. I am looking forward to staying at home for a while. Next big event is the Flairco Cup. Over night in Toronto. Not too far away. Still over night though. Megan and Ryan can not tell the differance.

See you all then.

Cheers

The Flairco Cup Itenerary is coming along famously. Planning to have more fun at a bar comp than any other bar comp ever. Pinnacle style debachary with Flairco style innovations. Hell the Bottle Slingers 3 preview party itself is worth the admission. We will also be awarding the Mossie awards that same night. Tons of training and celebrity quests.

Until next time.

Cheers

Dean