Parity Pipeline

Genre

Synopsis

The underground world of competitive flair bartending has a long history... The film follows three Las Vegas bartenders as they practice to compete in the 2022 Bartender’s Shakedown in West Palm Beach, Florida. The winners will represent the U.S.A. at two top international bartender competitions. Colby Ashton, a national flair champion, has to find time to practice for the competition in between working nights full time at a popular flair bar on the Las Vegas Strip. Lorenzo Garcia, an upcoming name in the flair world, is driven by service in the bartending industry, and practices daily in his garage retrofitted as a flair practice room. Lindsay Palumbo works days at the newest casino in downtown Vegas and teaches flair workshops for women bartenders. The complex rules of the competition plays upon her insecurities as a competitor but Lorenzo helps Lindsay stay focused by practicing with and encouraging her. Along with Robyn Closson, another female competitive flair bartender, they discuss the challenges women face in flair and in the bartending industry. Intercut with these three leads preparing for the competition are interviews with legends in the flair bartending world. John Bandy describes teaching Tom Cruise and Bryan Brown to flair for Cocktail, the hit 1988 movie that became synonymous with Flair in the public imagination and inspired thousands of young men to become bartenders. Other flair legends interviewed include brothers Christian and Rodrigo Delpech (Argentina), Dario Doimo (Italy), and Tom Dyer (United Kingdom), 40 World Titles between them. Along with interviews with bartender competition organizers and the beverage company sponsors, they describe Flair Bartending’s history as both a profession and as a competitive sport. Top competitions like Legends of Bartending had tens of thousands of dollars in prize money and attracted thousands of spectators at live events. Flair became larger and more popular as the 2000’s progressed. But when the 2008 Recession hit, sponsorship money dried up and competitions stopped. Flair declined. Professionally, bartending was moving from flair to mixology which emphasized the quality of drinks over bartender showmanship. Flair was past its prime in the U.S. although it increased in popularity in Europe. The 2022 Bartender Shakedown approaches in Florida. Colby, Lorenzo, and Lindsay fly from Las Vegas to West Palm Beach and prep for the contest. After a first night meet-and-greet, they compete in two days of bartending and flair skills against other competitors. At the competition, a hotshot bartender from Russia, Ivan Usov, shows off his dazzling flair skills and takes the lead. As the competition ends the competitors reflect on their performances. The bartenders reflect on the future of the sport, its explosive growth on social media, and its chance for revival.