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MEMBER COUNTRIES / CUBA
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When is a bar a circus?When is a bar a circus?
BY GERMAN FERNANDEZ BURGET (Special for Granma International, Cuba)
In the world of tourism, the bar is one of the most frequently visited
and most profitable establishments both in hotels and outside of them.
In a bar stories are told and topics discussed that would often not be
broached in any other place. If one could write down the conversations
from bars all over the world, it would make a great encyclopedia.
 Both in attitude and capabilities, the bartender is a well-known,
respected character who invites intimate confessions. He or she is
alternately a psychologist, a spiritual advisor, a sports or politics
expert: in short, he is versatile.
In Cuba this well-loved character has been known over the centuries as
a cantinero. He accumulates experience not just of serving rum and beer
but also of creating drinks, cocktails that become the delight of his
customers.
The bartender, whether like it or not, needs rigorous training, not
just in information concerning the origin, composition, nationality and
cultural setting of the drinks he or she serves, but also in the art of
preparing each drink.
Bar work is both art and science, a bartender needs to have dedication
and passion in that work in order to satisfy each customer.
Every bartender has his or her own style and way of working and that is
important, because creates a stamp of originality that identifies the
bartender and the establishment he or she works in.
Some bartenders are sober and circumspect. Others are more relaxed in
carrying out their job and attract customers not just because of the
drinks they prepare but also because of the ceremony it involves. Each
ceremony has its own characteristics and naturally its own technical
requirements which cannot be ignored.
This is why, in the world of the bar and the bartender we see more and
more bar jugglers. Some could even give classes to circus jugglers.
Bottles and cocktail shakers go flying, the different ingredients are
mixed in a spectacular way. The breaking of a bottle or spilling of a
drink almost seems inevitable, but finally an exquisite cocktail is
prepared before the tourists’ eyes, in the hope that it will be to
their liking. These are the so-called bartender’s shows. In their
desire to attract customers and make their efforts more creative, these
daring professionals show juggling talents that, when well coordinated
and performed, enliven a visit to any bar.
So now the bar is not just a place for unending and ethylic
conversations or watching sports events on television: today it has the
added spectacle of a bartender, a dedicated and professional expert who
enchants us with juggling skills, turning the bar into a circus, a real
show.
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