World’s Flashiest Bartenders Face off at Luxor for $10K Grand Prize

^{Pietro Puccio, a flair bartender from Italy, performs tricks with three bottles in hand during the 2025 Flair Bartending World Championships. (Photo: courtesy of Allied Esports)}

LAS VEGAS -- Under the bright lights of the HyperX Esports Arena at the Luxorr, the world’s most skilled flair bartenders flocked to Las Vegas for a global showdown where bottles flew at the third annual Flair Bartending World Championships took the spotlight on November 4. 

This event brought 50 of the world’s elite bartenders to show off their flashy talents in a contest where having fun and engaging with the audience were just as important as the drinks themselves. The arena, typically used for esports tournaments, was completely transformed into a stage for competitive cocktail making.

Bartenders Around the World Take the Stage in Vegas

Although the idea of a world event for something like bartending might sound niche, the live spectacle told another story. Bottles spun through the air for minutes that felt like hours of action that left you on the edge of your seat. Each round was six minutes and 20 seconds of intensity where you couldn’t help but bite your nails waiting to see if a bottle would land or shatter on impact. 

Even when bottles slipped or broke, the entire crowd cheered on all of the competitors. One bartender even shattered a bottle of SKYY Vodka in the middle of his routine but pushed through it with the support of the audience and slapped on a bandage right afterwards.

The event brought together bartenders from countries including Italy, Ukraine, Hungary, Taiwan, Argentina, and the U.S. All of the competitors showcased their skills in pursuit of the ultimate $10,000 grand prize and a trophy, proving that flair bartending is both an art and a sport. Now celebrating its third year in Las Vegas, the tournament is hands down one of the flashiest showcases in the bartending world. 

Flair bartending is much more than knowing how to pour a drink. This type of bartending involves the manipulation of bottles, shakers, and other bar tools with the kind of precision and hand-eye coordination you’d expect from a juggler. It’s a form of entertainment built on skill and control, and it’s no surprise that liquor brands leverage it as a way to draw attention to their products.

Each bartender had just over six minutes to perform a choreographed routine, successfully serve the judges a vodka cocktail and tequila cocktail, and perform flashy tricks. Judges scored them on moves like grips, throws, stalls, bumps, rolls, and misdirects -- it gets much more complex than just juggling bottles. Deductions were given for drops, missed tricks, or even failing to flash the right sponsor logo at the right time.

The event was free to attend, drawing in a mix of supporters for the competitors, curious Luxor guests, fans of the bartending industry, and those who just came to enjoy the championship’s entertainment. Qualifying rounds started off on Monday, November 3, where all 50 contestants had four minutes to show their skills to the judges. The top 10 from day one advanced to Tuesday’s finals. 

The competition is hosted by the World Flair Association, an organization of professional flair bartenders around the world that arranges bartending face-offs all across the world. This event is one of their crown jewels in Vegas that both participants and many bartending fans look forward to every year.

Argentinian Wins Grand Prize

Argentina’s Roman Zapata took first place with a lightning-fast performance full of crowd engagement and confidence. This was no surprise since he placed in the top three last year as well. Zapata was lifted in celebration by fellow competitors when he was announced as the winner.

Zapata began bartending as a teenager, trading in his Counter-Strike gaming hobby for flair bartending. That early start clearly paid off, since he’s now a two-time finalist at this World Flair Championship and has many other international wins under his belt.

“For me, performing for the crowd is amazing. Winning is second place in this case,” Zapata said after being announced as a finalist. 

Among the finalists were several familiar faces from past iterations of the championship and other global flair competitions. Italy dominated the final lineup, with both second place winner Michael Maroni and third place Pietro Fumarola representing the country in the top three with Zapata. 

Maroni especially stuck out with his straw hat in person and in all of his pictures, inspired by Luffy from One Piece. His hat helped him stand out from the other competitors, along with his ability to balance bottles on his head during the competition, which earned him a second-place win for a second year in a row.

Despite the competition taking place in the United States, Fuel Bar bartender Colby Ashton was the sole American competitor among the finalists. It only made sense that he was a Vegas local who works at a bar known for the best bartending entertainment on the Las Vegas Strip. Before his performance, he even had to humorously quiet down some attendees who chanted “USA! USA!” in an effort to cheer him on.

Bartending Entertainment on Full Display

All guests were invited upstairs to sample products during the event from the various sponsors including Hive 2.0, El Cristiano Tequila, Captain Morgan, Mas+ by Messi, and Skyy Vodka. Each brand’s products were used in different drinks throughout the night.

One of the night’s highlights was the “BAM” Competition, short for “Big Ass Move” Competition. Eight selected competitors had three chances to pull off their most impressive tricks in a sudden death style match-up. It really amped up the crowd to see the flashy tricks and gave an extra chance for flair bartenders to take home a trophy.

The performances were fast and hard to take your eyes off of. Each finalist designed their routines with personality, and the combination of moves kept the crowd locked in the whole time. 

After four hours of routines, music, and a whole lot of bottle throwing, each finalist walked away with a cash prize ranging from $300 to $10,000. For the top three competitors, they also walked away with a trophy to take home. 

The camaraderie among all the flair bartenders was truly the most admirable thing about this event, despite the high stakes for a shot at thousands of dollars in prize money. 

The organizers confirmed that the 2026 Flair Bartending World Championships will be back in Vegas at the Luxor again in October. Maybe next year we'll see some familiar faces and new contenders when the bottles go flying in the next global showdown.

If you're into bottle-spinning showmanship, you're probably the kind of player who'd enjoy the vibe of top-tier social casinos  too — full of flair, no pressure, all fun.