Flair bartender Ilias Kousis in the act at The Park on Monday afternoon. Picture by Rashbehari Das

Toss up in the air, high over the head, under the arm and into the tumbler… Flair bartender Ilias Kousis is in town to teach a trick or two to budding bartenders as part of the International Cocktail Jockey Tour presented by United Spirits Limited.

The six-city tour takes Ilias to Pune, Goa, Delhi, Calcutta, Mumbai and Hyderabad. The flamboyant bartender talks to GoodLife fervently about flair, spirits and his first visit to India at Galaxy, The Park on Monday.

Travel talk: This 29-year-old Greek bartender was born in Germany and was trained in flair bartending by UK-based Flair Motion school. Ilias has travelled and performed around the world (Ireland, South Africa, Berlin, Lebanon, Finland, Greece, Paris, Spain, and Italy) with the Flair Motion crew.

Fashion and food: No missing the tattoo that crawls up the bartender’s forearm. “It means Jesus,” he says proudly. (Though the skull on his belt buckle tells another tale). Sporting a fitted black tee, loose denims, elbow band, bald pate and disarming smile, the barman is perfectly at ease while instructing his students, all budding bartenders from Calcutta Club, CC&FC, Gossip, Kix, Sourav’s Food Pavilion, Underground, Big Ben, Saturday Club, Ginger, Princeton Club, Cubes, Tantra, Copper Chimney and Roxy.

Just recovering from a bout of food poisoning in Delhi, the bartender has been careful about his diet and is “currently vegetarian”. His favourite drinks are “rum and vodka based” ones, his favourite Martini is fruity and his best films are action packed.

Bartending basics: Being a bartender isn’t easy, he says. Behind-the-bar behaviour, eye contact and safety and security of the people are foremost. “It’s like mathematics. Double flip, straight catch or from the side… you have to start with the basics like 1, 2, and 3. You need to know your moves,” he points out. “Even your cocktail should reflect your personality,” he adds.

Work passion: “I put in six to seven hours of hard work everyday. It’s like a sport, maybe karate. You have to give it practice and effort.” Many people mistake juggling for flairing, but for Ilias, his craft is far more than just jugglery. “A lot of bartenders use juggling because it’s easier. While juggling is a static movement, flairing is all about body movement and the sexiest moves,” he smiles.

Looking back: “If I wasn’t a bartender I would probably be a soccer player,” shares the March-born cocktail jockey. His most embarrassing moment: “Two customers were sipping frozen margaritas and I thought, why not show them a few tricks. But I ended up smashing their glasses and spilling their drink all over them!” he laughs.

On a more serious note, he wishes to support women bartending in India. “It’s sad that not too many women in India take up bartending. I know a woman in Los Angeles who is so good at flair bartending she can juggle five bottles at a time and earns Rs 40,000 a week just on tips!” he says.

India calling: “I like Indian music…Punjabi bhangra and even Bollywood numbers like Dhoom macha le and Crazy kiya re,” says Ilias.

The dedication of learners will draw him back to the city. “I will definitely be back. I want to make this trip every year to see how my students are progressing. It gives me great satisfaction to teach,” he says.

Next up: Ilias performed at the Calcutta Club International evening on January 20 and at RCGC on January 27. On Friday, he will perform at the Mumbai Derby, before making his way to Hyderabad.