I was 17 years old and had never tried alcohol. The first night behind the bar they asked him for a whiskey and Coke and he didn’t know what to do: he looked at the colleague next to him to copy it. That initial clumsiness was the beginning of a story that, without knowing it, was going to take him very far. The thing is Christian Delpech He went from improvising drinks in a bar in San Martín to winning more than 60 international tournaments and becoming one of the most recognized names in flair bartending, the discipline that mixes technique, acrobatics and spectacle.
Today he lives in Miami and directs President Barthe international version of Sebastián García’s iconic project. From his role as director of mixology, he combines creativity and management and defends an idea that runs through his entire career: hospitality and elegance are as essential as the perfect drink.
News: How would you say you put your mark on Presidente Bar Miami?
Christian Delpech: Maintaining the lines of what the brand is, I can do things that are in line with Miami. That’s when my creativity comes in a little. When choosing drinks, because everyone wants to sell you and you have to know how to choose. Also in who to invite to do pop ups in other bars.
News: How do you handle the image? It was always an important point in President.
Delpech: I agree with Seba, the image is super important. Not just how one is dressed, but how one speaks and how one acts. And one is not only President when one is working, but also outside. I have to know how to control myself and how to act at all times, because one is the brand. As for the look, I like to wear a jacket, sometimes a tie, and be well dressed. People tend to listen to you a little more when you go to a table and you have the headset and the uniform, it inspires more respect.
News: And is there room for flair?
Delpech: There is always room for flair, wherever in the world you are behind a bar. Because flair can be done with a glass in one hand by simply turning it, or when one returns a credit card. By definition, it is doing something with style, with skill, so even the smallest thing is possible. In Presidente there are a couple of future ideas to do involving a little flair, always maintaining the line.
News: And in your own story, when did you realize that you were good at flair, enough to make a living from it?
Delpech: I could say that at the age of 18 I knew that I wanted to make a living from this. I started as a bartender at 17, and at that age I didn’t drink alcohol, I had never tried it and I didn’t know how to do absolutely anything. But I worked selling graduate trips, and a friend from San Martín, where I was from, told me that he had a bar and needed a bartender. The first thing they asked me for was a whiskey and Coca Cola, and I looked at the person next to me and asked him how it was made. I don’t like not knowing, so later I found out about taking a bartending course. There I learned a little more, although nothing is better than the experience itself. And when I saw the movie “Cocktail” I went crazy, so I started practicing flair at home. Everything was very organic. Both flair and cocktails rose to a higher level in my life. Until I went to live in Spain and also started with magic, I was in the Circle of Magicians in Madrid. And when I went on a trip to the United States and saw that there was a Flair World Championship, I was fascinated. And I had to choose between flair and magic, and flair chose me…
News: How do you train? Is the emphasis on physicality or skills?
Delpech: Coordination is trained. If you don’t know how to juggle, there comes a time when you practice so much that you can do it. Learning was different than it would be today, because there was no YouTube, there were no videos, there was nothing. The information was “I heard someone does this,” and you were going to see it. There were tournaments in the United States of which there were videos, but when you watch something you tend to copy exactly what the other does, and you can’t beat someone at their own game… That was where I started looking for my own Latin American style, with upbeat music, more fun, with more flow. And I always worked a lot on subtlety to do the tricks. I like to do difficult tricks and make them look easy. Throw a bottle in the air and, before catching it, look at people from the side with a “this is nothing” look. The jury likes that and usually gives a good score. Flair requires a lot of sacrifice and physical work as well. If you want to compete, it’s five or six hours a day of practice. As if you were an athlete.
News: You won more than 60 championships and participated in about 110 tournaments. Have you already lost your adrenaline before going on stage?
Delpech: The adrenaline is always there. But it was strange what happened to me versus what I talked about with other competitors. Many people got very nervous and were like that all the time, even while doing the routine. I tried to work my mind to transform the negative into positive. I did the routine as if I didn’t care at all, as if I wasn’t interested, because that took the pressure off me. So I had fun and talked and I could even improvise. People laughed with me and that also made them participate in the show.
News: In all those years of entering competitions, what did you learn about yourself?
Delpech: Determination is super important when you want to do something. Also the sacrifice, there is no reward without it. They are words that I always used a lot. And the power of staying focused on what you do is essential. Something that is increasingly difficult, now that I grow up it is very difficult for me to focus. Maybe it has to do with today’s technology, that we have less patience and are always looking for stimulation… I like to be like my dog Flip, who, if you give him a ball, is happy. And he doesn’t care about anything else, that’s his focus. Whether he is eating or being held, he is always looking at the ball. Being creative is being like a dog with a ball.
News: Do you feel that today the bartending profession has become more respected and it is not so controversial if a boy says at home “I want to be a bartender”?
Delpech: At the time I left Argentina, the bartender was frowned upon, my mother told me “oh, Christian, why don’t you work in a bank, why don’t you have a career?” And I always had the mentality that if you like something and you do it and you are one of the best, you can make a living from it. So it’s playing ball. Who would have thought that someone was going to become an arch-millionaire playing video games, like kids do today? I say that I am a born entertainer, because I always liked that part. When I was a graduate travel salesperson I liked to talk to people, then I was a magician, I was a bartender… It makes me happy to make people have a good time. But getting back to the question, yes, it is a more respected profession, because there is the bartender and also the mixologist. A word that I didn’t like before, but it implies that the person is more involved in creation.
News: If you want to test a bartender, what drink do you order?
Delpech: A daiquiri. The classic, not strawberry. The one with rum, lime juice and sugar. Another option is a Tom Collins or a Gimlet, where there are only three ingredients, but you have to balance the sugar. Either it comes out very sweet or very acidic or with the perfect balance.
News: Did you ever feel sorry for living at night?
Delpech: I know it affected me when I had my son. I saw him during the day, but I couldn’t put him to bed at night. His mom did the same thing as me, so it got complicated. Today I am divorced and live in Las Vegas with her. But it never bothered me. Maybe now, as I’m older, and that my partner has a traditional job, day and office, it’s more difficult. But since I’m more of a manager, I also come in earlier and there are days when I leave earlier too.
News: Projects, ambitions, dreams? What’s coming in your universe?
Delpech: I want to continue growing with the Presidente brand and maybe be able to be in the 50 Best once again, but with Miami. Doing things well and making the bar successful, that would be my goal. Personally, I have a couple of projects, but I’ll tell you about them when they come out. Of course, it’s not about opening a bar… I would like to be a little calmer and manage my time better.
News: Could you leave some advice for kids who are starting out in cocktails today?
Delpech: Know that you never stop learning. It is super important to maintain personal security, but at the same time humility. And it’s a very fine line. Because even if you think you know, you don’t know anything. I don’t know anything. There are millions of bottles, there will always be a new one that you don’t know about. It must be taken into account that the most important thing in this career, beyond knowledge, is hospitality. With good service you can get out of situations without having the knowledge. Hospitality is when someone entertains you even if you ask for a bottle of still water. Because you never know who you are serving in this industry. And because although the client may not remember what they took, they do not forget how they were treated and how they had it.
