At just 30 years old, Lindsay Palumbo has carved out a name for herself in the world of flair bartending, a performance-based style of mixology that blends entertainment with cocktail crafting. Originally from Cleveland, Palumbo’s journey into the competitive, male-dominated flair scene has been one of passion, perseverance and undeniable skill, leading her to become one of the rising stars in Las Vegas.
Palumbo’s flair bartending story began in 2015 when she took a trip to Las Vegas for a wedding. It was there, at the renowned Carnaval Court bar, that she first saw flair bartending in action. Mesmerized by the combination of showmanship and technical precision, she found herself drawn to the lifestyle.
“I was always in theater and dance. I was used to performing,” she says. “So I think it was just hand in hand. I just fell in love with it when I saw it. It was just so intriguing.”
Back in Cleveland, Palumbo was no stranger to the restaurant industry. She had worked in hospitality since she was 18 and became a bartender at 21. At the time, her career path seemed destined for a different direction, as she had attended Penn State with plans to become a sign language interpreter. However, the allure of flair bartending proved too strong to ignore.
She began practicing independently, and also trained with seasoned flair bartender Rob Turek (aka Robbie Flair) devoting countless hours to mastering the intricate bottle flips and gravity-defying tricks.
As her abilities grew, so did her determination to make this a career. In 2017, at just 22 years old, she made the bold decision to move to Las Vegas without a job lined up, ready to immerse herself in the city’s bustling hospitality scene.
Breaking into the industry wasn’t easy. Flair bartending remains a heavily male-dominated field, and earning respect took time. Palumbo started as a barback, working to build her reputation while practicing flair techniques anywhere from two to eight hours a day.
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“Being a flair bartender is what you make of it, and the most special part is just creating a unique experience for somebody,” explains Palumbo. “One of the biggest tools with flair is your personality.”
The job, however, isn’t as glamorous as it may seem. Over the years, Palumbo has sustained significant injuries. "Injuries are very difficult to avoid when you're training, especially when you are overtraining,” she says. “Once you start getting that physical exhaustion, injuries come a bit easier."
Despite the physical toll, Palumbo remains passionate. She seamlessly flips and spins a 10-ounce tin alongside a bottle, rolling the bottle down her arm or balancing it on one hand. Her signature "flair” pours" involve pouring into a tin, then flipping it for an extra flourish. She also executes intricate “cuts,” advanced pouring patterns that add style to her performance. Whether juggling tins or tailoring tricks to match the energy of the crowd, Lindsay’s flair transforms bartending into an art form.
Palumbo’s growing reputation in the flair bartending community landed her a spot in the world's first feature length documentary about the craft, Shaken & Stirred: The Story of Flair Bartending. Being one of the few women in the field, she hopes the film captures not just her skills but her personality and humor as well. Her inclusion brings a fresh perspective and highlights diversity within the industry.
”There's a side of me that is super professional, and from what I've heard so far, the professionalism does shine through in the film,” she says. “But, I hope my silly goose energy is also shown, because that's what I get complimented on a lot during work. I love that about my personality.”
From her early days in Cleveland to the bright lights of Las Vegas, Palumbo continues to captivate audiences both behind the bar and on the big screen — one bottle flip at a time.
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