The Taste of Bermuda culinary weekend is here and master of flair bartending, Matt Conway, can’t wait to be a part of it.

Conway will be doing a demonstration of his skills at the Aftertaste Bartending Competition, sponsored by Bacardi, on Friday night. High-flying bottles and shakers being juggled and thrown, balanced and poured will have guests at the annual competition mesmerised.

Conway will be the main attraction on Saturday as he leads a Flair Master Class at the BTA’s Visitor Centre on Front Street for those who want to add a little zip and showmanship to their routine and wow their patrons. The event is open to anyone and tickets to the 3-hour course are only $40 with a light lunch included. They City has also extended invites to the Bermuda College, sponsoring several students from their Bartending course to attend the class.

Asked about his first visit to Bermuda, Conway said, “It’s an honour and a privilege to be included in the Taste of Bermuda festival. I can’t wait to share some skills with the Bermuda bartenders and show them how fun bartending can be for both the bartender, and the patron!”

Conway, hailing from Toronto, has been honing his flair skills for about nine years and shared that his inspiration comes from “making people smile and showing them something different behind a bar. Makes my job not feel like work, its paid ‘have fun’ time!”

Conway has taken his flair show on the road more than a few times, winning numerous awards — Toronto Flair League Rookie of the Year 2010, Toronto Flair League Amateur Champion 2010, Toronto Flair League Semi Pro Champion 2011, Toronto Flair League City Champion 2013-17, Canadian National Champion 2013 and 2017, and competed in the 2016 Top Shelf World Open Bartending Competition, placing 2nd overall in pour accuracy and 3rd overall in flair.

Conway is currently the Bar Manager for a popular cocktail bar in the west end of Toronto — Pistache.

The Aftertaste Bartending event kicks off the Taste of Bermuda events. Five local bartenders will be vying for top honours. Competitors include Makai Dickerson from Woody’s Sports Bar, Sula Foggo from Yours Truly, Michael Sharpe from Ocean Club at Fairmont Southampton, DeMario Stewart from Bungalow 56 and last year’s winner, Matthew Francis from The Blind Pig Co.

Tickets to spectate are only $20.00 and include samples of all competition drinks as well as light nibbles.

All tickets to Taste of Bermuda events can be found on www.ptix.bm.