ZFO JUDGES
Tom Dyer
Tom Dyer is a globally renowned flair bartender, educator, and entrepreneur whose dynamic career has helped shape the modern flair bartending scene. With over 85 first-place finishes in international competitions, including two World Championships and 12 UK titles, Dyer is one of the most decorated figures in the industry.
His bartending journey began at 16, working at Bennigan’s in London. Inspired by the Roadhouse World Flair Final in 2000, he immersed himself in flair bartending, quickly rising through the ranks and claiming his first UK championship win in 2002. Over the next 15 years, he competed globally, performed in over 35 countries, and trained more than 1,000 bartenders.
In 2008, Dyer co-founded the World Flair Association (WFA), which has become the leading global organisation for flair bartending competitions, training, and certification. His contributions have helped elevate the standards and visibility of flair bartending worldwide.
Throughout his career, Dyer has held three Guinness World Records, further cementing his reputation as a master of flair technique and innovation. He is also known as the Beast Bartender for Kraken Rum, representing the brand’s bold persona and leading their League of Darkness community in the UK.
Beyond competitions, Dyer has been a driving force in bartender education. He sits on the Board of Education for the European Bartender School, overseeing flair training across multiple campuses. He also co-founded Flair Camp, a week-long training retreat that gathers bartenders from around the world for hands-on flair and mixology education.
His entrepreneurial ventures include operating five bartending schools and managing an online bar tools shop alongside his mother. His YouTube channel, Tom Dyer Bartender, features tutorials and performances that have inspired flair bartenders across the globe.
Now residing in Portugal, Dyer continues to push the flair bartending industry forward through education, mentorship, and content creation. His dedication to the craft, boundless energy, and relentless pursuit of excellence have made him a true icon of the bartending world.
Silvia Daniela Istrate
Born in 1989, she shines as one of Europe’s most accomplished Flairbartenders! Securing victory for two consecutive years, she has dominated all Italian and European competitions, proudly earning the title of Best Female.
Her dazzling journey continues with an impressive fifth appearance at the Roadhouse World Final, where she triumphs not once but twice as the world’s Best Female Flairbartender.
Following a dynamic stint as a trainer in two esteemed bartending schools in Rome and a guest bartender collaboration with the renowned Tivoli hotel chain, her talents have graced the stage of Romania’s Got Talent. Adding a touch of glamour to the screen, she has also made memorable appearances in Italian movies and TV shows.
Today, she has seamlessly transitioned into the role of a dynamic performer and organizer of FlairBartending & Mixology MasterClasses. Her international footprint spans New Delhi, Paris, Latvia, London, Brussels, Portugal, Greece, Germany, Africa, Mauritius Island, Greece (again), Cyprus, Bucharest, and Budapest!
Currently, she is a valued collaborator with two bartending schools in Rome and is embarking on an exciting new project in partnership with the esteemed Budapest company, Flairventure. Notably, she is a co-owner, along with three other talented individuals, of Dna Spirits & Show, a training company based in Italy. With her vibrant energy and passion, she continues to make waves and leave her mark on the global stag.
Miguel Duarte Barbora
With over 22 years of experience behind the bar, Miguel Duarte Barbora is a seasoned professional and a passionate ambassador of the bartending world. Hailing from Portugal, Miguel has spent more than two decades mastering the art of bartending, with a special dedication to flair bartending, a dynamic and visually captivating discipline that combines skill, rhythm, and creativity.
A multiple-time National Flair Champion, Miguel’s journey is marked by competitive excellence and a relentless pursuit of innovation within the industry. As the manager of the iconic Legends Bar in Albufeira, Portugal, he has created one of the most vibrant and internationally recognized flair venues in Europe. The Legends Bar is not only a hotspot for nightlife lovers but also a hub for flair enthusiasts and professionals from around the world.
Miguel is also the founder and organizer of the Legends World Flair Competition, a prestigious international event that attracts top-tier flair bartenders from across the globe. This competition has become a benchmark for flair performance, celebrating creativity, technical skill, and showmanship at the highest level.
In 2024, Miguel was honored with the role of Flair President of the International Bartenders Association (IBA), the leading global authority in the bartending profession. In this role, he brings his deep expertise, leadership, and vision to promote flair bartending worldwide. His commitment to the community is also reflected in his role as a flair judge for over 10 years, where he has served on judging panels at major competitions across Europe and beyond, always advocating for fairness, growth, and excellence.
Driven by an unshakable passion for flair, Miguel continues to dedicate himself to the development of the art form, mentoring upcoming talent, organizing world-class events, and working tirelessly to raise the profile and appreciation of flair bartending on the global stage.
Luca Valentin
Luca Valentin was born on January 24, 1986, in the enchanting city of Brasov, Romania. From a young age, he found solace in a loving family, protected by two caring older brothers throughout his childhood.
At just 17, he discovered his calling for flair, and since then, he’s taken the world by storm. With hundreds of dazzling performances on the global stage, his recent triumph includes a spot in the finals of Romania’s Got Talent. A rising star in the flair world, his unwavering self-belief and determination have rightfully placed him at the center stage of recognition.
For him, flair bartending is both a sport and an art, dedicating a solid four hours a day to perfect his craft. In the last three years, he’s been a proud member of the prestigious “Exquisite BarSolutions” alongside Ionut Ivanov, sharing their expertise and teaching the art of flair bartending to budding talents worldwide. His journey began as a bartender in a Brasov casino, marking the humble origins of his illustrious career.
With an abundance of free time, he invested both time and passion into bar training, transforming his job into an art form cherished by people all over Romania. If we had to use a few words to describe him, they would undoubtedly be: determination, perseverance, style, and originality.
Aris Chatziantoniou
Aris’ passion for bartending began when he was 18 years old and got his first job as a glass collector in a popular bar in Athens. Since then he never abandoned the bartending scene. Willing to travel and discover the world, he moved to Holland at the age of 22 and later to Germany, where he spent 4 unforgettable years. During this fascinating journey through Europe, he always worked as a bartender, meeting new mentors and learning from them mixology and flair bartending.
He decided to return to Athens, his home city, at the age of 26. He worked in trendy cocktail bars and began to learn flair bartending. Aris was so skilled that he competed in national contests until at the age of 28 he had to stop competing because of an injury.
Aris is an entrepreneur with a longing to always discover and try new things. His love for bartending: “goes beyond the drinking part”. Fascinated by the work of the French physical chemist Hervé This (the Godfather of molecular gastronomy) about analyzing flavors and the satisfaction they provide while consuming, Aris says that: “You have to understand the chemical part and the interest of alcohol as a
taste. Once you’ve understood that, you can create an experience”.
Traveling the world to share his passion is what Aris loves the most. Interacting with other bartenders about the philosophy of the industry, experimenting, discovering new flavors and unexpected combinations is what he loves the most, and what makes him the perfect ambassador for a spirit that asks from us to “Taste The Unexpected”.