1970s–2000s: Modern Bar Magic Residencies & Documentation

1977–2004 – Doc Eason (b. 1947)

• Venue: John Denver’s World Famous Tower Comedy/Magic Bar, Snowmass Village, Colorado.

• Role: Full-time bar magician in residence for 27 years; performed intimate close-up magic inches from guests, blending sleight-of-hand, humor, and storytelling.

• Recognition: Multiple Magic Castle awards:

  • First-ever W.C. Fields Magic Bartender of the Year (2004)

  • Close-Up Magician of the Year (twice)

  • Lecturer of the Year (multiple times)

  • Bar Magician of the Year

• Impact: Became a benchmark for what a modern bar magic residency could be; his performances are studied as masterclasses in audience management and routining.

1980s–1990s – Jamy Ian Swiss (b. 1961)

• Role: Close-up magician who worked as Magic Bartender at the Inn of Magic (Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC), c. 1985–86.

• Contribution: Developed his own Card Under Glass routine, explicitly citing Heba Haba Al as the creator of that classic Magic Bar effect; later wrote about the history of Magic Bar in Genii and his book Shattering Illusions.

• Relevance: Represents the second generation of bar magicians consciously building on the Chicago tradition.

1980s–2000 – Cheryl Charming That's me! (b. 1960)

• Role: Bartender and author; collected and codified bar tricks, magic, toasts, and social amusements.

• Career highlights:

  • Worked on a cruise ship for four years, then at Walt Disney World, where she became known for bar tricks and began teaching bar amusements to other cast members via the Quest for the Best program.

  • Bar Director at the Bourbon “O” Bar (New Orleans); named New Orleans Magazine Mixologist of the Year (2014).

• Publications:

  • Miss Charming’s Book of Bar Amusements (2000) – compiled nearly 1,000 bar tricks, including magic effects using matches, toothpicks, glasses, coins, bottles, and napkins and Be A Star Magician kit (2003) for children.

  • Over 18 books on cocktails, bartending, and party hosting.

• Contribution: Provided the most comprehensive printed reference on bar tricks and bar magic for working bartenders.

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Dean Serneels – Bar Magician, Trick Inventor, and Flair Pioneer

Dean Serneels (often called “The Mad Mixologist”) is best known in the drinks world as an award-winning flair bartender and inventor of the Flairco Flair bottle and Flairco portable bar, as well as a set of four award-winning bartender training DVDs. But he also has deep roots in bar magic and bar tricks, with his own line of bar-magic effects—most famously the floating cocktail shaker.

Early Career: Tableside Magic in Canada

Before his flair fame, Serneels began as a tableside magician in Canadian restaurants, performing close-up magic for diners in the style of the classic Chicago bar-magic tradition. He started entertaining guests with magic tricks and sleight of hand early in his bartending career, which led him to work as house magician (5–8 p.m.) and head bartender at Philthy McNasty’s, a sports bar in Ontario. This dual identity—bartender by trade, magician by performance—shaped his later inventions and teaching.

Bar Magic Contributions

Serneels bridges the gap between flair and bar magic:

• Floating Cocktail Shaker: His most popular bar-magic effect, a levitation-style illusion where a metal shaker appears to float in midair while he pours or gestures. This trick has become a signature “cocktail magic” routine, often performed as a homage to him in modern flair/magic circles.barstarspodcast+1

• Bar Magic Product Line: He developed and marketed a line of bar magic tricks aimed at working bartenders, emphasizing effects that can be done with standard bar tools (shakers, jiggers, bottles, napkins, etc.).bartendbetternow+1

• Teaching & Influence: Through his DVDs, lectures, and competition work (as judge, emcee, and sponsor), he has taught bartenders how to blend showmanship, sleight of hand, and drink-making into a cohesive bar performance

1990s–1999 – Final Closure of the Original Chicago Magic Bars

• Milestone: Most Chicago magic bars closed by the late 1980s;

• Schulien’s—the first and longest-running—closed in 1999, marking the end of the original era.

• Legacy: The model of bar/resaurant magic lived on through individual performers and later revivals (e.g., Chicago Magic Lounge).