Tracy Barajas had been a stay-at-home mother for seven years. But when her husband Gabe lost his job at Bill Davis Racing, she decided to raise a glass. She went to bartending school.
"We have kids, and I was having a hard time finding something where I could work and not have to put them into after-school care," the 36-year-old High Point resident said. "So I decided to go try bartending. If he (Gabe) got a job back in his profession, he could work during the day and I'd be home when the kids came from school. And of course I could work at night when he's home."
Barajas is one of about a dozen students at the Professional Bartending Institute in Greensboro. Enrollment at the school is up as laid-off workers, college graduates and those just looking for a career change in a sour economy sign up for the two-week mixology course.
"No matter what our economy is like, whether it's up or down, people are going to drink because they're happy, or they're going to drink because they're sad," instructor Brandon Stillinger said. "And there will always be a need for bartenders to serve them."
The students, who hail from across the Piedmont as well as from Virginia and South Carolina, are expected to learn about 150 drinks, from screwdrivers to martinis to Harvey Wallbangers. The curriculum also includes an overview of tax stamps, differences between high-end and low-end liquors and how to deal with irate customers.
Founded in 1978, the school is tucked away in an office park off Interstate 85 and Holden Road. Sue Wyrick, the current owner, came there as a student in 1992 after having worked for 23 years as an administrative assistant at a trucking company.
"It was kind of like it is today -- a lot of companies were downsizing or restructuring," she said. "I looked for 14 months and couldn't find a job in my field. So I thought that I'd learn a trade, I took the class here and the people that owned the school offered me a job running it. And I bartended some, but in August 1993 I ended up buying the school."
Inside is a barroom with a few cocktail tables, neon signs and a desk. The bar itself has all the accoutrements one would expect to find in an actual tavern -- beer taps, mirrors, garnish trays, sinks -- but the "drinks" are nothing more than colored and soapy water in liquor bottles.
"The question we get all the time is, 'If you don't taste it, how do you know it's right?,'" Wyrick said. "I will say I can tell just by watching what they're doing, whether it's right or wrong. And your bartender does not taste your drink either before he gives it to you."
The drinks are divided up into seven basic recipes such as shots, highballs and martinis. Within those drink groups, the ingredients vary slightly. For example, if you add cream to a black Russian, a concoction of vodka and Kahlua, it turns into a white Russian. Add soda and it becomes a Colorado bulldog.
Students also employ acronyms and word games to help in memorizing the recipes. One, for a Mai Tai, is "Light Ties Always Get Soiled" -- Light rum, triple sec, creme de almond, grenadine and sweet and sour. To get their portions right, students develop their own counting system, figuring out the amount of time it would take for them to pour an ounce.
Each class has about five to 10 students in it. The course runs 40 hours -- four hours a day -- and tuition with books and supplies runs under $1,000. Though most students complete it within about two weeks, they have up to six months to finish. The school also offers an accelerated one-week course. For the final exam, students must mix 12 drinks within 8 minutes. Wyrick said on average they can do about 15.
Wyrick, who maintains contact with a number of bar owners in the area for job placement purposes, said enrollment grew 9 percent from 2007 to 2008, though it's still below 2006 levels. The school has always drawn a diverse group of people, Wyrick said, including hobbyists who just want to impress their friends by making a good cocktail. But many students now are looking simply to supplement their income.
"I do interior design and interior decorating," said 21-year-old Sandra Copra of Greensboro. "And with the economy the way it is, we don't have much business. I need something to pay the bills. And this is something that you can fit in with a lot of other jobs, because you have the option of working during the day or at night."
The profession also is becoming an increasingly attractive option for recent college graduates who are having trouble finding work.
"I just graduated from N.C. State. I majored in sports management," said 22-year-old Daniel Allen of High Point. "But there have been a lot of layoffs in the industry, and the job market is a little tough right now. This, bartending, is one way to stay ahead in a competitive economy."
Salaries vary, but Wyrick said that depending on the location, a good bartender can bring in about $500 to $800 a week with tips. Bar business, she said, has held steady, though private parties and catered events, where bartenders might work, are being scaled back. Still, students say they like the idea of having a trade they can fall back on.
"This is a good insurance policy," said 28-year-old Tommy Butler of Greensboro. "I have a full time job. I work at GNC as a manager. But if I ever decided to travel, I feel safe that I have some job security. As bad as the economy gets people are still going to eat, and they're still going to drink. I can't cook. I don't like to serve food. So I'll be serving drinks."
Contact Robert C. Lopez at 691-5091 or robert.lopez@news-record.com.
