Bartender School

Bartender School
Tom Cruise makes it look easy in the movie Cocktail but tending bar is an acquired skill. It demands plenty of practice and know how and that's where bartender school comes in. This career is growing in popularity and prestige and the many schools are in a competitive market. Bar work is attractive to many people because of the flexible hours, social contact and the opportunity to earn good money with salary and tips.
The better establishments in the leisure industry can afford to pick the best and it's essential to choose a school with an excellent reputation. A good bartender school will help a student to find a job in addition to teaching the skills required. On hands tuition with the aid of an actual bar is of equal importance to classroom lessons and theory. Bartenders need to look comfortable in their domain and have an easy rapport with their customers.
The student will learn the basics of mixology, a term to describe the mixing of drinks. Cocktails are of course, a part of this knowledge and there will be sessions on cutting fruit, preparing garnishes and decorating various concoctions. There are hundreds of cocktail recipes, including the popular Tequila Sunrise, Screw Driver and Apple Martini. The bartender must be familiar with the different wine, whiskey and liquors available. Wine is an entire subject in itself with lessons on decanting and allowing wine to breathe. Beer drinkers must also be catered for and bartender school will teach how to serve a draft beer and how to tap a keg.
Bar work demands a knowledge of terminology used in the trade and an understanding of what equipment to use and which type of glass to select. Customers may ask for a chaser, a highball or something on the rocks. The bartender will need to know when to use a shooter, beer stein or fluted champagne glass. There are a lot of gadgets behind the bar, including cocktail shakers, corkscrews, ice buckets and electric blenders.
All this knowledge must be combined with the ability to work quickly and to process orders correctly. Bartender school will teach the whole process, from setting up the bar to closing down. Some areas require that bartenders have undergone alcohol awareness study. Bar owners also look for the ability to increase a bar's profits and to maintain good customer service. In conclusion, the bartender school will equip the graduate to prepare for job interviews and to compile an impressive resume.

Braided Rug

My husband and I are friends with a couple that we met through our church. We enjoy their company and through the years we have done many things together. We will get together at each other’s homes to play cards. We also go out to eat and to plays and other events. Each year between Christmas and New Years we take a day off of work and spend time together. Last year we went to a center that had several homes that had been replicated. Each home was from a different country and was decorated for the holidays in the traditions of that country. The houses were spaced several yards apart. There were also old world shops set up to create a small village atmosphere. The homes were life sized and had actors dressed for the time period and country that they were suppose to be representing. You had your choice of walking through the village and having a sleigh ride back to your car, or you could take the sleigh ride to the far end and work your way back. It was a very cold day so we decided to begin walking to the closest house.

The first house was from German decent. The first thing I noticed as we walked in was the beautiful braided rug. I am from German ancestry so I knew that the area rug was an authentic handmade piece. My grandmother always had a colorful braided rug in front of her kitchen sink. She would make them during the winter months. The woman that was dressed in period costume was sitting in front of the fireplace and was sewing the strips of fabric together that would be used to make the area rugs. All kinds of scrap fabrics are cut into strips and are sewn together to form ropes. The ropes are then braided together. Once the ropes are long enough they are wrapped around each other until the desired size is reached. The braided rug is then stitched together so that it will not uncoil. My husband and I have talked about learning these braiding techniques to make our own rugs. The women told us that after the holidays are over the different houses stay opened and they have classes to teach the various old world crafts. She was going to be teaching rug braiding in January.

We continued on our tour of the different houses. Each ethnic group has added a different way of celebrating the holidays. It was very interesting to discover where some traditions have originated. We thoroughly enjoyed our day and my husband and I have promised each other that we will learn how to make a braided rug.