Chatting about how you mix motherhood and quality cocktails with Katie DiSimone from Mercato.
How did you get started at Mercato? My father-in-law is the owner’s accountant and they needed someone to work a party. So I came into that and somehow, I ended up here a few nights a week. I had been out of the business for about five years, I’d been doing a lot of bartending previously for about 10 years. And I stopped working completely when I had my children. This was a perfect fit to get back into the business.
What do you enjoy most with bartending? I like how social and fast-paced it is. And I have little kids, so after I’m with them for the earlier part of the day, I come in here. It’s like combining a night out and work at the same time. I talk to awesome and relatable people.
Are there any drinks on the menu you enjoy? The classic cocktails. But our most popular cocktail is the Blood Orange Cosmopolitan. It’s a traditional Cosmo, but it has blood orange purée in it and it’s a beautiful color, it tastes great. It has a nice spin on a Cosmo.
Do you have any advice for someone who wanted to be a Mercato bartender? You should want to learn what the 
ingredients are in as many drinks as possible. And you should know how to multi-task and work in a fast-paced environment. And to do it with a smile.
So you can really have more freedom here than at an office job? Absolutely. It’s so flexible. I enjoy this work, but it also just works really well with my life and who I am. I like to be physical and flexible. I’m home with my kids most of the time, so I don’t have to make sacrifices with them. The same energy with looking after my children carries over to the bar. I really like it.
Is there anything you’re most proud of? Being Bartender of the Month, of course! I’m going to cut this out and hang it on my refrigerator! Before I worked at Mercato, I was always just “Mommy,” but now everyone around me has brought me back to finally feeling like myself.
For the complete article, check out our November Fresh Brew issue.
