During the four years that Jordan Catapano was bartending at The Galley in Santa Monica, women constantly approached her about her job.
“How did you get this job? This looks like so much fun,” they’d say. “Did you go to bartending school?”
“I thought there should be information on this because this is a great job and women should know how to get it,” Catapano, 36, said.
So she decided to write a book. She kept tallies on Post-it notes of the most popular drinks ordered and made notes on things that new bartenders must know. For example, how to deal with drunks and knowing the law. Among the 15 drinks that Catapano found were the most frequently ordered are the Bay Breeze, Bloody Mary, Cosmopolitan and the Grey Hound.
In July, Catapano and her sister Jocelyn Dunn Muhlbach, released, “This girl walks into a bar,” complete with 100 drink recipes, chapters on how to break into bartending and bar etiquette, resume and interview tips and liquor and wine quizzes. The two will be signing the book at pages: a bookstore on Nov. 5.
“I think when a woman who’s strong and confident and in her home or in a bar and she knows how to make a drink, there’s something really appealing about that,” Catapano said.
In the book, the sisters lay out how to find the right joint at which to work, distinguishing between nightclubs, hotels, sports arenas, restaurants and dive bars. The drink recipes in the book are designed as flashcards, so readers can cut them out and practice on the go. Muhlbach, 34, designed and produced the graphics for the book.
The San Diego natives have sold roughly 250 books thus far.
The two are already planning their next book – “This girl walks into a party.” Catapano researched 140 national holidays that would be cause for a celebration, including build-a-scarecrow and splash-a-puddle day. “Why not have a party for that?” Catapano asked. The book will recommend drinks that fit well with these different holidays.
Catapano, married with two kids, said that for her, the days of bartending are over. She’s transitioned into hosting private mixology parties, where she’ll bring in ingredients and glasses and the partygoers can practice making specific drinks, whether holiday-specific or just using a specific type of alcohol. “I leave them with a little bit of skill to bartend in their home, and a little taste to create something on their own,” Catapano said.
Jocelyn Dunn Muhlbach and Jordan Catapano will sign “This girl walks into a bar” at pages: a bookstore in Manhattan Beach on November 5 at 7 p.m. 904 Manhattan Ave. For more information, visit www.thisgirlwalksintoabar.com.
