Bartender Profile

Sky-High Sipping at the ProvidenceG

Imbibing with a view

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Join U.S. Marine Brooks Cornell on the Rooftop before last call at 11:30pm if you want to ask him about his next tattoo. Expect fast service with a smile; this Providence transplant won the 2013 Pink Pump Palooza – a 50-yard dash in high heels to benefit the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation.

Where did you learn to tend bar?

I’m from a bartending family. Dad owned a couple bars. My first job was bussing tables at 16. I worked in a couple of dive bars when I got home from the service.

What’s the atmosphere like?
This is a little bit of a higher end rooftop bar in a great city that really needed one. Enjoy a great happy hour crowd after work, which includes lawyers, doctors, nurses and politicians. Around 9pm, a younger vibe sets in; we turn up the music a little more. Besides dinner tables, we have a cocktail lounge area with great couches. This is a step in the direction to give Providence that big city feel.

Are there plans to keep it open through the cooler months?
The Rooftop will be open through mid-November. It’ll be enclosed with panels that will help to create a greenhouse effect and keep the space warm.

One thing you have to eat at the Rooftop?
Wagyu top sirloin served over truffle po- tato puree for only $32; it’s truly amazing. This steak would cost $60 anywhere else. That or the deconstructed lobster featuring tail meat claw meat, and smoked bacon. It’s really, really good.

What would you pair with those dishes?

A nice of glass of Ergo Rioja would go well with the wagyu. The Bon Vivant is a nice citrusy, blueberry easy-to-drink cocktail to pair with the Lobster BLT.

Describe the cocktail list.
The cocktail selection is not that overwhelming or too complicated. I’d describe it as classic cocktails with a spin. For example the Bon Vivant is a blueberry mojito using citrus vodka instead of rum. We’re doing great things up here including making our own shrubs.

What’s a shrub?
It’s made with fresh fruit, vinegar and sugar. The vinegar helps preserve the fruit. You don’t get any of the bitterness or anything. It’s a good way to have a fresh purée on hand to use as a mixer in our cocktails. Order The Belle Vue made with Belvedere Vodka, Chambord, strawberry shrub and fresh lime.

What do you want the Rooftop to be known for?
An experience. It’s the first one in Providence and it’s successful. We have a top notch chef putting out a great different menu. All alcohol is top shelf; well vodka is Kettle One. We want to supply the best.

When you’re not getting new tattoos or making shrubs, what are you doing?
When I have free time, I spend time it with my two kids. Otherwise, I’m enjoying going out to eat and drink, learning about food and trying new things. I work in the restaurant business because I love it.

What’s a great fall cocktail to make at home?
Negroni is coming back on the scene. It’s simple to make. Three equal parts of top shelf gin, Campari and sweet vermouth with a dash of bitters and orange zest. Serve it straight up or on the rocks. It’s a complex drink which is what I feel fall is about. More harvest flavors.

Any bartending pet peeves?

When someone asks, “When are you going to get a real job?” This is my career. I’m in one of the original crafts that started in America. The Revolutionary War was planned over gentleman drinking a pint. It’s actually starting to be looked at as a trade again. My dream is to someday own my own place.

What else are you pouring?
We have a standard wine selection with an emphasis on white wines as well as a seasonal beer selection. My favorite white is the Brancott Sauvignon Blanc.

The Rooftop at the ProvidenceG | 100 Dorrance St | 585-8005

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