A Story in Cocktails at The Dead Rabbit NYC

Meet Cory O'Brien-Pniewski,Taproom Head Bartender at one of NYC's most quintessentially Irish pubs ☘️

Full Name, Age, and where are you from?

Cory O’Brien-Pniewski, 35, West Bloomfield, MI.

What is your title and where do you work?

Taproom Head Bartender, The Dead Rabbit NYC.

It's someone's first time at Dead Rabbit, what would you recommend that they order?

Definitely the Irish Coffee made with Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey. It’s our most well known drink, and we execute it flawlessly – a perfectly balanced cocktail and a St. Patrick’s Day favorite at The Dead Rabbit.

Do you remember an exact moment that your passion for cocktail development started?

The first time I had a cocktail with egg white in 2011. It really opened a door for me in terms of learning more about cocktail complexity and texture, and it jumped started my interest in cocktail development.

What was your first bartending job?

I had worked part time in bars and restaurants while going to school over the years but my first bartending job in NYC was 2014 at a bourbon bar in Harlem. I was part of the opening team.

It's your night off, where are you heading to grab a drink outside of work?

On my night off I’m heading uptown to ROKC for a bowl of Ramen and a highball.

In your opinion, what are the elements of a perfectly balanced cocktail?

In my opinion, a cocktail not only should be balanced but should also tell a story. The best cocktails are the ones that tell the best stories. A cocktail should have a nice balance of flavors with a high note in the middle but one that develops as it washes over your palate and takes you on a journey as you drink it. When developing cocktails, I believe you should focus on quality of ingredients over quantity of ingredients. I find that in most cases, less is more.