A Speakeasy Hideaway Where Cocktails, Culture and Curiosity Collide
I buzz the intercom outside 55 Cromwell Street in Providence, Juniper Bar’s password on the tip of my tongue: “It’s me! I’m Captain Cowboy!” I blurt. A deep, amused chuckle drifts from the intercom. “Bahaha … almost. The captain seems to think you’re some kind of cowboy.” A beat, then the door buzzes open. It’s Brian Oakley, co-owner of Juniper and the longtime Providence fixture behind Julian’s and Pizza J, inviting me in.
At just 22 seats, Juniper feels nostalgic yet vibey with an emerald-green glow tracing the chair rail and a colorful parade of Star Wars–inspired tiki mugs lining the back bar. A projector streams Mortal Kombat sax loops and Fantastic Planet, the balance tipping between nerdcore and effortless cool. Here, the cocktails do the talking.
The menu is tiki-adjacent, a postmodern riff that swaps escapist fantasy for nostalgia, pop-cultural fluency and precise contemporary technique. Oakley brings decades of experience from Julian’s (marking 30 years!) and Pizza J (10 years). Friend and co-owner Morgan Snyder founded Buttonwoods Brewery with his father in 2017.
This evening, Bar Manager Justin Brody’s answer to “dealer’s choice” is the botanical, otherworldly Forest Moon of Endor: gin layered with Bonal, a quinine-laced French aperitif wine; Génépy, an alpine herbal liqueur; coconut, lime and a hint of orgeat, the almond syrup that gives the drink its supple backbone. Endor is garnished with fresh rosemary and a tiny, inverted bottle of Underberg, a potent German herbal digestif, adding depth that gradually shifts the round coconut notes to a refreshing alpine bitterness over the course of the drink, “growing with you like a happy little tree,” Oakley quips.
Next comes the TikTok Almost Famous. According to Brody, “The idea of this drink is a flash in the pan referencing what’s popular right now—Fernet Branca, elderflower liqueur and mezcal. So, my colleague Evan [Thorton] and I decided to balance these ingredients together, inspired by the popular drink Naked & Famous. The concept carries a lot of juxtaposition; heavy, light, tech TikTok and analog Polaroid.” Where the Naked & Famous employs mezcal, Yellow Chartreuse, Aperol and lime, Brody’s version swerves with bitter herbal Fernet Branca, floral elderflower and lemon. The result is leaner, moodier, a little more grown-up. Bitter smoke and dark herbal notes arrive first, then bright citrus cuts through, finishing with a silky, roasted sweetness. It arrives crowned with a petite Polaroid. Justin snaps a photo; the flash warms my cheeks. “Ah, the claim to Insta fame,” I mutter, half-embarrassed, half-delighted. I steal the camera, grin and snap one back.
Willa Van Nostrand is an award-winning mixologist, beverage consultant, artist and owner of Little Bitte Artisanal Cocktails and World’s Fair Gallery. Visit her at LittleBitte.com.
