Did you know that Rhode Island is ranked among the top states that support the LGBTQ+ community? Our neighbors Massachusetts, Connecticut, as well as New York, Oregon, and California, also make this list. That makes me proud. This growth has been evolving over the past century. Early advocacy started in the 1920s. It was not until 1973 that the American Psychiatric Association recognized homosexuality as human sexuality rather than an illness. Although significant and downright just, this did little to change acceptance. The Mirabar opened in Woonsocket in the late 1940s and relocated to Providence in the ’60s. This is one of the oldest running gay bars in the United States. There were a few unadvertised, word-of-mouth bars throughout the state. The first Pride Parade in RI took place in 1976, with support from the American Civil Liberties Union. In 1985, AIDS Project Rhode Island was founded to provide care and support to those infected. Many milestones have been made since then: anti-discrimination laws, legalization of same sex marriages, and legal and health care protection for transgender individuals. To no surprise, our local craft communities are allies and advocates for inclusiveness. Here are just a few that I had the opportunity to learn about and would like to share with you.
I know very little bit about mead. I know that it is made with fermented honey, often sweet and technically not beer or wine. After visiting Arcane Mead & Winery, I was further educated and absolutely blown away by the indulgent elixirs on offer. Arcane is owned and operated by Jamie Burnet and Jake Tobak. I had the pleasure of making their acquaintance and sharing a behind-the-scenes history.
Burnet moved from Virginia to RI to date Tobak. They met online the previous year. Neither had been in a relationship with a man before. Burnet told me, “I had not come out in Virginia except to a few close friends. While I knew my family would be supportive, it still wasn’t a conversation I wanted to have at the time. I am bi and had dated only women, so it didn’t feel like something that I necessarily had to share with anyone. Others in our rural community might not have been supportive. Nevertheless, RI feels significantly more queer-friendly.”
In 2021, Tobak was hired at Foolproof Brewing for brewery work, and Burnet was hired to bartend. Burnet eventually started brewing. This fueled his passion to pursue a career in this craft. Burnet explained, “I had been making both beer and mead for a while by then, and it was clear the industry had as many breweries as it needed. So it felt right that we should start planning to open a meadery. We didn’t have the money to do it initially, but we started planning all the way back in 2022. Most of what I know about running a taproom, I learned at Foolproof.”
Arcane opened in 2025 as a result of hard work and dedication. They did everything themselves: painting, building a bar, and developing the system to ferment. “When I went into this, I had no market research to point to in support of mead, only an anecdotal impression that everyone I knew was excited about mead and wanted to have access to more. I can’t thank my beloved customers enough for showing up, enjoying our mead, and telling their friends. I do think of Arcane as a space for the LGBTQ community, mostly because Jake and I crafted it specifically to be a place we’d be comfortable in, and we’re all of Arcane. It’s cozy and messy and bodged together on a shoestring budget.”
The mead menu is diverse, with something for everyone. There are traditional meads that are made with honey. There are cyser meads made with apples, pyment meads that are made with grapes, and metheglin meads that are made with spice. Some are carbonated, and others are higher in ABV. In Burnet’s words, “We feature the kinds of obscure content we want to feature, and we make the meads we want to make, and all of it is very disconnected from what we think other people might want. We just do stuff that we identify strongly with, unapologetically, and hope that others will also vibe with it. And plenty of people do, at least so far! Because plenty of people are weird like us. All of that makes our meadery feel very queer-coded to me.”
Burnet is most proud of his “Marbit Madness.” It is their Lucky Charms cereal milk mead. Burnet humbly stated, “Not to brag, but I really think I nailed it.” I can attest that after a sip, I was brought back to that frosted oat and marshmallow delight.
Arcane is celebrating Pride Month with the release of “Rainbow Rhode,” a collaboration brewed with Queers & Beers of RI. It is a mead made with wildflower honey, sauvignon blanc, muscat, and chardonnay juice, aged in a barrel for eight months and then conditioned on raspberries, orange peel, mangos, kiwis, and blueberries.
I had a chance to speak with Erika Tessier, co-owner of Origin Beer Project. If you have ever visited this brewery, then you already know that Tessier and her husband, co-owner and head brewer, have created a vibe that is respectful, warm, and accepting. Tessier explained, “You don’t need a reason to be a good person; everyone and anyone should feel safe going into any space.”
OBP will celebrate Pride month this year by releasing a beer at a joint event with Queers and Beers of RI. The beer was made with their friend Shannon Curley, co-founder of QBRI. It is planned to be a lower ABV rice lager made with lavender. Tessier said, “ We expect a very crisp and clean lager with beautifully balanced floral notes.” The proceeds will be going to a charity of QBRI’s choice. Tessier added, “Our dear readers who made it this far can come out to the Independence Gay event on Sunday, July 5. We’re open from 1 – 6 pm. Come hang out, drink a cool beer, and meet great like-minded humans.”
“Welcome,” a 5.7% West Coast Pale Ale, will be released for its second year this June. It is described as a crisp ale with notes of pine, pineapple, and citrus. Brad Smith, marketing manager of Tilted Barn Brewery, told me that he felt it was important to address what the name meant. “Here at Tilted Barn, everyone is always welcome. Not sometimes. Not when it’s convenient. Not just in June. The Barn has always been about more than beer. It’s about community. It’s about creating a space where people feel comfortable walking through the door and being exactly who they are. Our team is made up of people with different backgrounds, perspectives, and stories. Our community is even more beautifully varied. That’s something we are proud of and committed to protecting. We know that not every space feels open or safe for everyone. Ours is meant to. We are committed to being an inclusive brewery where people of every identity, orientation, background, and story are treated with respect. This is not a seasonal message or a marketing moment. It’s a standing promise. If you walk through our doors, you belong here! Everyone is always welcome.”
Dylan Facincani, general manager at Lops Brewing, reached out to share their efforts in inclusiveness and Pride Month. Facincani told me, “Since its inception, Lops has been a comfortable place that is truly open to everyone. One of our fundamental values as a brewery is the opportunity to give back to our surrounding community. It is a privilege to be able to help out with many causes throughout the year. As a member of the queer community, being directly involved in our Pride beers and donations is both personally and professionally satisfying.”
It’s unfortunate to know that in this day and age, there are still some individuals who are discriminatory and prejudiced. I asked Facincani if he has witnessed any adversity, “While there have not been any outright issues, there are misunderstandings along the way that, when I’m behind the bar, I always aim to work through. People come from all backgrounds, perspectives, and understandings of the world, and if I can bridge a gap or two, the world is that much better for it. In my experience, the Rhode Island craft beer scene has an overall LGBTQ+ supportive environment. Throughout the state, I find over and over again that I feel welcome in the craft beer scene, between the taprooms themselves, and the folks you find in them.”
Lops is celebrating Pride Month with a re-release of two beers you may be familiar with. As Facincani confirmed, “This June, we are brewing our two Ppride beers: Harmony Belgian Witbier (first brewed in June 2022) and Flock Together Pale Ale (first brewed in June 2024). A portion of the sales of these beers every year go to local LGBTQ+ organizations in the state; this year, it will be Haus of Codec.” Facicani shared that Lops “appreciates the support of Motif and its readers to be a welcoming publication for RI.” I agree, and I hope that we can all make a difference by being active, supporting, and advocating for inclusion. Cheers and slay some summer beers!