Pawtucket’s Rhode Island Spirits celebrated Pride Month in June while raising funds for an LGBTQ+ charitable cause. Throughout the month, RI Spirits donated $2 for every Pink Lemonade cocktail sold at its tasting room to benefit Youth Pride Inc., a Rhode Island-based nonprofit working to give support, education and advocacy to LGBTQ+ youth and young adults. The distillery partnered with more than 15 Rhode Island and Massachusetts venues, who served their own twist of the cocktail that features Rhodium RI Red Vodka blended with fresh lemonade. Participating venues donated a portion of cocktail sales: Providence’s Aloft Providence Downtown, Blu Violet Roof Bar, Oberlin, Gift Horse, Gilligan’s Pub, Plant City, 345 Speakeasy, The Patio on Broadway, Tiny Bar, The Stable and Kimi’s Bar; Bristol’s The Beach House; Pawtucket’s Hangry Kitchen; and Boston’s The Banks Seafood and Steak. In its second year of the effort, RI Spirits Co-owner Cathy Plourde said she was “thrilled” to see the number of partners and donations multiply. “Some went the whole month, some went for a set time, some for Pride weekend. The donations varied from a percentage to an amount per cocktail, to a flat donation, all according to what worked best for each,” she said. Founded by owners Plourde and Kara Larson, the company is New England’s only LGBT-owned spirits brand. RI Spirits are crafted from local fresh, farmed and foraged ingredients and are gluten-free, organic, non-GMO and vegan, with all in the lineup but one certified kosher by RI Kosher.

Photos courtesy of Rhode Island Spirits.