Some holiday pop-ups add a few twinkle lights and call it festive. RI Spirits looked at that approach, smiled politely, and proceeded to hang 103 disco balls from the ceiling. The result is Big Gay Christmas, a full-throttle holiday experience inside the Rhodium Room that transforms Pawtucket into a brighter, sillier, and far more fabulous place to toast the season.
As New England’s only queer-owned and operated distillery, RI Spirits knows how to blend intention with joy. This year, the tasting room becomes a glitter-soaked haven complete with a Christmas tree made entirely from alcohol cases, a tinsel-trimmed photo wall, and almost 1,000 feet of lights that make the entire space shimmer like a snow globe spun by someone with impeccable taste.
“It’s going to be a lot of good, clean, rainbow fun,” said beverage director and employee-owner Andrea Tateosian. “The holiday season is about community, family, and caring for your fellow human. This time of year can be tough for queer folks who may not have the support of family, so we’re extra determined to provide a welcoming space for everyone, chosen family and all.”
The vision became clear from Tateosian’s very first meeting. Co-owner and operations manager Patrick Cull remembers it well. “At one of our first meetings, we asked what her vision was for the space, and I think her words were, ‘I want to throw the gayest holiday party possible.’”
Mission accomplished. The cocktail list alone proves that subtlety is not invited. Guests can sip on Kringle’s Kosmo with Rhodium Citron vodka and mulling spices or lean into local nostalgia with Coffee Milk Eggnog featuring Rhodium Coffee Black Walnut Vodka and Famous Amos cookies. And then there is The Polar Bear, a tiki mug served with a shirtless Santa in swim trunks, because why not.
Big Gay Christmas kicks off Saturday, November 29 at 5pm with a performance from the Rhode Island Gay Men’s Chorus. Through the season, the Rhodium Room hosts extended hours along with special events like Quorus on December 14 and a Summer Orlando Holiday Drag Revue on December 18. It joins Miracle Bar at Gilligan’s Pub as one of two major holiday pop-ups in the area. As Tateosian puts it, “Hopefully folks use it as a jumping-off point for some joyful, holiday-themed bar-hopping.” For more information, visit RhodeIslandSpirits.com.
Thursdays 5 – 10 pm
Fridays 5 – 10 pm
Saturdays 2:30 – 11 pm
Sundays 1 – 8 pm
Saturday, November 29 · 5pm — RI Gay Men’s Chorus Performance
Sunday, December 14 · 3pm — Quorus Holiday Performance
Thursday, December 18 · 6:30pm — Summer Orlando Holiday Drag Revue ($10 cover)
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