Rhode Island Spirits Bottles a Piece of Pride History

Before PrideFest filled downtown Providence with music, celebration, and thousands of attendees, there was a much smaller march through the city in 1976. Fifty years later, a Pawtucket distillery is helping tell that story.

Rhode Island Spirits has partnered with Rhode Island Pride and the Providence Tourism Council to launch Rhodium X RI Pride Vodka, a limited-edition release celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Rhode Island Pride and honoring five decades of LGBTQIA+ visibility, advocacy, and community in the Ocean State. A portion of proceeds from every bottle sold will support Rhode Island Pride and help fund future PrideFest celebrations, the Illuminated Night Parade, community outreach, accessibility initiatives, and more.

The collaboration arrives as Rhode Island Pride marks its milestone year under the theme "We Are The People," a tribute to the generations of advocates, organizers, and community members who helped shape Pride into what it is today.

"This year's Pride theme, 'We Are The People,' honors the generations who made Pride possible over the past 50 years and the community that continues to carry it forward," said Rodney Davis, president of Rhode Island Pride. "Rhode Island Pride is not just an event. It is about our lives, our visibility, and our right to belong. It is a powerful expression of courage, resilience, and joy because showing up still matters."

For Rhode Island Spirits, the partnership feels especially meaningful. The company is New England's first queer-owned distillery, and community has been part of its mission since opening its doors in Pawtucket.

"Opening an unapologetically and visibly queer business was a bold choice," said Rhode Island Spirits co-founder Cathy Plourde, "and living unapologetically your true self is also a bold choice. None of us can or should do it alone, and we stand on the shoulders of those who boldly went before us. I believe this applies across our community circles, friends, family, businesses, organizations, and it's why Rhode Island Spirits and the Rhodium brand are happy to collaborate with RI Pride in celebrating 50 years of LGBTQ+ history in Rhode Island." For more information, visit RhodeIslandSpirits.com.