RI Spirits and Save The Bay Launch Special Edition Gin
RI Spirits and Save The Bay Launch Special Edition Gin Featuring Botanicals Foraged from Narragansett Bay’s Coast
Rhodium's Save The Bay Gin showcases hyper-local ingredients, with $5 from every bottle supporting bay restoration efforts
Rhode Island Spirits, creator of the acclaimed Rhodium line of products, has partnered with Save The Bay to launch a distinctive gin that highlights the unique coastal flora of Narragansett Bay. To celebrate the vast biodiversity of Rhode Island, the team at RI Spirits foraged the majority of the gin's botanicals directly from the shoreline of Save The Bay’s Providence Bay Center.
The collaboration unites two Rhode Island institutions with shared values of community engagement and environmental stewardship. Save The Bay, a beloved grassroots nonprofit, has protected and restored Narragansett Bay for decades through advocacy, education, and habitat restoration, engaging thousands of volunteers, educators, and community members in their cleanup and conservation initiatives.
"Save The Bay has had success in partnering with area businesses that help bring our mission and message to a broader audience," said Deputy Director Maureen Fogarty. "The fact that several of the botanicals are foraged just outside our office is really special."
RI Spirits founder and master forager Cathy Plourde personally selected each botanical to create a gin that captures the essence of Rhode Island's seaside character. "I have a passion for combining unique, local, sustainable botanicals in Rhodium gin and vodka," Plourde explains. "There are a number of interesting expressions of coastal or seaside gin being made around the world but Save The Bay Gin's distinctive use of bay laurel provides a savory fragrance that is complemented by the light fruitiness of beach plums and citrus."
“The shoreline is the place where people connect with Narragansett Bay, be it for work, play or feeling a sense of place or spiritual well-being,” said Topher Hamblett, Executive Director for Save The Bay. “We are excited to collaborate with local businesses like RI Spirits to educate Rhode Islanders about the wonders of our coastal areas.”
The focus on seaside botanicals created an opportunity to highlight some surprising flavors. Saltbush, native to coastal areas, contributes a subtle mineral quality reminiscent of sea spray, and spruce tips, harvested in spring, offer bright, lightly resinous notes that evoke New England’s tracts of evergreen trees.
RI Spirits co-owner and Beverage Director Andrea Tateosian has created a signature cocktail to showcase the new release: the Save The Bay Breeze, a zesty take on the classic Sea Breeze. "I’m so happy to have this unique gin to play with behind our bar," she shared, “but I am really excited to see other local bartenders take it and run with it in their own cocktails.”
The partnership demonstrates RI Spirits' commitment to innovation and sustainability. "We've deployed our in-house chemist from the beginning of the production process to dial into efficiencies we couldn't have managed a few years ago," said Patrick Cull, RI Spirits co-owner and Operations Manager. "Already, the Save The Bay partnership has sparked interest and even greater opportunities within the area's craft spirits and craft cocktail scene."
For every bottle sold, RI Spirits will donate $5 to Save The Bay to support the organization's vital conservation work protecting Narragansett Bay. “As gin lovers, we’re really putting our money where our mouth is with this one,” laughed Tateosian. “The hope is that other Rhode Islanders feel compelled to do the same.”
Save The Bay Gin will be available April 17, 2026, through Southern Glazer's in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Bottles and cocktails featuring the gin will also be available at RI Spirits' Pawtucket distillery.
About Save The Bay: Founded in 1970, the Rhode Island-based nonprofit Save The Bay seeks to protect and improve Narragansett Bay and its 1,705-square-mile watershed. The organization works to achieve its vision of a fully swimmable, fishable Narragansett Bay, accessible to all, through its advocacy, education, and habitat restoration and adaptation work. Learn more about Save The Bay at www.savebay.org.
The collaboration unites two Rhode Island institutions with shared values of community engagement and environmental stewardship. Save The Bay, a beloved grassroots nonprofit, has protected and restored Narragansett Bay for decades through advocacy, education, and habitat restoration, engaging thousands of volunteers, educators, and community members in their cleanup and conservation initiatives.
"Save The Bay has had success in partnering with area businesses that help bring our mission and message to a broader audience," said Deputy Director Maureen Fogarty. "The fact that several of the botanicals are foraged just outside our office is really special."
RI Spirits founder and master forager Cathy Plourde personally selected each botanical to create a gin that captures the essence of Rhode Island's seaside character. "I have a passion for combining unique, local, sustainable botanicals in Rhodium gin and vodka," Plourde explains. "There are a number of interesting expressions of coastal or seaside gin being made around the world but Save The Bay Gin's distinctive use of bay laurel provides a savory fragrance that is complemented by the light fruitiness of beach plums and citrus."
“The shoreline is the place where people connect with Narragansett Bay, be it for work, play or feeling a sense of place or spiritual well-being,” said Topher Hamblett, Executive Director for Save The Bay. “We are excited to collaborate with local businesses like RI Spirits to educate Rhode Islanders about the wonders of our coastal areas.”
The focus on seaside botanicals created an opportunity to highlight some surprising flavors. Saltbush, native to coastal areas, contributes a subtle mineral quality reminiscent of sea spray, and spruce tips, harvested in spring, offer bright, lightly resinous notes that evoke New England’s tracts of evergreen trees.
RI Spirits co-owner and Beverage Director Andrea Tateosian has created a signature cocktail to showcase the new release: the Save The Bay Breeze, a zesty take on the classic Sea Breeze. "I’m so happy to have this unique gin to play with behind our bar," she shared, “but I am really excited to see other local bartenders take it and run with it in their own cocktails.”
The partnership demonstrates RI Spirits' commitment to innovation and sustainability. "We've deployed our in-house chemist from the beginning of the production process to dial into efficiencies we couldn't have managed a few years ago," said Patrick Cull, RI Spirits co-owner and Operations Manager. "Already, the Save The Bay partnership has sparked interest and even greater opportunities within the area's craft spirits and craft cocktail scene."
For every bottle sold, RI Spirits will donate $5 to Save The Bay to support the organization's vital conservation work protecting Narragansett Bay. “As gin lovers, we’re really putting our money where our mouth is with this one,” laughed Tateosian. “The hope is that other Rhode Islanders feel compelled to do the same.”
Save The Bay Gin will be available April 17, 2026, through Southern Glazer's in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Bottles and cocktails featuring the gin will also be available at RI Spirits' Pawtucket distillery.
About Save The Bay: Founded in 1970, the Rhode Island-based nonprofit Save The Bay seeks to protect and improve Narragansett Bay and its 1,705-square-mile watershed. The organization works to achieve its vision of a fully swimmable, fishable Narragansett Bay, accessible to all, through its advocacy, education, and habitat restoration and adaptation work. Learn more about Save The Bay at www.savebay.org.
About Rhode Island Spirits: Rhode Island Spirits produces the award-winning Rhodium line of craft gin and vodka, combining traditional distilling techniques with innovative, locally sourced ingredients. As New England's only LGBTQ-owned spirits brand, RI Spirits is committed to community engagement, sustainability, and celebrating Rhode Island's unique character. The distillery is located at the Isle Brewers Guild campus in Pawtucket. For more information, visit rhodeislandspirits.com
