EDITED BY JAMIE COELHO
On Tap: Siren Song A peek into Rhode Island’ s newest gin distillery. By Lauren Clem
IT ALL STARTED WHEN THE WHISKEY RAN OUT. Erik Mikkelsen and Tim Eagan, longtime friends, were drinking and enjoying cigars in Mikkelsen’ s garage when they ran out of whiskey. Mikkelsen brought out a bottle of gin, and they decided to sample the juniper-heavy spirit. To their surprise, the bottle caught their interest, and they began experimenting with other flavors to complement the pine-forward scent.
“ We started to really explore what gin could be,” Eagan says.“ We built up this library of little tiny Ball jars of all these different botanicals distilled to their essence.”
That experimentation would grow into Siren Spirits, Rhode Island’ s newest distillery and its first to specialize almost exclusively in gin. Eagan and Mikkelsen opened it with their business partner, Christopher Musella, in Olneyville’ s Harrison Steam Complex in March. The owners took a former boiler room and transformed it into a speakeasy-like tasting room for sampling gins and liqueurs.
Their first order of business, Eagan says, was coming up with a“ gin for people who don’ t like gin.” While the two friends were hooked on the spirit, they recognized the sharp flavor often scared off casual drinkers. They used their library of
FROM TOP: The Siren’ s Kiss cocktail at Siren Spirits; Christopher Musella, Tim Eagan and Erik Mikkelsen are the owners of Siren Spirits in Providence’ s Olneyville neighborhood.
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botanicals to bring out herbaceous flavors while toning down the juniper that so many people associate with Christmas trees.
“ We really wanted to figure out what could be in the flavor wheel for gin,” Eagan says.
The result was Pieces of Eight, a signature botanical gin featuring cinnamon, star anise, citrus and grains of paradise— a West African plant in the ginger family. The owners recommend casual gin drinkers try it in a gin and tonic, or mixed with lime and grenadine in a Siren’ s Kiss cocktail.
For visitors serious about their gin, their other gin offering, Blackships, is a classic American dry-style gin featuring lemongrass, lime and cardamom. This one is available in a Victory Pearl cocktail— a take on a French Pearl named for the building’ s former owner— or in a seasonal Bee’ s Knees with lemon and honey.
“ Our focus is we want really good gins,” Eagan says.“ We want to be everybody’ s bottles that you have at home.” sirenspirits. com
Newport Vineyards launched Farm & Barrel Bistro, an updated farmto-table dining concept that celebrates the connection between the
Newport Vineyards’ Farm & Barrel Bistro. vineyard, brewery and on-site farm. Ć There’ s something new happening at the former Tiny Bar space in Providence. Bevi Bar, from the same owners as Bevi e Vivi, a luxury mobile beverage bar starring a vintage Italian Piaggio Ape, has taken over the indoor and outdoor space, turning the area into a daytime and early evening destination. ĆA new family-owned taco spot, La Fe Taqueria, has moved into the former Blue Cottage on Hope Street in Providence. The business is partially owned by the owner of Lotus Pepper, next door.— J. C. 🆁
PHOTOGRAPHY( OPPOSITE PAGE, FROM TOP): JAMIE COELHO AND DISCOVER NEWPORT; J WESSEL PHOTOGRAPHY.( THIS PAGE): LAUREN CLEM; COURTESY OF NEWPORT VINEYARDS.
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