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FULL POUR

How Two Local Brewery Owners Are Running Their Businesses Through Cancer

Sean Lopolito, Amy Girard, Anthony Girard, Nate Aiello, Raegan Aiello and Lops General Manager Dylan Facincani celebrate the release of Remission Rising at Lops Brewing. (Photo courtesy of Sean Lopolito)

Running a brewery is a challenging career path in the best of circumstances — night and weekend hours, changing customer tastes and perennial supply chain struggles mean brewery owners often toil long days for razor-thin margins.

Add in a cancer diagnosis, and it might seem impossible.

That was the scenario Sean Lopolito, owner of Lops Brewing in Woonsocket, faced when he was diagnosed with seminoma, a form of testicular cancer, in 2024. He relied on staff and family, including his wife, Sarah, and Lops General Manager Dylan Facincani, to keep the brewery running while he underwent treatment. When the cancer relapsed last year, that circle of support expanded to include regulars who pitched in to keep the taproom running as usual.

It’s an experience that Nate Aiello, co-owner of Uncommon Pair Brewing in Smithfield, knows well. In 2022, Aiello was diagnosed with multiple myeloma — a form of blood cancer that affects bone marrow — and underwent a bone marrow transplant soon after. A few months ago, he and co-owner Anthony Girard opened Uncommon Pair on Smithfield’s Route 44.

Last week, the two brewery owners went public about their respective fights with cancer when they released Remission Rising, a double New England IPA “inspired by their shared experiences and a desire to give back to those who continue to struggle with the financial burdens that often accompany a cancer diagnosis.” A portion of proceeds from every pint and can supports the Joe Andruzzi Foundation, the North Attleboro-based organization that provides financial assistance to cancer patients and their families.

Patrons got their first taste of the beer last Tuesday, when it was unveiled during a mug club event at Lops. A second mug club unveiling was planned for last Thursday at Uncommon Pair. Lopolito and Aiello both spoke to Rhode Island Monthly at Lops about their respective journeys as they battled diagnoses that disrupted both their lives.

“The last couple years, it’s been just kind of balancing how much I can do and leaning on the support system,” Lopolito says.

Lopolito initially stayed quiet about his diagnosis in 2024, preferring to keep the news among close family and staff as he underwent surgery and chemotherapy. It was only after he learned the cancer had metastasized in 2025 — and he would be away from the tasting room for four months while undergoing treatment — that he shared the news with brewery regulars. The taproom community stepped up to help by taking on host duties for some of its regular events, including BINGO, home brew club and the Trails to Beers hiking series.

While there was no shortage of offers, Lopolito says he sometimes found it difficult to figure out how people could help. He’s strict about making sure anyone who helps out around the brewery is paid for their efforts. And he wasn’t ready to fully give up his brewing duties, either. With treatment running in three-week cycles, he was often itching to get back into the basement brew space by week three.

“If you’re running a small business, if you don’t do it, it’s not going to work. There’s only so much help you can get from others,” he says.

Aiello’s treatment happened mostly prior to opening a brewery, but he also relied on friends and family to help keep his life in order while undergoing a bone marrow transplant. He received his diagnosis on Dec. 28, 2022, following a rough Christmas when he spent most of the day throwing up from what turned out to be cancer-induced nausea. Following the transplant, he was unable to see his family for seven weeks due to his compromised immune system.

“It all sucks. Thank God for medicine and beer,” he says.

Like Lopolito, he acknowledges responsibilities and goals don’t stop just because someone is going through cancer treatment.

“You just have to keep going. Sometimes you don’t feel good, but you just do. You can’t stop. You learn,” he says.

Both men say it’s important to them to support an organization that helps local families, such as the Joe Andruzzi Foundation. Founded by former New England Patriot Joe Andruzzi and his wife, Jen, the organization assists families with household expenses as they’re undergoing cancer treatment. This could include daily living costs and expenses related to treatment like parking and hotels.

“What they do is the stuff that no one thinks about,” Aiello says. “That’s a really big cost because insurance doesn’t cover any of that.”

It’s the first collaboration for Uncommon Pair, still a relative newcomer that’s been warmly welcomed within the local brewing scene. The beer is a double New England IPA featuring anchovy and citra hops. It’s a rare style for both breweries — neither features IPAs heavily in their taproom menus — but Aiello says they wanted “something big and strong — a fighter.” The beer was only unveiled last week, but both expect it to run out quickly due to demand.

As for the name, they considered several before settling on Remission Rising. Neither man considers himself done with cancer — Aiello is formally in remission, while Lopolito is still undergoing treatment and hoping for a remission diagnosis later this year — but the name isn’t about the present. It’s about the future all cancer patients hope for and the support they find along the way.

“It’s not what we did, it’s not what we’re going through now, it’s the hope,” Aiello says.

We’ll raise a glass to that.

The new Guild Garden located across the street from An Unlikely Story bookstore in Plainville, Massachusetts. (Photo by Lauren Clem)

SMALL SIPS

• The Guild Garden — a new beer garden from The Guild located across the street from An Unlikely Story bookstore — is now open in Plainville, Massachusetts. Read all about the new location here.

• Speaking of beer gardens, check out our list of the nine best brewery patios.

• Tickets to the Best of Rhode Island party on July 23 are officially on sale, and this year promises to be our best event yet. Join in for a chance to sample food and drink from dozens of local vendors — including Grey Sail Brewing, Industrious Spirits Co., Newport Vineyards, Gooseneck Vineyards and Sowams Cider Works, among others — and be the first to find out this year’s winners for best brewery, winery, dive bar and more. Word is our favorite tartan-clad beer-guzzlers might be making a special appearance.

EVENTS AND HAPPENINGS

• Tickets are still on sale for Pivotal Brewing Company’s third annual Dead Fest July 10 through 12 at the Bristol taproom, featuring three days of Grateful Dead cover bands, food trucks and a Shakedown Street vendor setup. Tickets are available online.

• Queers and Beers of Rhode Island will host an Independence Gay cookout and beer release party on Sunday, July 12, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Origin Beer Project featuring the release of their new beer collab, Out Loud. A percentage of sales will be donated to the Trevor Project.

• The Ragged Island Brewing Co. free summer concert series continues on Wednesday, July 15, with Dudemanbro from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Food trucks will be onsite.

• Moniker Brewery will be at historic Fry Farm in East Greenwich for a summer picnic on Saturday, July 18, from 2 to 7 p.m. The event features lawn games, a beer garden, live music, food, flowers and more.

• Long Live Beerworks and Symposium Books will host an open mic night at the Providence taproom on Friday, July 24, at 7 p.m. The event will feature musician Indira and also offer five- to ten-minute slots for performers to sign up to perform song, dance, poetry and more. Performers can sign up for slots online or at 6:30 p.m. day-of.

• Crooked Current Brewery will host a day with local authors on Sunday, July 26, from 1 to 4 p.m. Find your new favorite summer read while enjoying barbecue from Hank’s Down South BBQ and live music by Greg Roch and sipping cocktails from White Dog Distilling and the seasonal watermelon blonde ale.

• Rhode Island Beer Club has partnered with Foolproof Brewing Company to brew Honey Hound, a limited-edition honey kolsch benefiting the Providence Animal Rescue League. A light, crisp honey kolsch with a touch of honey sweetness, Honey Hound was brewed to be an easy-drinking summer beer with an even better purpose. The beer officially launches on Saturday, Aug. 1, from 5 to 9 p.m. at Foolproof.

• Phantom Farms Brewing is now serving housemade pizza in the taproom. The menu includes modern margherita, pepperoni, veggie and classic cheese. Try one while you check out the summer concert series.

• Working Man Distillers has opened its outdoor cocktail garden. Check out this video to see the impressive transformation outside the former Pawtucket mill space.

• Congratulations to Newport Craft Brewing & Distilling and WinterHawk Vineyards, who were both recognized by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management this week for their sustainability efforts. The two businesses worked with the DEM’s Green Breweries Program to improve their environmental sustainability, including supporting regenerative agriculture, recapturing C02, reusing drinkware and spirit barrels, and implementing water, energy and chemical reduction practices. The two were also recognized by the regional BetterBev program.

• South County Distillers has been selected to represent Rhode Island in Lost Lantern’s United States of Bourbon, a historic blend featuring bourbon made in all fifty states. Order a bottle online or at select local retailers.

LABEL OF THE MONTH

(Photo courtesy of Apponaug Brewing Company)

Main Squeeze, collaboration between Apponaug Brewing Company and Foolproof Brewing Company

Label design by Shawn Walsh

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