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FULL POUR

A Peek into Rhode Island’s Newest Gin Distillery

Christopher Musella, Tim Eagan and Erik Mikkelsen are the owners of Siren Spirits in Providence’s Olneyville neighborhood. (Photos 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 to experiment 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 in the complex 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 and reputation often scared off casual drinkers. They used their library of 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 who are serious about their gin, their other offering, Blackships, is a class American dry style gin featuring lemongrass, kaffir 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.

“I don’t think anyone’s putting cinnamon in their gin, but here we are,” Eagan says.

The Siren’s Kiss cocktail at Siren Spirits.

In addition to gin, the business also has two flagship liqueurs. The Naval Orange Curacao is an orange-infused brandy, while the St. Elmo Pastis is an herbal liqueur intended as a Chartreuse replacement that features fennel, cardamom, black pepper and lemongrass, among other flavors. Mikkelsen makes the spirits using a fifty-liter still named Calypso in the distillery’s back room.

In addition to classic cocktails, the menu features seasonal options like a Naval Orange hot toddy or a nonalcoholic champagne cocktail. The owners plan to switch out cocktails regularly, and add a seasonal liqueur and gin variety beginning in the summer. In addition to the dedicated N/A champagne cocktail, many of their other beverages are available in mocktail form.

“I just want to make people happy,” Mikkelsen says about the tasting room’s atmosphere. “Friday night this couple came in, they had a fantastic time, I did a little tour, they were off to eat dinner.”

Since opening in March, the distillery has seen a steady stream of visitors to its Troy Street location, which — despite its nautical theme — gives off a distinctly urban vibe. Lobster traps and a driftwood-carved mermaid are paired with exposed brick walls and concrete floors, blending Rhode Island’s ocean location with its industrial history. A skylight adds natural light, and for those who prefer a cozier alternative, a second room off the main space — nicknamed “The Grotto” — seemingly transports patrons to the 1920s with its vintage furniture and secretive feel.

“We’ve had a lot of people just really wowed with the space and want to do events here,” Eagan says.

In the summer, they’ll have outdoor seating on the patio, and local personality LuLu Locks stops by for guest bartending nights. They don’t plan to expand into whiskey — “There’s a glut of whiskey on the market,” Eagan says — but they do plan to distribute so that patrons can make their own cocktails at home.

“Our focus is we want really good gins,” Eagan says. “We want to be everybody’s bottles that you have at home.”

Siren Spirits is open Thursdays from 4 to 9 p.m., Fridays from 4 to 10 p.m., Saturdays from noon to 10 p.m., and Sundays from noon to 6 p.m. sirenspirits.com

“The Grotto” at Siren Spirits.

SMALL SIPS

• The Rhode Island Brewers Guild has announced the Ocean State Brewers Fest is happening at the Bristol Golf Park this year on Saturday, June 27, from 2 to 5:30 p.m. The event, hosted by Vigilant Brewing Company and presented by Club9, is the only beer event to exclusively feature Rhode Island breweries. Tickets are $50 ($20 for designated driver tickets) and include beer tastings, food samples and a closest-to-the-pin chipping and putting competition on the course.

• The Valley Breeze reports that Phantom Farms, the Cumberland business known for its apple orchard and bakery, is facing pushback from local residents in its effort to open a winery on the property. The farm is owned by the Macari family, who also owns Phantom Farms Brewing down the street.

• This looks fun: The Providence Tour Company is now offering a Clues and Brews Murder Mystery Beer Tour that features stops at three Rhode Island breweries as you try to solve the mystery of a real-life nineteenth century murder case. Tickets are $95 per person and include beer flights at each stop and a food tasting.

EVENTS AND HAPPENINGS

• Long Live Beerworks and Symposium Books are hosting an adult book fair in the Providence taproom this Friday, April 17, from 6 to 9 p.m. Stop by for a curated selection of new releases, independent publishers, works in translation and bestsellers as well as bargain books and vinyl records.

• Pivotal Brewing Company will host story time with Mrs. Katz (and her hats) this Sunday, April 19, from 4 to 5 p.m.

• Buttonwoods Brewing and Screaming Unicorn are going all-out for 4/20 weekend with a munchies-inspired menu that includes flamin’ hot mac & cheese, house made chicken nuggets and a double smash patty burger on a Knead glazed brioche doughnut.

• If you haven’t had enough of rocket launches and moon joy, check out Astronomy On Tap at Narragansett Beer on Tuesday, April 21, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The topics for the evening are “Was Einstein Wrong?: Modifying Gravity” and “The Blurriest Picture Ever Taken” featuring experts from Brown University and MIT.

• Grey Sail Brewing is raising a glass to local beautification efforts on Wednesday, April 22, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. The event supports the Stonington Beautification Committee’s efforts to clean and add color to the iconic Pawcatuck River Bridge. Tickets (sold at the door) include two drinks and some snacks and cost $15 per person or $25 per couple.

• Working Man Distillers will host Comedy Night featuring Mo Mussa on Saturday, April 25, from 8 to 10 p.m. Tickets are $20 per person and available online. The lineup also features Cam Stafford, Kate Molloy and hosted by Mark McGwin.

• Trágmar Ale Works is hosting a beer pairing dinner with Waypoint BBQ on Sunday, April 26, at 3 p.m. Tickets are $60 and include a five-course dinner featuring charcuterie, Asian ribs, brisket tacos, pork tenderloin and raspberry cheesecake all paired with Trágmar beers.

• Crooked Current Brewery and White Dog Distilling will host a Botany & Booze free plant swap on Saturday, May 2, from 1 to 4 p.m. outside their Pawtucket locations. Bring a plant cutting to swap with something new, or just tag along to enjoy the spring vibes. K&B Goat Parties will be on hand with baby goats, and Hank’s Down South BBQ will provide the food.

• Tickets are still on sale for the Newport Beer Festival held on Saturday, May 2, from 1 to 4:30 p.m. at Fort Adams State Park. Tickets are $55 each ($25 for designated driver tickets) and include a tasting glass, beer samples from fifty-plus breweries, food tastings and tours of Fort Adams.

• Field of Artisans will host a Hoppy Spring market at The Guild in Pawtucket on Saturday, May 9, from noon to 6 p.m. The event will feature food trucks and wares from local artisan vendors.

• Tickets are on sale for the Rogue Island Comedy Festival, which includes shows at Newport Craft on May 22 and 24. The semiannual stand-up comedy festival features nationally touring comedians and rising talents. Visit the website for the full lineup and tickets.

• Tickets are on sale for the 2026 Ragged Island Music Festival at Ragged Island Brewing Co. June 13 through 14 from noon to 8:30 p.m. Check out artists including Shwayze, IRIEspect, the Slackers, Over the Bridge, Nena Belen, ACB, Black Uhuru and Michael Glabicki of Rusted Root. Tickets are $71.24 each and available online.

LABEL OF THE MONTH

(Photo by Seth Holme of Save The Bay)

Rhodium X Save The Bay Gin from Rhode Island Spirits

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