• The Rhode Island Beer Club partnered with Smug Brewing Company to create a Belgian witbier called That’s So Fetch, with sales benefiting Animal Rescue Rhode Island.
• The beer launch party will be held on April 5th at Smug Brewing in Pawtucket, with $1 from every beer sale going towards Animal Rescue Rhode Island.
• The Rhode Island Beer Club, founded by Shannon Salisbury and Joyce Leisge, aims to celebrate the craft beer scene in Rhode Island and connect beer enthusiasts.

The Rhode Island Beer Club has collaborated with Smug Brewing Company to create “That’s So Fetch.” Sales of the beer will benefit Animal Rescue Rhode Island.

Do you see what they did there?

The Belgian witbier was brewed with tangerines and cardamom beginning on March 5 at the Pawtucket brewery. “It’s light, refreshing, and just the right amount of spice – totally fetch,” goes the marketing.

Not only will $1 of every sale go to Animal Rescue, there’s an April event planned to gather a crowd and raise even more money.

The special release will debut at a launch party on April 5 from 1-4 p.m. at Smug Brewing, 100 Carver St., Pawtucket. A portion of the proceeds from each pint sold, and a portion of beer can sales, will go directly toward helping animals.

The event will also feature raffles and giveaways, with a representative from Animal Rescue Rhode Island present to share more about their mission, programs and the animals they serve. The RI Beer Club will also collect donations of items needed by the rescue group.

A food truck will be on-site for food purchases.

The initiative to pair beer and animal rescue came from Shannon Salisbury, co-founder of the Rhode Island Beer Club, who wanted to do something for the community.

“We wanted to create a beer that not only tastes great but also gives back to a cause that means a lot to us,” she said.

She approached Smug Brewing and owner/head brewer Rob Darosa because she knew they did a fair amount of collaborations. They were all in on the initiative.

“Partnering with Smug Brewing for this event allows us to bring the community together over a great brew while supporting a fantastic local organization,” said Salisbury.

The label was designed by Beer Club content and brand manager Morgan Schaffrick and invokes references to the film “Mean Girls” where the term “That’s so fetch” originated.

“She really brought the idea to life in the best way,” said Salisbury. 

To help keep the margins higher for the donation portion, it will be sold only at the brewery while supplies last. They will be pouring pints as well as selling cans.

What is the RI Beer Club?

“It all began 14 years ago when Joyce Leisge and I wanted to start a beer club,” said Salisbury.

After college, it’s a challenge to make adult friends. They saw a beer club as a way to network with their peers. But there wasn’t a significant beer scene at the time and the club petered out, she said.

After the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, they decided to start it up again. They declared their mission to celebrate the craft beer scene in Rhode Island by bringing beer lovers together for networking, tastings, and collaborations with local breweries.

Since then, the RI Beer Club meets on the first and third Friday of each month at a different brewery. The meetings start at 7 p.m. Each brewery sets aside space for the group that is usually 20-35 people. Sometimes they offer some free food or beer.

The club posts its gatherings on Instagram, Facebook and Reddit. There’s no membership fee to belong to the RI Beer Club.

“We have people of all ages and they feel comfortable because they come back,” Salisbury said. Many are transplants to Rhode Island. They’ve had one engagement in the group.

With the club running well, Salisbury knew the time was right for a community project to help a worthy organization.

She chose Animal Rescue Rhode Island which in 2024 saved 526 homeless animals, provided families in need with over 80,000 pet meals through its pet pantry and educated nearly 1,500 students through its animal scholars program.

“That’s so Fetch” might be the first project, but Salisbury hopes it won’t be the last.

Ruggerio, 76, a North Providence Democrat, missed long stretches of last year’s legislative session as he battled cancer and shingles. He is still being treated for cancer, he said on Tuesday.

In November, Ruggerio withstood a leadership challenge from former Senate Majority Leader Ryan W. Pearson, a Cumberland Democrat who charged that the Senate was ineffective in his absence.

Ruggerio was admitted to Our Lady of Fatima Hospital, in North Providence, on Feb. 19 with what senators were told was a “touch of pneumonia.” He later moved to Fatima’s rehabilitation facility, and returned home on March 12. He was expected to return to the Senate last Thursday, but a spokesman said he needed another day with his recovery.

With his appearance Tuesday, Ruggerio has attended six the Senate’s 13 sessions this year. He presided over Tuesday’s Senate session, which included unanimous approval of two bills.

During announcements Tuesday, Senator Jake Bissaillon, a Providence Democrat who previously served as his chief of staff, said to Ruggerio, “I’d be remiss not to say it’s good to see you back.”

After Tuesday’s session, Pearson said, “I’m glad to see he is doing well enough to be back.”

When asked by reporters what his priorities are for the remainder of the legislative session, Ruggerio said, “Well, I’m playing catch up.”

But he cited a Senate commission appointed to study whether to create a medical school at the University of Rhode Island. And he mentioned the package of health care bills that the Senate unveiled in February, including legislation to review Medicaid reimbursement rates for primary care providers in Rhode Island.

Ruggerio said he has not had a chance to meet with Governor Daniel J. McKee or House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi to discuss legislative priorities. “We’ve spoken over the phone. I haven’t really met with them physically, but I intend to,” he said.

When asked to identify the hardest part of being Senate president during his health problems, Ruggerio said, “Keeping up with things.” He emphasized his “great staff,” and said he is in regular contact with Senate staff, Shekarchi, and McKee. “So I can keep up with what’s going on up here,” he said.

Ruggerio is considered the “dean” of the Senate, the chamber’s longest-serving member, first winning election in 1985. He previously served in the state House of Representatives from 1981 to 1984, and has served as Senate president since March 2017.

When the 2025 legislative session commenced in January, the 38-member Senate reelected Ruggerio as president, with 26 senators voting for him while 12 voted “present,” essentially abstaining from the vote. Surprisingly, Ruggerio was among those who voted “present.” Afterward, he said he could not hear and misunderstood when he voted “present” rather than voting for himself.

When asked on Tuesday if he still considers it a good decision to run again for Senate president, Ruggerio said, “Yes.”

Edward Fitzpatrick can be reached at edward.fitzpatrick@globe.com. Follow him @FitzProv.