ROSÉ FOR RESISTANCE RETURNS.

we're still mad, and we're still gonna do something about it.

Hello, friends.

Well, here we are again, with whiffs of PSL and 2016 in the air. If we weren’t so mad, we’d be exhausted. But rage is nothing if not invigorating, you know?

I’ve taken a lot of the activism I do/the bar does largely offline in the past year or two, mostly because I hate the Internet and I/we’ve gotten more and more threats to our lives over the last few years. We never stopped doing what we do, but sometimes I think it’s important to remember that private action does just as much good as public action, and community care is community care whether anyone knows you’re doing it or not. (And going to the mailbox to find cryptically malevolent letters without return addresses isn’t, like, the best.)

But there’s also nothing quite like the month before a national election with that fuckwad (and many, many additional fuckwads) on the ballot YET AGAIN to remind you that it also feels good to be in the company of people who are extremely over it. Collective action/mourning/celebration is what powers our humanity, and it’s time to grab onto that with both hands, y’all.

AND SO!

ROSÉ FOR RESISTANCE RETURNS FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER.

If you missed the inception of our freshman fundraiser, here’s the quick + dirty:

280 weeks ago, on May 15, 2019, I awoke to a NY Times notification reporting on the beginnings of now-familiar abortion bans. I rolled onto my side and slapped together a post on Rebel Rebel’s instagram declaring 100% of rosé sales would be donated to the Yellowhammer Fund, an Alabama abortion fund protecting women’s healthcare in that state. One summer and many, many nationwide collaborations from other bars and restaurants later, we raised roughly $27,000 for that fund (Rebel Rebel alone raised $17,000.00 in a matter of days).

At that time, as a former Planned Parenthood volunteer counselor, I was still doing a lot of education for our guests and followers about abortion funds and the legislative landslide I feared was headed our way. Unfortunately, I wasn’t wrong when I said in our initial fundraiser post that, “this is our battle as much as it’s Alabama’s, because all of this is just a grab at a Supreme Court date and a conflagration of Roe.”

Also unfortunately (but also fortunately, because knowledge is literally power), we’re now all extremely familiar with the importance of abortion funds and down-ballot measures in red states in preserving some semblance of bodily autonomy as a basic human right in this country.

So! Rosé for Resistance is back for the month of October. At both Rebel Rebel and Dear Annie, we’ll be featuring one rosé by the glass and donating 100% of the sales of that glass of wine to two important organizations:

The Fairness Project: Ballot measures are an incredibly important part of our democracy, but receive less attention than other aspects of the political process. The Fairness Project supports progressive ballot initiatives (from minimum wage increases to reproductive rights protections) in red states. They’ve won over 30 ballot measures since their collective approach began in 2016, and they’re supporting many more initiatives this election season.

MAMAS (Mutual Aid Medford And Somerville): I think I believe more in mutual aid than our government, but I also know that I don’t know everything. Either way, MAMAS provides imperative community support to residents of Somerville and Medford in the form of grocery shopping and meal deliveries, wealth redistribution, emotional and spiritual support, community gardens, and many, many other initiatives that pick up for the people where our government falls short/is fully MIA. I’ve done grocery shopping and meal delivery for community members through MAMAS and can attest to the extremely impressive level of care this group provides.

Don’t drink? Perhaps sugar is your drug of choice?

WE’RE BRINGING THE BAKE SALE BACK, TOO.

And we want your goods!

We’re planning to host a bake sale on Saturday, October 19th to give our community the chance to maximize our impact during this crucial year. That said, we need your help!

• We’re asking our favorite pros & home bakers for baked good donations! We’ll take whatever you can give! Nothing is too small! If you’d like to donate, please fill out this spreadsheet by 10/5. 

• Sign up HERE ! Make whatever you want! Bring it to REBEL on the Friday before (10/18) from 12 - 4 PM or Saturday (10/19 - day of the bake sale) from 8 AM to 10 AM. Please package all foods individually or in multi-packs. All foods should be portioned out and ready for purchase when they are brought to the sale. SHELF STABLE ITEMS ONLY (read: they have be able to sit on a table for a few hours, so no soufflés).

STILL NOT DONE! ALSO PRESENTING: THE FALL OF ROSÉ.

This was Hannah’s brainchild before we decided to bring R4R back, but gosh isn’t it nice when everything just comes together?

On 10/10, it’s an all-rosé BTG board at Rebel Rebel. On this night, $1 from every glass of rosé poured will be donated. MAXIMIZE YOUR IMPACT, OK??

JUST A FEW MORE THINGS:

We take a hit when we embark on a huge fundraising effort like this, because this all counts as income (even though we don’t keep any of it) and we’re taxed on it at the end of the year, and donations to MAMAS don’t qualify as “charitable donations” as far as the IRS is concerned. AND we are a small business AND the past few years have been trash, BUT I don’t think any of that means we should stop caring for our community (near and far) so we’re doing this anyway. It would be nice if you could perhaps take a moment to peruse some of the additional events we have lined up just to see if anything strikes your fancy? Here’s a sampling

10/3: THE FRUIT SOMM RETURNS! @ DEAR ANNIE (5PM ‘til sold out)

Our pal Tristan Kwong (aka the Fruit Somm, of Bonnie’s BK fame) is making his now-annual appearance in Boston to blow your minds and feed your souls. This time, he’s at Dear Annie with this BONKERS menu. Walk-ins only, 5PM ‘til sold out! Last time I think y’all cleared him out by, like, 7:30. So. Get there early.

10/6: Nice to “Meat” You—Intro to Meat Cuts & Anatomy Butcher Series w/ Highland Butcher @ Dear Annie (2:30- 4)

I plugged this one in the last newsletter, but just a reminder that this is going to be very very epic and Shannon is very very cool. You will learn A LOT and get to meet another truly badass woman in her (very male-dominated) field.

10/11: Author Event—Dolci! BY RENATO POLIAFITO @ Dear Annie (6:30 - 8PM)

Join us for an evening with Renato Poliafito, a two-time James Beard Award nominee and the owner of Ciao, Gloria, a bakery and café in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. This is his fifth cookbook, but he considers Dolci! his first “solo album.”

Renato will be in coversation with Casey Elsass, a collaborator on Dolci! There will be an active discussion and ample time for Q&A. Sweet treats from Ciao, Gloria are included with your ticket. AND you can and should probably make a res to stay for dinner (dessert first never hurt anybody).

OK, PALS! That’s all from me. Thanks for reading if you made it this far. LET’S FUCKING GO.

—Lauren