‘Free Beer Tomorrow’ documentary and research project honors Ohio’s longest lesbian-owned-and-operated bar

One of the first lesbian bars in Ohio, Columbus’s Jack’s/Summit Station felt like home to many patrons – a place where they could truly be themselves.

Founded in 1971 as Jack’s, an unofficial lesbian space, and re-branded by longtime owner Petie Brown as lesbian bar Summit Station in 1980, it remains Ohio’s longest-running lesbian bar. 

Jack’s/Summit Station invited lesbian musicians, performers and comedians into the space, as well as billiards and dart leagues. From sponsoring local sports teams to organizing events in support of philanthropic and public-health causes – everything from breast cancer awareness to supporting those living with HIV – the bar’s community involvement was far-reaching and well-known.

Julia Applegate, a longtime patron of the bar and now a senior lecturer at The Ohio State University’s College of Arts and Sciences, participated in the effort to have Jack’s/Summit Station deemed a historical destination by the state of Ohio, which it received in June 2023. 

Bringing the bar’s oral history to film 

Over the years, Applegate heard countless anecdotes describing Jack’s/Summit Station’s influence on other lesbians, reconnecting her to the bar’s significance and impact and compelling her to share these stories. . 

Ideas flowed, and Applegate ultimately decided, “This just needs to be a film.”

The team titled the project “Free Beer Tomorrow” in honor of a neon sign that owner Petie Brown hung above the bar and kept on at all hours. The joke was that the beer is never free because tomorrow never actually comes.

“Free Beer Tomorrow “ preserves the history and culture of Jack’s/Summit Station with a documentary film, a podcast series and a public health research study.

Beginning with an oral history of the bar from Petie Brown, the team interviewed lesbian women about their stories and personal connections to Jack’s/Summit Station. 

“We just talked to people… and the stories that we captured were so rich,” said Applegate.

Adding a podcast

Though not every story made it into the final cut, the “Free Beer Tomorrow” podcast series consists of all of the full-length interviews conducted for the documentary.

The podcast production is ongoing, as the team continues to interview former patrons.

A public health component

While conducting interviews, Applegate and Singleton noticed an increasing pattern of isolation and loneliness among older lesbians as these social spaces have decreased.

In partnership with the College of Public Health at The Ohio State University, Applegate and her co-director LuSter Singleton secured financial support from the university’s Women & Philanthropy program to launch a public health research study (“Aging Well, Aging Together“) looking into the impact of the loss of these sorts of lesbian spaces, both mentally and emotionally. 

Dr. Joanne Patterson serves as principal investigator on the study.

Interviews for the research study are complete and data is being analyzed. The study’s results are set to be released in 4 to 6 months. 

In the future, Applegate and Singleton hope to use the study’s results as an impetus for developing new programs and services for older lesbians ages 55 and older. 

The documentary is in the final stages of production, and a final cut is expected to be ready for release in the next several weeks. The team also intends to roll out the first season of the podcast with the release of the documentary. 

Applegate and Singleton are eager to show their documentary to Columbus locals and any other interested groups. They already have screenings lined up at churches, community centers and retirement homes, including screening a teaser for the film at the Out Here Dayton Film Fest on Sunday, Oct 12.

“We will come to do a screening,” said Applegate. “We’re doing screenings almost anywhere that we’re asked to do them. We want to go into spaces, as opposed to asking people to leave their space. If you want to learn more, or if you’re interested in us coming to talk about the film, reach out.” 🔥

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• For more information about “Free Beer Tomorrow,” click here.