"Rocket"

We only stepped into Mutantis Brewery looking for a bathroom while waiting for food, but what we found was something far more unexpected: a space pulsing with personality. The second we walked in, we knew we found something special. Neon tape lined the walls, handmade signs hung like battle flags, and a quiet stillness in the air that only exists when something is nearing its end. The bar was closing.

That's where we met 42-year-old Deja Indigo Yerger, who founded Mutantis in 2019 and opened it to the public in 2020. A queer- and trans-owned, gluten-free vegan brewery, it was built with intention. Not to be mainstream or to make a fortune, but rather to create a space where people could be unapologetically themselves. "I wouldn't be the person I am today if I'd never done this," she told us.

When we asked what song that reminded Deja of growing up, her answer came easily: "Rocket" by The Smashing Pumpkins. She first heard it in middle school, and the lyrics and meaning has stayed with her ever since. "Consumed the love to power the hate/And only powers my escape," she recited. That line in particular became a mantra, anchoring her back to childhood and the "sense of wanting to escape something from my life" she explained. For Deja, it was about finding a way out of whatever box the world continuously tried to place her in. It's a song about resistance, movement, and the fight to say true to yourself, even if it goes against what is conventional.

Deja's love for beer began in her early twenties, before being diagnosed with celiac disease. Rather than give it up, she took it as a challenge that pushed her forward to create gluten-free beer when no one else was. It wasn't about capitalizing on a niche. It was about survival and creating something inclusive for people like her. Though Mutantis never found financial success, it became something meaningful nonetheless. Through it, Deja built deep friendships, found community, and created a space that remained radically open even in the face of hate.

Now, with the bar preparing to close, Deja is turning to something new. She's training to become an electrologist, hoping to offer affirming, personal care, especially to fellow trans people who deserve to feel safe and comfortable in their own bodies. It's work that could be both more sustainable and fulfilling in a world that continues to question her identity. Though the doors of Mutantis may be closing, her search for community, purpose, and connection continues.

Before we left, we asked if she had any final words to share. "Get off Facebook. Get off Instagram. Get off TikTok. Get off Reddit. Get off Tumblr. Get off everything owned by billionaires." Even in her closing thoughts, Deja's spirit shone through: unfiltered, unwavering, and still fighting to create the kind of world that is deserved.