Spark Social House / Andy Nason
The first NA LGBTQ+ bar in the country ushers in pride and a groundbreaking social space.
WORDS Evan Caplan
AsWashington, D.C. prepared to host WorldPride 2025—the largest gathering of the LGBTQ+ community in the world—from May 17 through June 8, locals and visitors alike looked to welcoming venues as safe, joyful spaces to help them congregate, advocate and celebrate.
Alcohol is centered alongside many of the events that mark WorldPride … except at the new Spark Social House.
Occupying prime real estate at the epicenter of the city’s nightlife scene along the buzzy U Street Corridor, Spark is evolving what it means to represent a hub of queer third-space life.
Historically pushing boundaries in a city that boasts nearly 15 percent of residents who identify as LGBTQ+, the community’s scene has thrived, whether underground, in national politics or late on a Thursday evening. It is the gay bar that has traditionally served as a safe space, away from judgmental families and discriminatory government structures, and where alcohol, conversation and feelings flow freely.
Spark represents a new vision for the community. The venue harnesses the growing and maturing non-alcoholic (NA) movement found in the capital and elsewhere around the country.
Owners Shua Goodwin and Nick Tsusaki call the bilevel, cozy space a bold, inclusive reimagining of nightlife. Goodwin adds that Spark fosters an “environment where community, creativity, and connection thrive—without the expectation to drink alcohol.”
“LGBTQ+ individuals experience higher rates of substance use,” says Goodwin. “Yet alcohol-free spaces remain rare.”
It is the gay bar that has traditionally served as a safe space, away from judgmental families and discriminatory government structures.
In fact, while developing the bar, the duo noted the lack of NA LGBTQ+ spaces in the U.S., and that Spark just might be on the vanguard as the first.
Spark’s bar program highlights complex, alcohol-free creations, designed by bar manager Salina Janaē with support from herbalist and national NA advocate Maria Bastasch. Cocktails include options like Bastasch’s Dirty Horchata—housemade rice horchata, mushroom tincture, espresso syrup and cinnamon, shaken with aquafaba for a signature foamy head—and Janaē’s San Junipero Fizz, a take on the famed labor-intensive Ramos Fizz.
Spark promotes drinks without alcohol but with a story, from adaptogens and fermented teas to zero-proof spirits, unexpected pairings and undeniable vibes.
Goodwin says that Spark shows “people that you can laugh, flirt, vent, cry and celebrate without drinking alcohol.”
Spark was able to run—sprint, really—because of people like Bastasch and Derek Brown, the duo that cofounded Mindful Drinking Fest, the largest low-and no-alc drink event in the U.S., which takes place annually in Washington, D.C. After running award-winning drink dens in D.C. like Columbia Room and the boundary-pushing creative cocktail outfit Drink Company, in 2018, Brown pivoted to promote more conscious drinking, social wellness, and the advancement of no- and low-alcohol cocktails, recognizing that alcohol need not be so prominent in gathering spaces.
A drink at Spark / Andy Nason
Brown says that Washington D.C. “has seen a major shift in how it approaches non-alcoholic drinks.” On Vinepair’s list of the top 10 non-alcoholic programs in America, he notes, Washington, D.C. had two places featured: Dōgon (for which he designed the NA program) and Above Board.
“I think it reflects D.C.’s unique mix of policy-minded, globally influenced and health-conscious residents—people who care about what they put in their bodies and how they connect with others.”
Brown is also quick to add that while he has long felt pride in the recognition the city receives for its outstanding cocktail culture, he is happy to see that ingenuity and innovation now translating into the world of non-alcoholic drinks as well.
“There have been some incredible milestones in the world of non-alcoholic drinks and mindful drinking, but [Spark Social] ranks among the most meaningful for me.”
“What makes D.C. stand out is how collaborative and intentional the scene feels,” says Bastasch. “There’s a spirit of creativity here that’s not about trend-chasing but about actually changing what hospitality can be. And that’s starting to ripple out across the country.”
A few miles southeast of Spark Social along Barracks Row, another nightlife corridor, is As You Are, a bar run by two queer owners (just like Spark). AYA, as it’s known, has been intentional about its beverage program since it opened in 2022.
Beyond its spirited repertoire, “As You Are is proud to have always offered a robust NA selection,” says owner Jo McDaniel. “Decentering booze for our community who doesn’t partake has been important to us from our inception.”
Back at Spark Social, the daytime hum of whispered conversations about the previous night’s activities hang in the air alongside quietly clacking laptops, latte sips and soothing murmurs of Lana Del Rey. Evenings are saved for drag comedy shows, mushroom-infused drink tastings, wellness sessions specific to the queer community, and tea dances with detox shots and green juice specials. Behind the bar, next to her baristas and bartenders, Goodwin glides in all black, shiny nametag with pronouns pinned to her shirt.
“This bar is part of my activism,” she says. “First coming out as gay and now trans, I’m able to meet people where they are at this bar, and they can also meet me where I am. It’s my unapologetic authenticity.”
This article was published in the Summer 2025 issue of Full Pour. Don’t own it? Pick one up today!