{"id":400496,"date":"2026-07-16T08:00:17","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T08:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/400496\/"},"modified":"2026-07-16T08:00:17","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T08:00:17","slug":"this-local-drag-brunch-serves-high-energy-looks-not-liquor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/400496\/","title":{"rendered":"This local drag brunch serves high energy looks, not liquor"},"content":{"rendered":"

A San Diego sober bar offers a zero proof drag brunch experience catering to those who identify as sober, LGBTQ+ and \u201csober queerious.\u201d <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Photo Essay by Sam Barney-Gibbs, Edited by Kate Morrissey<\/p>\n

As sunshine lit up a packed bar, five local drag artists stunted around velvet chairs and moody lights to celebrate birthdays, new employment and even a sober anniversary.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Sunday morning showcase had almost every aspect of a typical drag brunch except one \u2014 no one drank alcohol.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"\"\"<\/p>\n

Drag king Rod Steel (bottom left) and drag queens Amber St. James (top) and Winter Sinclair lip-sync and dance at Good News Bar in San Diego on Sunday, July 5, 2026. Sam Barney-Gibbs\/Daylight San Diego<\/p>\n

\"\"The non-alcoholic drink menu at Good News Bar rotates seasonally. Drinks for summer sit on the bar counter at Good News Bar in San Diego on Sunday, July 5, 2026. Sam Barney-Gibbs\/Daylight San Diego<\/p>\n

Good News Bar<\/a>, one of San Diego’s first non-alcoholic bars, hosts a recurring Sober-Queerious Drag Brunch, with its most recent edition at the beginning of July. Four local drag queens and one drag king performed multiple numbers, dancing and lip-syncing around a packed bar and lounge area.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The end of San Diego Pride<\/a>, July 18, marks the one-year anniversary of the bar as it continues to host free sober events, drag brunches and drag bingo. The brunch’s hosts hope to provide comfortable spaces for those who identify as LGBTQ+, sober, or curious about sobriety to explore a major part of LGBTQ+ culture without the pressure of substances.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think we should have to rely on the purchase of alcohol to find community,\u201d said Whorchata, a transgender Latina activist and drag queen who hosts the monthly brunch. \u201cI\u2019ve tried to create a space here where no one\u2019s turned away.\u201d<\/p>\n

Whorhata added that not everyone who walks into Good News Bar must identify as sober.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThere’s a reason why God created other drinks than horchata,\u201d she said. \u201cIt’s the reason why he created Jamaica because some people need to have those other options.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Whorchata, a transgender Latina activist and drag queen, performs to a remix of \u201cFabulous\u201d from High School Musical 2 and poses with fellow drag artists at Good News Bar in San Diego on Sunday, July 5, 2026. Sam Barney-Gibbs\/Daylight San Diego<\/p>\n

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People celebrating sobriety anniversaries, birthdays and new employment join the drag show host, Whorchata, at Good News Bar in San Diego on Sunday, July 5, 2026. Sam Barney-Gibbs\/Daylight San Diego<\/p>\n

In 2024, six months into the start of her drag career, Whorchata went through a rehabilitation program for substance abuse. When she returned from treatment, she said she struggled to pursue drag in spaces that weren\u2019t alcohol forward or didn\u2019t pressure people\u2019s sobriety.<\/p>\n

As an avid drag fan and openly gay bartender who previously worked in spaces where he said he felt like the token \u201cgay boy behind the bar,\u201d Good News bar manager Troy Packer said he wanted to foster a community space that broke from the part of queer community culture that promotes using substances to have fun.<\/p>\n

He said Good News supports people in their sobriety journeys and offers exploration for those who are sober-curious \u2014 or \u201csober-queerious.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Drinks for summer sit on the bar counter as a packed audience, including people celebrating sobriety anniversaries, birthdays and new employment, watch drag king Rod Steel perform at Good News Bar in San Diego on Sunday, July 5, 2026. Sam Barney-Gibbs\/Daylight San Diego<\/p>\n

At eight months sober, Packer said he still has trouble finding diverse beverage options, especially as someone who feels more comfortable with a drink in hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s so important to have places where alcohol is not a temptation, but not only that, there’s an actual variety of things to partake in,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He said he\u2019s grateful for Whorchata showing him and other San Diegans how expansive drag can be as her shows bring in new regulars and pour \u201clife into the space.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople head home not hungover and not drunk, but instead lifted up in their spirits,\u201d Whorchata said. \u201cThey\u2019re re-energized to continue on with their day and to continue on with their life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"\"\"<\/p>\n

A drag king and queens dancing on audience members collect cash tips and perform athletic dance moves while lip-syncing at Good News Bar in San Diego on Sunday, July 5, 2026. Sam Barney-Gibbs\/Daylight San Diego<\/p>\n

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