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WEST TOWN — A couple behind popular sober pop-ups and events are opening a non-alcoholic bottle shop and bar in West Town, and they are asking supporters for help as they prepare to debut this summer.
Adriana Gaspar and Hector Diaz started In Good Spirits last year after life events led each of them to reexamine their relationships with alcohol.
Gaspar decided to quit drinking after her father died in late 2020 from COVID-19, and Diaz scaled back his alcohol consumption when he was diagnosed with kidney cancer and underwent surgery last year, they said.
But the engaged couple had always loved cocktails and wanted to find a way to enjoy them without consuming booze. They began learning about non-alcoholic options and launched In Good Spirits in May 2022 to host sober events and gatherings.
In Good Spirits was quickly in high demand, hosting events and pop-ups at Cindy’s Rooftop at the Chicago Athletic Association, Google’s West Loop offices and other high-profile locations.
“It just started as these small pop-up events where we’re offering non-alcoholic beverages, or ready to drink non-alcoholic beverages,” Gaspar said.
Gaspar and Diaz hosted more events and did research about non-alcoholic options they wanted to incorporate, but they always hoped to create a dedicated place where people could hang out without having to be around alcohol.
“You’re definitely seeing more and more non-alcoholic options at restaurants or like different bars, which is great,” Gaspar said. “But I think there are people still who may not feel totally comfortable hanging out at these spaces where there’s also alcohol present.”
After months of planning, the couple secured a storefront in West Town near Ashland and Chicago avenues and plan to open a brick-and mortar bottle shop and bar.
Credit: Olivia Wolf/ProvidedIn Good Spirits will first offer bottles and cans to drink in the space and to take away, and eventually it will add a full-service bar to mix cocktails — minus the alcohol, of course. Gaspar and Diaz hope to open in June.
“Having the bottle shop as an option definitely felt like the right decision to go with. That way you offer dedicated selections. We can curate them how we want and really drive brand education, education about the space, which we’re really passionate about,” Diaz said. “And then the second phase is obviously providing a community space, providing a space for folks to come and hang out.”
While the couple have found a location, they’ve launched a Kickstarter to help fund the buildout of the space. They’ve raised about $3,000 of an $11,000 goal, which they hope to secure by mid-May.
“A lot of that money is going to be used to create the furnishings for the space,” Gaspar said. “Again, just placing a large emphasis on giving the local sober community a space where they’ll want to just hang out and kick back.”
In Good Spirits joins a sober and non-alcoholic scene that’s grown rapidly across Chicago in recent years.
After a successful fundraiser of its own, non-alcoholic bottle shop Bendición Dry Bar opened last year on Division Street in Humboldt Park, where founder Cristina Torres regularly hosts events and gatherings. Other sober groups and brands have also launched to offer Chicagoans who don’t drink social options beyond just going to a bar.
In Good Spirits is part of that trend, Gaspar and Diaz said — and they hope to be a resource for people of all ages and backgrounds.
“We believe consumers are just continuing to be savvier and smarter, and I think they want to continue to take care of themselves in a better way,” Diaz said. “People always reference the Gen Z-ers who are more conscious of drinking and probably not drinking or consuming alcohol as much. But even to us, we’re in our early 30s, and we’re seeing it with our peers, as well.”
And while Diaz and Gaspar see the bottle shop and bar as a place to educate people about non-alcoholic options, they hope the space is fun, too.
“We want them to come with an open mind to this but also understand, there’s a ton of fun to be had, right? And we’re going be all about the good vibes,” Diaz said.
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