Blast from the past: This legendary D.C. gay bar returns for one night only

Long live Cobalt.

The beloved Washington, D.C. gay bar, which closed back in 2019, announced it will return to its full past-life fabulousness for one night only this weekend with a “legendary” celebration at Crush Bar on Saturday, November 14.

According to City Cast DC, the event will feature memorabilia from the original Cobalt, service from its bartenders and former employees, throwback music from prior resident DJs, and, of course, the return of its infamous underwear contest.

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Of course, the memory of Cobalt will resonate with any LGBTQ+ person who lived (or visited) the nation’s capital during its iconic run through the late aughts and 2010s; GayCities readers once described it as “a must visit in D.C.” and the “best gay bar in town. LOL duh.” 

Its abrupt closing after 20 years due to slowing business and the recent acquisition of its original location near Dupont Circle came as both a shock and wound to the heart.

Nevertheless, this blast from the past is all about good vibes.

As Stephen Rutgers, who co-owns Crush and used to work at Cobalt, told City Cast DC, the night is about helping patrons remember what the former haunt meant to the community, particularly in pre-dating app, social media-ignorant, and a less LGBTQ+-accepting society. 

“It’s a very different world now,” he said. 

“You can just go anywhere and be yourself, per se, whereas back in the day, those spaces were very important for people when it was a lot less accepting for [queer] people. It’s good to remind especially the younger generation of those spaces and what they meant to people.”

Indeed, drag queen LaTavia LaCroix remembered Cobalt as having “a good gay Cheers kind of feel for a while” in an interview with The Washington Post following its closure.

“You could come in on any day of the week, and there was something going on,” she said.

Accordingly, the stage is already set for a pretty epic night on Saturday.

In addition to “familiar faces behind the bar,” the evening will bring back some of Cobalt’s iconic traditions, including free vodka hour and women’s dance party LURe. Plus, nearly 20 former employees are set to attend and more than 200 presale tickets for the reunion have already sold out, although there will be limited walk-in options. 

Now, who’s going to make sure Tiffany is there?!

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Never fear, November fun is here!
Before we hunker down under a million blankets for the season, let’s get a little wild.

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