Kratom seltzers, kava shots and the standard fare for a kava bar may have been the draws of Hollywood’s Elixir Kava Boutique were it not for Goose Howze.
A trans artist (pronouns he/they) with an eye for design and a heart for community, he’s crafted an experience in their establishment that goes well beyond its beverages in their journey from kava bar patron to bartender.
Drawing in regulars with signature drinks, a beloved biweekly event called Speak Poetry Club, and inspired collaborations with patrons, Goose displays the characteristics required to facilitate mature environments where understanding and self-expression thrive.
“My main goal is to have people uncover what they’re capable of and set aside the fear they already have,” said Goose.
After immersing themselves in the open, accepting environment at Twisted Roots, a kava boutique just blocks northwest of Elixir Kava Boutique, Goose found both inspiration and camaraderie within that space, shaping their approach to bartending as an art form.
When a friend and fellow artist, Craig McTaggert, cofounded Elixir Kava Boutique as its bar manager, Goose joined him in 2023, eager to implement intuition with their artistry.
It never did feel like any ordinary job to Goose though.
“I was always an artist, and I feel like bartending IS an art form,” Goose explained.
Goose crafts drinks that resonate with each patron’s preferences, transforming Elixir Kava Boutique into a haven for self-expression, community, and connection. Synesthesia—a condition where one sense triggers another, like tasting flavors as colors—plays a pivotal role in the workplace, blending flavor and color into a cohesive experience.
“Not only is flavor of importance, but the color especially,” they explain, describing how certain names evoke specific hues. This interplay was challenged while creating “vogue”, a Pride Month drink.
Vogue is a word Goose associates with purple, but Goose improved upon the recipe over several reworkings until its taste and color aligned. Goose expressed that this balance is one of precision and intuition.
“I’m constantly surrounded by my friends and other artists, so it just feels like a hangout whenever I serve them, slowly getting to know my audience and making them something they’ll come back for,” Goose said. “It doesn’t entirely feel like a job.”
“I feel like I can judge people very well and guess what they like, so I love it when people ask me to surprise them or make them anything,” Goose explained. “Spot on. I’m a wizard.”
He doesn’t need to be familiar with patrons personally to sense their preferences, although he’s quick to forge new relationships. He says that speculating on consumer demand is a rewarding science.
Joining a poetry club in high school after never previously writing, Goose was inspired to express himself through words after slowly being exposed to the practice. In allowing others to perceive his work, he would eventually feel comfortable enough to share what he learned through the medium. Upon reflecting on the members of Speak Poetry Club, Goose said that dozens of the members are going through similar situations. Many of the themes prompted by Goose stem from what he is going through, cognizant that others will experience catharsis approaching the same subjects. Never forcing anyone to share, Goose says the most important aspect is that people feel comfortable expressing themselves when they want through the inclusive outlet.
“I feel like, specifically with being trans and not hiding anything about that, it helps others feel less alone or like they can also dress and be how they want,” Goose said. “That’s one of the reasons I wear such wacky clothes… it’s because if somebody else wants to wear wacky clothes, they see me and know it’s okay to do that here and in the club.”
Whether through bold fashion or the unifying power of music, Goose not only fosters a space where others feel free to be themselves but also shows how each form of expression weaves together to create something greater than words alone.
Goose acknowledges how music, out of all art forms, is the most influential that’s served as a core motivator throughout his life. He explains that each of the components of every song—whether it be the orchestration or vocals— forms one cohesive sentiment while individually influencing the listener.
Because I do so many things across mediums with my solo work, there seems to be no limit to who I can collaborate with,” Goose explained.
When asked if Elixir Kava Boutique expressed inclusivity aside from its poetry clubs, he said that he sees the venue as a place for practiced local artists to regularly perform at open mics and other events. This is something he doesn’t want to see changed, although he would like is workshops and other resources for beginning artists alike. These serve as important safe spaces for those discovering themselves through new mediums, constantly ensuring that everyone can quickly become experienced through exposure to their peers.
“You aren’t aware of what you don’t want to address until someone’s addressed part of it for you,” said Gabriel Belfer, an attendee of the club’s meetings for five months.
Goose himself claims “so many people are poets but haven’t been able to discover it for themselves.”
“It’s such a cool group of varied personalities that may have never talked or connected on such levels hadn’t it been for the club itself stimulating that connection,” Goose said. “It feels really nice that I was able to create a space like that while confronting people who don’t respect that space.”
Goose’s drive for exploration across mediums hasn’t shown signs of slowing. He’s recently banded with a close friend, using their crochet skills to make crochet pottery that would later to be sold at the Downtown Hollywood ArtWalk this past October. He’s also working toward theater, music video and movies set design and construction for theater, eager to act upon their knack for architecture and design.
“Since taking prop class for drama club in high school, I’ve learned I love to work with my hands,” Goose explained.
Above all else, Goose emphasizes the importance of feeling comfortable with themselves, saying that he’d hate to see someone taking a feeling that needs expressing “to a place that I’m not a part of.” Goose always starts each poetry meeting with a disclaimer to all speakers, instructing them not to be sorry for anything they’ve written.
“I used to be scared of showing who I was, but now I want to be an example,” Goose said. “Be yourself. Do everything for yourself and not for the sake of others.”
