Lukas B. Smith
No Goodbyes at The Line DC | Washington, D.C.
February 2026
From a young age, Lukas B. Smith found himself surrounded by food and beverage. His father was a grill master, his brother went to culinary school, his uncle had a passion for wine, and his grandmother, who put Smith to work in the kitchen, was a natural host. After graduating from the University of Georgia, Smith pursued a master’s degree in Budapest, Hungary, studying to be a professor while visiting vineyards in his spare time. When he returned stateside, he got a job at a wine bar in Athens, Georgia, learning more about grape varietals, wine production, and beer.
In 2008, Smith moved to Washington, D.C., hoping to find a job at the State Department. Instead, he discovered a passion for hospitality. Smith worked at a coffee shop and then at Marvin before joining the team at The Gibson, the pioneering cocktail bar, where he was trained by Rising Stars alum Derek Brown. After time at Bar Pilar, Smith joined the opening team of Daikaya in 2013, where he learned about draft cocktails and fermentation from Rising Stars alum Katsuya Fukushima. He then spent time bartending at The Passenger before heading to Dram & Grain and Jack Rose Dining Saloon, where he worked under Bartenders Trevor Frye and Bill Thomas. While there, Smith also launched Secret Monkey Social Club, an underground cabaret show and bar pop-up, before taking his talents to Cotton & Reed Distillery, absorbing everything he could about the distilling process.
After the pandemic, Smith joined the team at No Goodbyes at The Line DC. Since then, he has expanded the bar program and developed draft cocktails and homemade spirits—including vermouths, tinctures, cordials, aperitivos, and his own riff on Chartreuse—for the Adams Morgan hotel restaurant and bar. In addition to his experimental cocktail work, Smith runs a bar consulting business and produces kegged cocktails on the side.
