Local entrepreneur Harrison Baer has always been a big fan of surprise.

“Growing up, whenever someone asked me what I want to eat or drink, I’d always say ‘Surprise me,'” he said. “And I was always more satisfied with whatever I got than if I’d already predetermined what I wanted. I’ve always wanted to try new things, expand my horizons. Then one day I realized maybe I’m not the only person who thinks that way.”

His business, Mystery Machine, has placed several vending machines all around the Cincinnati area. Guests who step up to the machine might be a little confused at first glance: There are no specific choices, and you won’t know what kind of soda you’ll get until it pops out.

Put your cash in, and you could end up with an orange mango guava drink from Taiwan, or a rare flavor of Mountain Dew that’s no longer in production. With these machines, it’s all about the excitement of the unknown.

While Baer always wanted to run a business, he didn’t have any concrete plans until recently. As one of ten homeschooled siblings from Chicago, he majored in political economy with a minor in history at a local university—”a degree I didn’t end up using in the slightest”—and planned to stay in the area until his family members all moved to Cincinnati.

He followed suit and began working odd jobs all over the Queen City: a gym employee, a videographer, a car salesman. Two years ago, the idea for a mystery box soda vending machine came to Baer during a regular workday, and he was “naive enough” to think he could follow through with the concept.

“If I knew how much work it would actually take, I don’t think I would’ve done it,” he said, laughing.

After searching around on Facebook Marketplace, he enlisted his siblings to help him retrieve a 1998 vending machine he paid $500 for and get to work on repairing it.

“There was no card scanner. It only took $1 bills. Two of the options were broken. I had to wire it shut with a homemade lock,” he said. “It wasn’t the prettiest thing in the world, but all I needed to see was if people appreciated the concept enough for me to keep going.”

He set up the machine with a couple of options: domestic cans, caffeine-free cans, energy drinks, kids’ drinks, sugar-free cans, and (the most popular choice) international drinks. Then, he presented the concept to nine different local businesses and was turned down before the Norwood Delite Creamy Whip gave him a chance.

The machine was an immediate success on the first day, and other businesses started contacting Baer about getting their own Mystery Machine. Good thing, too, because that janky vending machine from 1998 broke permanently just two months after he set it up.

“We did our best to make it look nice, but it was an old and dying machine,” he said. “I always tell people it did the job I needed it to do, which was to let me know that this idea could work.”

In October 2024, he was featured in a segment on local news station FOX19, and that’s when things really started to take off. Soon after, Amazon Studios contacted him to appear on The Blox, a reality competition show on Prime Video where entrepreneurs duke it out to have their business ideas funded by the billion-dollar corporation. While Baer didn’t win, he received “invaluable” advice on the series from more seasoned businessmen that “helped propel me into the spot I’m in now.”

There are now four different Mystery Machines in the Greater Cincinnati area. In addition to a new-and-improved machine at the Norwood Delite Creamy Whip, there’s one in Union, KY at Dreamie’s Ice Cream, one in the outdoor mall Liberty Center north of the city, and one just-opened vending machine at Al’s Delicious Popcorn in Over-the-Rhine. A fifth is already on the way, though he can’t reveal where just yet.

The newer Mystery Machines have even more options: while domestic, caffeine-free, energy drinks, kids’ drinks, sugar-free, and international drinks are still options, there’s also diet cans, sparkling drinks, a ‘total mystery’ option, and a button for Coca-Cola because “sometimes you just need a Coke.” Between all four machines combined, there are over 1,000 different options for consumers to try.

His ultimate goal is to appear on Shark Tank, his favorite television series, and then put a Mystery Machine in every state. Mostly, though, he just wants to make people happy.

“The older you get, the more it just seems like you’re doing the same thing day in, day out. Not switching things up, just living on this flatlined cycle each day,” he said. “That’s something that got to me, and I think the Mystery Machine can help undo that. Not that it’s a major change, but it’s a small thing that can bring some excitement to your day and a smile to your face.”

He emphasized the social aspect of the machines, noting that plenty of customers have visited with large groups and taken videos of them swapping drinks back and forth to post on social media.

“You get to try something new with your friends and experience what the world has to offer you instead of just being stuck in your ways, and … it kind of sets you free,” he said. “For me, it’s all about bringing joy to people’s lives.”

The post With the Mystery Machine, you never know what soda you’re going to get appeared first on Cincinnati CityBeat.

Just days before Ohio will ban them, two of Cincinnati’s biggest names want you to try THC seltzers.

Rhinegeist Brewery is partnering with the Contemporary Arts Center for “The (High) Art of Seltzers,” a guided tasting and museum tour about the craft, science and cultural conversation surrounding THC seltzers. The event takes place at the CAC on March 12 at 5:30 p.m.

Led by Nick Brehm, director of Innovation and Raw Materials and Tracey Ireland, vice president of Marketing at Rhinegeist, the evening will feature Fuzzy Bones, an alcohol-free sparkling beverage crafted with hemp-derived Delta-9 THC and real fruit juice.

Rhinegeist’s team will guide participants through the formulation, production and evolving landscape of hemp-derived beverages, offering insight into how hemp-derived Delta-9 THC is legally defined, nanoemulsion technology and its role in onset timing, what “quick onset” means in practice, understanding 5mg dosing and pacing consumption, and the influence of minor cannabinoids such as CBG and CBN.

Guests will sample three flavors–Blood Orange Tangerine, Lemon Blueberry, and Blackberry Hibiscus–and receive one 12 oz. 5mg can to take home.

“CAC’s ‘The Art of…’ series is about exploring creativity in all its forms, and we’re excited to partner with Rhinegeist to examine the craft, science, and sensory experience behind this evolving field,” said Carolyn Hefner, Chief of External Affairs at CAC. “Programs like this invite people into the museum in new ways—connecting contemporary art with everyday experiences and encouraging curiosity, conversation, and discovery.”

Following the tasting, participants will join CAC Adjunct Curator, Maria Seda-Reeder, for a guided exploration of the galleries. Slowing down with a work of art invites a different kind of awareness. This portion of the evening encourages guests to consider how perception shifts when we tune into our senses more intentionally.

The event is only available to guests 21+, and a valid ID is required. Tickets are $30, although members of the museum get a discount. For more information, click here.

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Five bars at The Banks want you to feel the luck of the Irish.

Following their sold-out espresso martini tasting event last week, the Cincinnati Coffee Festival is bringing another caffeine fueled event to the downtown area on Friday, March 13.

The organization’s Irish Coffee Tasting event will take place across five locations—as opposed to just three from the espresso martini event.

Guests can pay $25 to get a free classic or specialty Irish coffee at Holy Grail, Moerlein Lager House, Killer Queen, The Park and Jefferson Social, with special discounts on food and other Irish-themed cocktails at each stop.

The event arrives just in time for the upcoming 58th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade the day after, on Saturday, March 14.

Proceeds from the tasting benefit the Ohio River Foundation, supporting its work to protect and restore the Ohio River watershed, because you can’t make a great cup of coffee—or in this case, an Irish Coffee—without great water.

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Cincinnati Reds fans will have a brand-new, exclusive beer option at Great American Ball Park this season.

Local favorite Braxton Brewing Company will develop a co-branded lineup of new craft beers available for purchase at Reds games. The first, Ballpark Beer, is exactly what you’d expect based on the name—a crisp German-style light beer crafted for nine innings, summer nights and the timeless tradition of baseball in Cincinnati.

With the partnership, Braxton becomes the Official Craft Beer Partner of the Reds.

“To become the first Official Craft Beer Partner in Reds history is incredibly meaningful for our team,” said Jake Rouse, co-founder and CEO of Braxton Brewing. “Braxton was built on community, and this partnership represents a full-circle moment – bringing locally brewed craft beer to Reds fans at the ballpark and beyond.” 

Fans itching to try out Ballpark Beer before it hits GABP can head to any Braxton location on March 7 at 1 p.m. for a sneak peek. At the brewery’s flagship location in Covington, several Reds Hall-of-Famers will be present to celebrate the partnership.

Throughout the season, several new co-branded beers from Braxton and the Cincinnati Reds will be released for fans to enjoy.

The partnership brings together two hometown favorites, celebrating Reds Country’s shared passion for baseball and locally crafted beer. 

“We’re excited to welcome Braxton Brewing Company as our Official Craft Beer Partner,” said Doug Healy, Reds CEO and COO. “Their beers have been featured at Great American Ball Park since 2015, and we can’t wait for fans to experience this new lineup of co-developed flavors while cheering on the Reds.”

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A new bar just across the river wants you to roll for initiative.

Dice on Draft opened Friday in Covington, and it features over 200 board games to play alongside a full-service cocktail bar.

Owner McKenzie Crist decided to open the space out of her own love for tabletop games and the lack of a space to play them in the area; Cincinnati’s most prominent board game bar, The Rook, closed just before COVID.

“[There’s] kind of a gap in the community for something like this,” Crist said. “There’s been board game bars in the past, and some of those still exist, but we wanted to open here in Covington to… offer something just over the river for everyone.”

The bar sports over 200 different board games and tabletop games—100 of which are from Crist’s personal collection. Classics like Scrabble, Pictionary and Battleship sit alongside modern favorites like Settlers of Catan, Wingspan, and SmashUp in the bar’s main area.

A private room available to rent offers space for tabletop campaigns, with several rulebooks and guides for Dungeons & Dragons displayed. In addition, more complex games like Gloomhaven and Twilight Imperium are available for play in the room. Starting in March, the bar will run smaller D&D campaigns (referred to as “one-shots”) every other Thursday for patrons to participate in.

The most prominent feature in the bar (other than the shelves packed full of board games, of course) is an arcade machine for Killer Queen, the popular 5v5 strategy-sports-platformer hybrid that’s become a mainstay of arcades everywhere since it released in 2013. While Crist doesn’t plan to feature any other arcade games at the bar, the sense of community-building that the game brings in was too good to pass up.

“We played it at Arcade Legacy in Sharonville and just found it really easy to play,” Crist said. “We loved the 10 person aspect. It’s really social, it encourages people to meet up together and play.”

The game already has a passionate following in the Cincinnati area, and the bar will host ‘Learn to Play’ events where Killer Queen veterans will show newcomers some tips and tricks.

While there’s no kitchen at Dice on Draft, there are plenty of drinks to go around. An extensive menu features cocktails named after some of Crist’s favorite games—like the ‘Don’t Explode,’ a cherry-tinged take on a caipirinha named for Quacks of Quedlinberg, or the ‘Mars Reviver,’ which is inspired by Terraforming Mars and features gin, amaro nonino, and cointreau. There are six beers on tap, too; classics like PBR and Rhinegeist Truth sit alongside seasonal beers from local breweries.

For Crist, opening a bar centered on board games was a no-brainer thanks to how they provide “so many options” to enhance social situations.

“There’s lightweight games that are easier to chat with friends over, there’s more competitive games that really expand your imagination. I love party games where you ask your friends questions and learn more about them. I just think board games have so much potential, and they really enhance social situations in many ways,” she said.

The game she’s most excited for guests to play is Mysterium, a social deduction game where one player is a ghost and the other players must work together to find out who killed them and how they did it before time expires.

The hope is that Dice on Draft will provide a space for Cincinnati’s tabletop community to enjoy what they love.

“Our goal is just to be a safe, cool, easy place for people to hang out at. A place for people to experience new games and meet new people,” Crist said. “We’re really just excited to welcome everyone. A place like this… has been a long time coming.”

Dice on Draft is located at 20 E 5th Street in Covington, near Madison Avenue. You can learn more on their website.

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Ordering a cocktail at dinner or grabbing a case of beer from a liquor store in Kentucky may soon come with a bigger price tag if House Bill 612 becomes law.

The state introduced the bill, which would impose an additional 4% state regulatory license fee on gross receipts. Essentially, if passed, it would be an extra 4% fee on all alcohol sold in Kentucky, affecting restaurants, bars, liquor stores and convivence stores.

“It’s [going to impact] the corner store on the west end of Newport, it’s Jeff Ruby’s in Lexington, it’s Pompilio’s in Newport, it’s One Stop Liquor, it’s Kroger, it’s everybody,” said Kentucky Restaurant Association 2026 Chairman and one of Pompilio’s owners, Joe Bristow.

Combined with Kentucky’s 6% sales tax, the consumer would effectively pay 10% on their alcohol purchases. A $100 purchase today would bring you $106 after the 6% sales tax. A $100 purchase under the bill would be $110.

HB 612 was introduced by Representative Matthew Koch, a Republican from Paris, on Feb. 10. Koch is the chair of the Licensing, Occupations, & Administrative Regulations Committee. If passed, it would take effect on July 1, 2027.

Bristow said he found out about the proposed bill on Jan. 29 and got to work spreading the word.

“We got to spreading the word and it has worked,” he said. “Not only in Northern Kentucky, it’s spreading like wildfire, as it should. It’s huge. It’s a big deal.”

In Newport, customers already pay a 2% regulatory fee on alcohol sales. Meaning, if HB 612 passes, Newport customers would pay an extra 12% in fees. Bristow said Newport has offered some help to offset that fee, such as refunds on liquor license renewals. He said he knows Newport isn’t the only city in the state that has its own regulatory fee, but he didn’t know which others do.

Bristow said the restaurant could put “city of Newport regulatory fee 2%” on the check, or just raise its prices by 2%, which is what they chose to do to absorb the cost.

Now, Pompilio’s is back in the same boat. It could put the message at the bottom of the check. A customer would see “Kentucky sales tax 6%,” then another line item that says, “Kentucky regulatory fee 4%,” or raise its prices.

“We just want to be in control of our own pricing,” Bristow said. “This all happened so quick. It will be a major impact on Pompilios. It will not close us, but it’s certainly not going to help.”

The bottom line: The consumer will pay for it.

“It’s not a position we want to be in,” Bristow said. “Being so close to Ohio, people know that if they stay in Ohio, they can get a discount, basically.”

Whitney Frommeyer is the managing partner at Bellevue’s One Stop Liquor Store on Donnermeyer Drive. The store opened in 1995. Her brother-in-law, Paul Kloeker, manages and operates the One Stop Fuel Mart BP Gas Station, which the family has owned since 2013.

Frommeyer said that when stores raise the price of their products, customers either don’t come back or go somewhere else.

“Across the state, a lot of your liquor stores are small businesses,” Kloeker said. “It’s not an industry like grocery stores or gas stations, where it’s all the big corporate entities that own them. A lot of these liquor stores are family-owned. They have family running it, just like we have here.”

Frommeryer said sales at the store have already been down.

According to a Gallup article from August 2025, “From 1997 to 2023, at least 60% of Americans reported drinking alcohol. The figure fell to 62% in 2023 and to 58% in 2024, before reaching 54% today.”

“[If the bill passes] I just see sales declining and declining,” Frommeyer said. “Instead of buying a big bottle of alcohol, they’ll buy the small one, because they don’t have as much money, too.”

So, why is the bill being proposed? One idea from Bristow is to help the state’s distillers.

“It’s coming because the distillers in our state need some help, and the restaurant industry, we don’t want to find ourselves in a fight with the Kentucky distillers,” Bristow said. “We love and support them, and the tremendous product that they make is important to us, too. They’re heavily taxed, so the state is trying to work with them to give them some tax relief.”

Distillers are currently taxed on sales. Under the bill, those taxes would effectively be eliminated. That tax system would end July 1, 2027, and be replaced by a tax per milliliter of alcohol contained in the beverage applying to: wholesalers, distributors, distillers, wineries, direct shippers and microbreweries.

The state is calling the bill revenue-neutral, meaning it will not generate any revenue for them going forward, based on how they developed the formula, essentially shifting the responsibilities of where the taxes are coming from. However, that would rely on the manufacturer’s price to the wholesaler staying the same, and then the wholesaler’s price to the retailer staying the same.

Adam Blau, owner of The Liquor Box in Independence, said the consumer will basically pay an extra 10% for alcohol with no extra revenue going to the state.

“The newest legislation they’re trying to push through in the state is going to have a serious impact on the consumer,” Blau said. “It’s going to cost the consumer 10% with zero additional funding going back to the state, versus what we already have in place.”

Bristow said basically the state is moving from a manufacturing-based tax to a consumer-based tax.

“I’m assuming they’re struggling with people’s palate changing and tariffs, and the states wanting to do something to help them [distillers], which I’m in favor of absolutely, but I just feel like there could have been more communication,” he said. “Maybe we could have figured out a different plan; we got this thrown at us relatively quickly.”

This story originally appeared at linknky.com.

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One of the biggest coffee chains in the city is moving its flagship Downtown location.

Urbana Café, which opened a storefront inside the Atlas Building during the COVID-19 pandemic, is now moving that location to the Contemporary Arts Center.

The newest Urbana location will be on the first floor of the CAC and will operate seven days a week when it opens this April.

“CAC has always seen itself as a living room for the city – a place where art, ideas, and people come together,” said Carolyn Hefner, Chief of External Affairs at CAC. “Partnering with Urbana strengthens that vision by adding a daily ritual to the museum experience, inviting people to linger, connect, and return.”

The coffee shop is changing locations due to the renovation of the Atlas Building by local developer Urban Sites. The century-old building was once Atlas Bank, then the home of Fifth Third Bank’s offices, and is now being transformed into luxury apartments. That remodel will force Urbana out of the location they’ve held for four years, but the cafe’s founder looks back on their time in the building fondly.

“Those early days were quiet – but we believed in downtown and what this space could become,” said Daniel Noguera, founder and president of Urbana Café. “Over time, the café grew into a place filled with connection and everyday rituals that make a neighborhood feel like home.”

This new iteration of Urbana Café in the CAC’s lobby will operate through Summer 2027.

Other Urbana Café locations exist in Price Hill, Pendleton, East Walnut Hills and Findlay Market. The group also runs a pastry shop titled Moxy that sells freshly-baked goods just outside Findlay Market every day.

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Joe Schutzman is a Newport firefighter who loves Northern Kentucky’s culture, sense of place – and beer. Come back each month for a new column on the latest brewery opening, Joe’s seasonal favorites, and more. Find Joe’s previous columns and more on NKY dining here.

I opened the door and was immediately enamored. A group of folks were gathered around a table. They were in the middle of a Dungeons and Dragons campaign. Across the room, there were five other friends playing a board game, and next to them, a family of four was playing Uno while the mom and dad enjoyed their beers. Before even savouring a single sip, I knew Fabled Brew Works was my kind of place. 

The taproom was set up to resemble a medieval town square, the bar being the apothecary, evoking a Tolkienesque theme throughout the space. The ceiling was lit up like a mythical night sky and even had clouds hanging from the ceiling with occasional flashes of lightning running across them. And while the decor and theme were playful, the one thing clearly taken very seriously at Fabled was the craft of brewing. 

Despite my unfortunate penchant for drinking the same style of beers on repeat, Fabled offered so many intriguing and original selections that it was delightfully impossible not to venture out of my thirst’s comfort zone.

The folks behind the bar were happy to help a newbie like me navigate their vast menu. They even used my personal preference in beer as a jumping-off point. “The traditional style beers start on the left side of the menu. I’d begin there,” said one of the staff members. “As you move right on the menu, we start adding stuff and things get weirder the further across the menu you go.” I was immediately hooked, on board, and excited for the ride. Fabled had quite intentionally thrown down the gauntlet and bestowed an overt call-to-adventure to anyone entering the door.

And as anyone can tell you, when you’re at a brewery that’s new to you, the move is to always go with flights of beers. Courting as many different beers as you can responsibly do throughout an evening is often how you find that one special beer that becomes the love of your life. And as they say, when you fall in love, you simply want to tell the world (I knew I could find a way to mention Schneider Weisse in another article!).

Fabled does the basics super well. Their American lager, which they call Paul Bunyan, was straightforward, crisp, and simple. I was also thoroughly impressed with their Kolsch, “A Walk in the Woods” as well as their Czech dark lager, “Czech Ubetcha.” This might have been my personal favorite beer of the evening. They also offer the same beer as a version that has been aged on amburana oak spirals. I highly, highly recommend sampling both versions in succession to fully appreciate the differences.

I also absolutely have to mention their Mexican lager “Unlitigated Sea Monster.” It had the loveliest touch of lime and is one of the most interesting Mexican lagers I’ve tried. It’s definitely a beer I need to experience with street tacos. And that is certainly an option, as Fabled allows patrons to bring their own food into the taproom. Fabled has also partnered with the mobile burger trailer, Gobblin’ Goblin, which is parked right out front of the entrance.

I can’t get over just how much I enjoyed sampling these different beers, but the real adventure began on my second flight. I had dipped my toes in the water, and now it was time to dive in head first. I tried some of their flavored beers, and one of the stand-outs was “Plum-p Up the Jam,” a sour ale with plums and vanilla. I also did a flight of meads, amongst which was their “Batman,” a mead with raspberry and blackberry, their “Robin” with strawberry, and their “Bizarro Batman” with raspberries, blackberries, maple syrup, and vanilla bean. And again, I highly recommend doing yourself a favor by sampling these together to really get the full enjoyment and appreciation of the nuances.

This was my first foray into meads, and I have to say, it’s something I will be returning to when I go back. First of all, it’s ridiculously fitting that this type of brewery would offer mead. Secondly, why aren’t more places doing this? It was an awesome experience. 

Located somewhere between fantasy and adventure, Fabled Brew Works delivers all around, from their product to their ambiance to their hospitality. It’s everything I’m looking for in a good local brewery: killer beer and a place that is clearly community-oriented. Next time you’re looking for a fabulous casual evening with friends and family, don’t even think about it, just make a quest to Fabled Brew Works.  

This story originally appeared at linknky.com.

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A Madisonville brewery is closing at the end of the month.

Bad Tom Smith Brewing announced on social media Thursday night that it would be closing its location at 5900 Madison Road at midnight on Jan. 31.

“Thank you to all of our amazing customers for your continued support over the years here in Madisonville. We are truly grateful for the memories, friendships, and community we’ve built together,” the brewery shared.

Owners Fernando and Jacyln Cruz did not offer a reason for the closure. However, they say this isn’t the end for the brewery, writing, “Stay tuned we hope to continue the legacy of Bad Tom, and we will keep everyone updated as plans move forward for any future endeavors.”

Bad Tom Smith Brewing first opened under Sean Smith, Charles Boucher and Greg Brown in Linwood in 2013. The group sold the brewery in 2015 to John and Sheryl Vojtush, who moved the taproom into a historic former bank in Madisonville around early 2020. The Cruzes purchased the brewery’s brand in 2022. 

The brewery will host a final bash on Jan. 31, with discounted food and drinks. 

Bad Tom Smith Brewing, 5900 Madison Road, Madisonville. More info: badtomsmithbrewing.com.

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A Northside LGBTQ+ bar Good Judy’s will close this winter as its owner puts the concept up for sale.

Last week, the Hamilton Avenue bar posted to Facebook that its current owner is pursuing opportunities that require frequent travel, making it difficult to continue operating the bar. 

“Many of us hope that the next owner will possibly maintain and grow with some of the events that Good Judy’s community have already developed here,” the bar shared. “In the past two years more than 50 drag artists and other performers have taken the Good Judy’s stage led by some fabulous show hosts. We want to thank them as well as the regular DJs, and organizers of our monthly furry, poly, and roller derby events that became staples at Good Judy’s.”

Good Judy’s says the sale, however, may bring a new concept to space. The bar says its Ohio liquor license is transferable anywhere statewide and is available for $20,000. The physical components of the venue and the equipment are available at an additional cost starting at around $5,000, and monthly rents and utilities combined will be around $2,000 per month.

If you are interested in purchasing Good Judy’s, you can send inquiries via text to 513-384-8708.

We will miss seeing the familiar, friendly faces that made Judy’s a weekly gathering place,” the bar wrote. “We are deeply grateful to everyone—staff, performers, and patrons—who have been part of the Good Judy’s family.”

Good Judy’s is located at 4169 Hamilton Ave.

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