CityBeat | June 28, 2023

Father of Three Executed Clermont County Children Pleads Not Guilty in Court

The indictment suggests how Chad Doerman might be sentenced if convicted.

BY MADELINE FENING

Chad Doerman, the father who confessed to investigators that he executed his three young sons, has reportedly pleaded not guilty in court.

The murders

Doerman, 32, was arrested on June 15 after police responded to a home on Laurel Lindale Road in Monroe Township, about 30 minutes east of downtown Cincinnati. The sheriff's office said two calls were placed to 911, one by a woman who called screaming that "her babies had been shot,” and another by a passerby saying that a juvenile girl was running down the road saying that "her father was killing everyone."

Sheriff’s deputies said they arrived on scene to find 32-year-old Doerman sitting outside the home. The three boys who had been shot, ages 3, 4 and 7, were in the yard. First responders practiced “life-saving measures” but were unsuccessful. All three children died at the scene.

The boys’ mother, 34, was also outside the home with a gunshot wound to the hand. She was transported to UC Medical Center for treatment where Sheriff Robert Leahy said he informed her that her three sons had died from their gunshot wounds.

In court, prosecutors reportedly said Doerman confessed to planning the murders, lining up his three children and executing them with a rifle. Prosecutors said one of the boys tried to run away into an open field before Doerman chased him down, dragged

him back to the house and killed him.

Doerman was indicted on June 22 on 21 counts: nine counts of aggravated murder, 8 counts of kidnapping and four counts of felonious assault. Doerman's indictment reportedly included multiple death penalty specifications, meaning Doerman could face the death penalty if convicted.

A community in mourning

Tracey Miller, the superintendent for New Richmond Schools, addressed the community during a June 16 press conference. He said the 7-year-old child who was killed had attended the district's elementary school “for a time,” but said the juvenile girl who escaped and is referenced in the second 911 call is currently a student in the district going to high school.

“[She’s] been deeply impacted for the rest of her life,” Miller said. “We’re going to embrace her.”

The district has assembled a crisis response team to provide grief counselors to students, parents, faculty and staff, which Miller said will continue into the school year. He said the district is still dealing with the emotional aftermath of the murder death of another district student in February.

“We still haven’t recovered yet from what happened in the late winter,” Miller said. “I’ve never had a child be murdered, and this is the second one within the past four months. It’s brutal.”

The motivation behind Doerman’s crimes is not clear at this time, but Miller reminded community members

during Friday’s press conference that there are resources for people who sense red flags in others.

“We’ve also got an anonymous line, Stay Safe Speak Up, it’s on our website," Miller said. "You can submit a concern anonymously, say, ‘Hey, I’m concerned about Joe Smith, they’re not in a good place, can someone check on them?’ Right away, as soon as that message gets sent, it goes to one of our team members here. It goes to our school resource officer, and we jump on it right away. If you’re in a time of trouble, a time of despair, you are not a voice crying into the wilderness. There are people here.”

Remembering the boys

Rachel Brown, the aunt of the Doerman boys and their mother's sister, told CityBeat she wants the "world to see these happy guys."

"We want the world to know how amazing these babies were. They are not only this tragedy. They were happy and funny, so very funny, goofy, kind loving boys. They’re beautiful and deserve to be proudly displayed," Brown said on Facebook. "They fished and played ball, they loved fiercely and with their entire hearts. They played together just as hard. Nothing will ever be right without them, but they need to be seen for the blessings they were, the happy lives they lived, the mom who loves them more than herself. They’re perfect baby boys."

To help cover funeral costs and other expenses, a Go Fund Me and Venmo account have been set up to help raise money for the mother and sister of the three Doerman boys. Brown also told CityBeat a fund named "The Doerman Boys Memorial Fund" will be set up in their honor at Park National Bank where anyone can donate.

The three Doerman boys, ages 7, 4 and 3.

PHOTO: RACHEL BROWN

Rachel Brown, the mother's sister and aunt of the Doerman children, wrote on Facebook: "We want the world to know how amazing these babies were."

PHOTO: RACHEL BROWN

Cincinnati Works: Mentors are Needed as More Kids Keep Getting Shot in Cincinnati

BY MADELINE FENING

After a June 17 shooting in South Fairmount, the total number of kids that have been shot in Cincinnati this year has climbed to 34; more than triple that of 2022.

The shooting happened around 9 p.m. at the 2200 block of Quebec Road, according to the Cincinnati Police Department. Emergency response crews arrived to find a 16-year-old male victim on the ground suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported to University of Cincinnati Medical Center where he later died from his injuries.

Police said the investigation is ongoing, adding to the growing number of shooting investigations that involve juvenile victims.

Rising numbers

The overall frequency of shootings in the city is actually trending slightly downward compared to recent years, according to CincyInsights. But the age of the victims is skewing dramatically younger.

According to CPD Lt. Jonathan Cunningham, 10 juveniles, or people younger than 18, were shot in all of 2022, but there have been 34 juvenile shooting victims so far in 2023.

Less than one week before the most recent shooting in South Fairmount, two 15-year-olds and one 18-year-old were shot in the same neighborhood on Westwood Avenue in what investigators believe was a drive-by shooting. Of the three people who were shot, two sustained non-life-threatening injuries,

but a third was listed as “serious.”

In May, another drive-by shooting happened in broad daylight at Grant Park in Over-the-Rhine, injuring three children, ages 10, 14 and 15, as well as a man in his 20s. Community members have reportedly asked CPD for added police presence at the park after the shooting.

“We don’t have a magic recipe for this, all we can do is keep giving our 110%,” Cunningham told CityBeat during a June 14 interview.

Mitch Morris is trying to keep up with the rising number of children and teens getting shot in Cincinnati.

“Two [shootings] back-to-back about a month ago,” Morris said. “We had two teens shot up here in Winton Hills. That’s why we try to stay out here and stay visible in the community.”

Morris leads the Cincinnati Works Phoenix Program, which aims to reduce gun violence by connecting at-risk adults with jobs. For kids under 18, Morris is taking on youth shootings through the Cincinnati Save Our Youth Kings & Queens program.

“I pretty much go into the areas where folks are known to shoot guns and try to talk to them about making a change,” Morris told CityBeat. “We have too many young folks going to the penitentiary and too many dying in the streets.”

Morris said it’s most common for shootings with juvenile victims to have juvenile shooters.

For years, Cincinnati Works has been a platform for Morris to incentivize kids who are picking up guns to replace

them with something else.

“If they’re selling dope trying to make money, then that opens the door, we say, look, we’ll get you a job,” he said.

When a child is shot and killed, Morris said the impacts are felt far and deep. He’s also there to help with the emotional and sometimes economic aftermath felt by families.

“I try to talk to cousins, brothers, about stopping any retaliation,” Morris said. “And the parents, I have cases where I connect with the family after the child’s been shot and the mother might lose her job because, you know, mentally she’s just traumatized and can’t get back to work. A year or two might go by and she’ll think about me and call me and come by the program and end up getting a decent job to make a living on.”

Breaking the "illusion"

Morris and his staff of four mentors go out into neighborhoods after a shooting and pass out leaflets about ending gun violence. He said guns are becoming too easy for kids to get their hands on.

“Guns are so easily accessible,” he said. “There’s so many guns out there. Folks will get a hold of these guns and they’re chasing an illusion, they don’t really know the end results.”

To Morris, the illusion that’s being taught is a world where getting back at someone means an automatic death sentence.

“That’s what they know,” he said. “If

you got an older person telling you, ‘If someone owes you money or is disrespecting you, this is what you do, this is the kind of life we live.' So, what we try to do is get in there and change that whole scenario.”

While the city works in the background to solve one part of the problem, advancing safer gun storage laws, Morris said community mentors are needed to break the “illusion” problem.

“We need more good people to be visible in the communities. Try and show them something different,” he said.

A fresh perspective

Cincinnati Works’ Save Our Youth Kings & Queens program has a physical space in Winton Terrace at 4848 Winneste Avenue where kids can use computers and hang out in a safe space. Morris hopes to create a media center there where kids can learn how to record podcasts and engineer audio and music. Along with his four mentors, Morris also tries to get kids out of the neighborhood for a fresh perspective.

“We show them different things that make them want to change their mind about carrying a gun,” Morris said. “We do nice things with them, things they wouldn’t normally see. You take them to a football game, a baseball game, you take them to a nice restaurant and sit them down to eat. These are things they aren’t accustomed to do. That’s what my mentor guys are all about.”

It’s not just taking kids on field trips, Morris said it’s about showing them how to deal when adult life gets hard.

“You have to lead by example. If they see you out drinking and driving crazy, that ain't gonna work,” he said. “Take them and show them what a real man is like, show them how you got problems as well and this is how we work through it.”

Share your skills

With 2023’s sharp increase in juvenile shootings, Morris is looking for more mentors. He said there’s no wrong skill set to bring to Winneste Avenue as a mentor – just sharing what you know and love is enough.

“Whatever you do that you enjoy, that’s what we want you to bring to the table,” he said. “Are you a cook? Are you a carpenter, a mason? Whatever your skill, what you enjoy doing, we’d love to share that with some of these youth, because they might just enjoy it as much as you. But they don’t know about it if someone doesn’t bring it to them.”

Those who are interested in mentoring can reach out to Morris at mmorris@cincinnatiworks.org.

Mitch Morris is taking on the rising problem of youth shootings through the Save Our Youth Cincinnati Kings & Queens program.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF CINCINNATI SAVE OUR YOUTH KINGS & QUEENS

How a 100-Year-Old Clinic in Hamilton County is Connecting Adults with Gender-Affirming Mental Health Care

BY MADELINE FENING

This story contains topics related to suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, call or text 988 to get in touch with the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Karla Perry gets lunch every week with her dad, but it’s not always the happiest of occasions.

“My dad says he’s doing his best to tolerate me,” Perry told CityBeat “I know he’s doing the best he can. I mean, he wants to go out to lunch with me.”

That’s because Perry’s dad is used to calling her “Cook,” the name she was born with, along with her original “male” gender assignment.

“I have always struggled to fit into the mold of a boy, it’s never suited me. I feel more comfortable when I think of myself as a girl,” she said.

Perry’s transition came at a time of already exasperated difficulties. She’s experienced a chronic illness that has required her to receive dialysis treatment since 2014 when she had a kidney transplant.

“When I got out of the hospital and started healing, that’s when I started really opening up to the possibility of thinking about my sexuality and my gender,” she said. “I had felt stuck my whole life; depressed and struggling with stuff.”

Perry was going through a lot at once — mind, body and spirit — all amounting to the need for professional guidance and support.

“I used to be called Cook, and that’s not a deadname for me because he got me to Central Clinic where I needed help,” she said.

100 years of Central Clinic Behavioral Health

Central Clinic Behavioral Health (CCBH), the clinic Perry credits with ultimately saving her life, turns 100 this year.

“We’re actually the oldest outpatient mental health clinic west of the Alleghenies,” said Nelly Rimini, a licensed clinical social worker and the director of adult services at CCBH.

When it was originally founded in 1923, CCBH was the first mental health nonprofit organization in Ohio and one of the only community clinics that served both children and adults.

“Obviously this was really early for what is called the ‘community mental health movement,’ which really started in the ‘70s, so we pre-date that by like

50 years,” said Rimini. “At that time there was a lot of stigma attached to folks. Treatment a lot of the times was just hospitalization, there was little outpatient services at the time.”

Hamilton County's first mental health program for trans people

Fast forward to 2015, CCBH again jumped ahead of the curve when the clinic began serving the transgender population through an innovative transgender wellness program.

“This was kind of the first program in our county addressing the needs of transgender folks,” Rimini said. “At that time, there was the beginnings of some services for youth and children, mostly around physical health issues through Children’s Hospital’s transgender center, but there wasn’t really much in terms of adult care other than peer support.”

Rimini said the program was started as a reaction to the prominent 2014 suicide of Leelah Alcorn, a King’s Mills

teen who died after stepping in front of a semi truck on southbound I-71. According to a suicide note automatically posted on Alcorn's Tumblr page, she ended her life because she felt isolated and misunderstood by her devoutly Christian parents who had sent Alcorn to conversion therapy. The note’s signature includes the name Leelah, and also the name “Josh” crossed out.

“One of the big things that a lot of [the LGBTQ+ community] share in common is trauma,” Rimini said. “Not everybody, but there’s a lot of trauma. And a lot of anxiety, depression, things of that nature that come up. Because when you’re exposed to a lot of discrimination and misunderstanding that creates a real emotional burden.”

To help deal with the burden, Alejandra Serrano, a licensed clinical social worker and the coordinator of the LGBTQ+ program at CCBH, said the program connects participants with one another to process their experiences together.

“We have workshops every month for the clients to come in and build

community through different activities, like making queer zines,” Serrano said. “We also provide a lot of training for other therapists and others in the agency who aren’t as familiar with gender-affirming care and LGBTaffirming care so that they can become more competent in the area and be able to treat our clients successfully.”

Serrano said the program started with about 25 participants, but has grown to around 200. Perry told CityBeat she joined the group in 2018. She’s felt welcomed from the start.

“That’s a dedicated space where I know I can go and there’s going to be a handful of people [...] and the people always accept me for who I am,” she said. “Sometimes we talk about hard stuff, sometimes we talk about fun stuff, but it kind of depends on the day.”

One of the harder things Perry said she’s been able to connect with others in the group over is using the bathroom in public.

“One thing about me that I struggle with the most is using public bathrooms. I’ve already decided that I don’t

Central Clinic Behavioral Health is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2023.

PHOTO: EMORY DAVIS

go in the women’s restroom anywhere because I’m 6’4 and almost 300 pounds. I don’t feel comfortable using men’s restrooms, but that’s where I go. I don’t use the women’s restroom because I don’t want any uneducated security guards deciding to use me as an example,” Perry said. “We just gotta pee like everybody else does.”

When politics enters the conversation

Bathroom use also radiates through group therapy talks about Ohio legislation. Along with gender-affirming care bills.

“We talk a lot about the latest legislation, it comes up all the time in our conversations because our clients are being directly affected by a lot of the different bans that are happening in the country,” Serrano said. “People have expressed real anxiety about what’s going to happen with their care. Am I going to be able to get surgeries? Should I get surgery quicker than maybe what I’m ready for because it might not become accessible for me? People have talked about putting away hormones because they’re afraid they’re not going to be able to get prescribed hormones.”

More than 490 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced in state legislatures across the United States since the start of the year, a new record, according to the ACLU.

In Ohio, five bills targeting trans rights focus squarely on children, including one bill, House Bill 68, which seeks to ban all forms of gender-affirming care for minors. The bill even bars doctors from providing care to patients from out state. CCBH’s LGBTQ+ program is for adults only, but Serrano said young adults are often at a place of intense need for therapy.

“That age between 18 and 22, with the LGBT community, I think there’s more difficulties because some of our clients have been kicked out of their homes or they’re isolated,” Serrano said. “Or they’re riddled with anxiety because they don’t feel safe walking down the street. We deal with a lot of folks who are depressed and anxious

and unfortunately I think it is more difficult for our LGBT clients to go through the natural developmental stuff that a non-LGBT person would go through because they have so much stigma.”

Research across the board shows suicide rates are higher among LGBTQ+ people, both in youth and adulthood. Those in search of gender-affirming care are far less likely to end their life if they are able to access care, according to an article published in the National Library of Medicine.

Serrano said gender-affirming care means much more than just the surgeries and hormone therapy that have entered the mainstream political debate stage.

“Gender-affirming care could mean that when a client walks into our office that we are using their pronouns, that we are using their correct name. It could mean surgery, for us it could mean writing support letters, it’s very, very broad,” Serrano said. “It means understanding how discrimination and stigma have played a role in the development of our clients. It’s not uncommon for our clients to be misdiagnosed with borderline personality disorder or autism or other things, when in reality it’s more of a minority stress situation.”

Perry is still working through that stress, but told CityBeat she's proud of her progress thanks to CCBH.

“I’m trying to accept myself the way I am,” Perry said. “There are complications when you are seen as something that is not typical or is different. I’m proud of that, but there are still moments where I feel uncomfortable and maybe wish I had toned it down a bit, but I don’t want to tone myself down!”

How to get help

Using grant money, the LGBTQ+ program developed a list of community resources that connects folks with places where they will be treated with respect, understanding and empathy, mental health needs or otherwise. Interested participants just need to call the front desk at 513-558-5801 and ask for the LGBTQ program resource list.

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Moerlein Lager House burgers.

PHOTO: FACEBOOK.COM/MOERLEINLAGERHOUSE

Burgers $10 and under:

Fifty West Brewing Company: Double Burger | $9.50

You’re in the driver’s seat when ordering burgers from Fifty West’s Burger Bar. When ordering a burger, they’ll ask you to specify which style you’d prefer, all inspired by states along Route 50. Colorado adds spicy green chile salsa, ghost pepper jack cheese and jalapeño for $1. Opting for Maryland style upgrades your burger with Old Bay tartar sauce atop the classics –– lettuce, tomato, onion and American cheese for an extra 50 cents. Or bring it home Ohio style –– Cincinnati Chili, shredded cheese, mustard and onion for just $1.50 more. 7668 Wooster Pike, Columbia Township, fiftywestbrew.com (Sami Stewart)

Quatman Cafe: Cheeseburger Special | $8.50

Greater Cincinnati restaurants

If there is one food that can be easily adapted to satisfy any sort of appetite, it’s the burger. From the simple diner classic to decadent double-deckers loaded with ingredients you can’t pronounce, Cincinnati restaurants are sure to have a burger on the menu that caters to your specific palate — no matter your bank account balance.

This list includes 9 burgers that are $10

and under and 9 burgers that are $15 and over, each boasting a variety of flavors for every burger lover. Use this guide as a starting point to guide you through your burger cravings on any budget.

Need more recommendations? We’ve also included the top 20 reader-voted best burgers for meat-eaters and vegetarians alike from CityBeat’s 2022 Best Of Cincinnati issue.

Quatman Cafe always comes through for a quick, affordable and tasty lunch or dinner hangout. Their savory and sizable burger is a quintessential classic cheeseburger with a harmonious blend of the rich, melted cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato and a full slice of onion on top, along with optional pickles and mayo (recommended) on the side. The special is served with thin, near-shoestring fries that compete with the burger each reach back to the plate. The meal also comes with a drink as well, making it almost surprisingly cheap at $8.50, considering the quality. Both Quatman Cafe locations have the same daily specials that include plenty of delicious options but, luckily, the burger special is featured three days throughout the week — Monday, Thursday and Saturday — at both locations. It also pairs well with their extra cold beer served in frosted mugs. 224 W. Main St., Mason; 2434 Quatman Ave., Norwood, quatmancafe.com (Brent Stroud)

Gulow Street: Cheeseburger | $6.99

When Gulow Street joined the Northside bar scene in 2021, it won hearts with its cozy ambiance, approachable staff, and small but mighty menu, served until 10 p.m. Perhaps the most talked about menu item is the $6.99 burger. Served with onion, lettuce, mayo, melty American cheese and local EX-EL pickles, this smash burger delivers delicious, rich flavor with the right amount of toppinginduced crunch. Add bacon for $2 more, or live it up with a refreshing Spagett cocktail (Miller High Life with lemon and Aperol). Stop in on a Tuesday for their $10 burger and draft special. 1614 Hoffner Street, gulowstreet.com (Katrina Eresman)

Heyday: The House Burger | $10

The closure of O Pie O in East Walnut Hills in 2022 disappointed many fans, but its successor (same location and

owner), Heyday has a smash burger that keeps hungry diners coming back. The House Burger ($10) features two thin beef patties from Avril-Bleh butchers, hand-pressed and smartly seasoned with toppings including pickled onions, a slice of cheese, and a special sauce made with Duke’s Mayo. It’s served on a slightly charred, fluffy potato bun. There are a few tables (and a slight upcharge for dine-in), so carry-out is how most customers choose to enjoy this beauty. 1527 Madison Road, East Walnut Hills, heyday.menu (Rick Pender)

Tickle Pickle: Buns N’ Roses | $10

Music-themed Tickle Pickle Restaurant gives even its meatless guests a chance to indulge in their gourmet rock and roll burgers. Originally opening in Northside, Tickle Pickle has since added two more locations in Listermann Brewing’s taproom and Fort Thomas. The Buns N’ Roses burger, named after legendary rock band Guns N’ Roses, takes the classic black bean burger and adorns it with a soft pretzel bun, fresh tomatoes, crispy pickles and spicy ketchup that takes it over the top. Guests can add or remove as many toppings as they’d like, and wash it down with one of the restaurant’s famous milkshakes. Multiple locations, ordertickle.com (Kennedy Dudley)

Mad Mike’s Burgers & Fries: Pride of Zeus | $8.19

It’s a gyro. It’s a burger. It’s a gyro burger, and it’s brilliant. With a quarter-pound of Black Angus beef piled double-decker style among gyro meat, feta cheese, lettuce, onion and tzatziki sauce, this gyro burger definitely requires two hands and maybe one of those bibs that has a pocket for catching fallen ingredients. Not that it needs it, but you can still add a couple ingredients and come in under $10 (banana peppers, maybe?). Multiple locations, madmikesburger.com (Katie Griffith)

Ollie’s Trolley: The Ollie | $6

Even if you’ve never eaten at Ollie’s Trolley, chances are you’ve passed its humble location in Cincinnati’s West End. At the corner of Central Avenue and West Liberty Street is a standalone, red and yellow trolley-shaped walkup restaurant that’s been serving Cincinnati for more than 30 years. The Ollie burger is simple but not plain; it features original spices and Ollie sauce — a delicious and unique taste. There’s a small patio that adds to the wholesome, nostalgic experience that is Ollie’s Trolley. 1607 Central Ave., West End, facebook.com/OlliesTrolleyCincinnati (KG)

Mt. Adams Bar & Grill: Almost Famous Burger | $8

According to its website, the backbar at Mt. Adams Bar & Grill came out of a

The most budget-friendly and indulgent burgers you can find at

Heyday house burger. | PHOTO: PROVIDED BY HEYDAY

Prohibition-era speakeasy in Cincinnati owned by bootlegger George Remus. Along with its riveting history and prime location, the grill offers some seriously delicious and approachable plates. The Almost Famous Burger is a patty topped with lettuce, mayo, pickle, onion and cheddar cheese. The kicker is a spicy salsa topping, which really sets this burger apart and gives it a signature flavor. For a little extra, the Fried Jalapeno Ravioli is a perfect start to any meal at the Mt. Adams Bar & Grill. 938 Hatch St., Mt. Adams, mtadamsbarandgrill.com (KG)

Herb and Thelma’s Tavern: Cheeseburger Topped with Black Forest Ham | $9

A restaurant that’s been serving burgers for more than 80 years is definitely doing something right. Herb and Thelma’s opened in 1939 as Heine’s Cafe and has stayed in the family ever since — it also claims the coldest beer and best burgers in Northern Kentucky. The tall, narrow building in Covington houses a laid-back bar and restaurant decorated with antiques. Old signs, beer cans and

bottles, Cincinnati sports memorabilia and photographs line the walls while burger patties (made fresh every day) are prepared on a grill right beside the bar. Top the Black Forest ham burger with extra cheese, sauerkraut or signature sweet watermelon relish for $1 extra. 718 Pike St., Covington, herbandthelmas.com. (KG)

Burgers $15 and over:

Cafe Mochiko: Hokkaido Smashburger | $16

Cafe Mochiko’s smash burger adds pickles soaked in soy sauce, yuzu kosho mayo, lettuce and American cheese atop its rich and juicy smashed Wagyu beef from nearby Sakura Farms. As a bonus, it’s served with delicious fries with the perfect soft-to-crisp ratio. Pro tip: The burger is best enjoyed with one of the James Beard-nominated bakery’s crisp Japanese lagers and a bakery dessert. 1524 Madison Road, East Walnut Hills, cafemochiko.com (BS)

Moerlein Lager House: Moer Burger | $20

The best thing about Moerlein’s flagship burger is that it comes with a view inside a microbrewery. And, yeah, it tastes good too. On this burger, pastrami is paired with applewood bacon, cheddar cheese, a fried egg, Moerlein’s sweet onion relish and house-made black pepper aioli, atop a premium ground beef burger — add a Moerlein beer into the mix and you’re dining right. The views and entertainment The Banks offers makes this experience worth the extra dollar. 115 Joe Nuxhall Way, The Banks, moerleinlagerhouse.com (KG)

Yard House: Beyond Burger | $16.99

With a claim to the world’s largest selection of draft beer, you don’t need much more of a reason to visit the Yard House. But just in case a beer served in a glass as long as your arm feels on the verge of over-indulgence, make a balanced decision for your digestive system and try Yard House’s take on the popular Beyond Burger. Even if you’re a carnivore, this option is delightful. Yard House tops the Beyond Burger with vegan mozzarella,

arugula (the best lettuce), onion, tomato and pickles. Vegan options aren’t only for vegans. 95 E. Freedom Way, The Banks, yardhouse.com (KG)

Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse: JR Double Burger | $22

Who wouldn’t love to sink their teeth into a double-decker burger from one of the fanciest restaurants in town? Two 4-ounce patties make up the heart of this burger, which comes from the fullservice butcher shop that’s been serving Cincy since 1894 – Avril-Bleh Meat Market & Deli. The JR Double Burger is topped with American cheese, pickle relish, lettuce, bacon, red onion and Duke’s Mayo, keeping it simple and classy. 505 Vine St., Downtown, jeffruby.com. (KG)

Montgomery Inn Boathouse: Classic Wagyu Burger | $15.99

While Montgomery Inn is famous for its ribs and barbecue sauce, the classic burger shouldn’t be overlooked. This burger features an 8-ounce Wagyu beef patty and your choice of cheese, plus lettuce, tomato and onion. If you don’t grab a side of Saratoga chips and Montgomery

The JR Burger from Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse. | PHOTO: FACEBOOK.COM/JEFFRUBYSSTEAKHOUSE

Inn Barbecue Sauce, you’re missing out on the complete experience. 925 Riverside Dr., Downtown, montgomeryinn.com (KG)

BRU Burger Bar: Melt Your Face | $14 A burger bar? Genius. Really, any BRU Burger could make the cut — there are so many craft options — but this facemelting promise caught our attention. Not one, but three habanero toppings plus jalapeños complete this fiery choice. It sounds like it should come with an award (or at least a wall of fame photo opportunity) but at least you’ll get bragging rights upon digestion. The Melt Your Face burger includes habanero hot sauce, habanero jack cheese, jalapenos, habanero whole grain mustard and garden toppings. Multiple locations, bruburgerbar.com (KG)

The Capital Grille: The Capital Grille Cheeseburger | $20

Truffle fries included, the Capital Grille Cheeseburger is a fine-dining delight. This American chain restaurant serves upscale vibes in its Hyde Park location. Grilled onions are a perfect topper for this juicy burger, cooked to your preference. For a starter, try the ProsciuttoWrapped Mozzarella with Vine Ripe

Tomatoes, served with crisp crostini and 15-year aged balsamic. 3821 Edwards Rd., Hyde Park, thecapitalgrille.com. (KG)

Nicholson’s Fine Food & Whisk(e)y: Shepherd’s Burger | $15

Finally, a burger with some bite. The Shepherd’s burger at Nicholson’s is one of this list’s most unique for its tangy, sharp profile. Perfectly seasoned beef is ground alongside lamb, topped with herbed goat cheese, lemon garlic aioli, arugula, tomato and onion. The bright kick of lemony goat cheese, the juicy blend of lamb and beef... it’s eye-rolling good. While beer and bourbon are normally the go-to at Nicholson’s, order yourself a California cabernet to give this elevated burger the pairing she deserves. 625 Walnut St., Downtown, nicholsonspub.com (Madeline Fening)

Losanti: Losanti Burger | $17.95

It takes real convincing to make Losanti lovers stray from their usual favorites like truffle spaghetti or mussels, but Losanti’s burger may just be the slept-on bite of the season. Like everything this kitchen turns out, their burger is simple yet intensely memorable for its depth of taste. Provolone cheese, garlic aioli, lettuce, tomato and balsamic onions are nestled under a brioche bun. The balsamic onions are made even more memorable when you opt for the extra $2 pancetta, making the burger perfectly indulgent. If it all sounds too fancy, don’t worry. You’ll still get fries. 1401 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, losantiotr.com. (MF)

Best Of Burgers

These favorite dining destinations took home top-10 honors in CityBeat’s annual Best Of Cincinnati issue for Best Overall Burger (Non-Chain) and Best Veggie Burger.

Best Overall Burger

1. Zip’s Café

2. Tickle Pickle

3. Nation Kitchen & Bar

4. Turf Club

5. Quatman Cafe

6. Bard’s Burgers & Chili

7. Sammy’s Craft Burgers & Beers TIE

8. Arthur’s TIE

9. W Bar + Bistro

10. Roney’s

11. Delwood

Best Veggie Burger

1. Tickle Pickle

2. Krueger’s Tavern

3. Nine Giant

4. Nation Kitchen & Bar

5. Arthur’s

6. Dead Low Brewing

7. Goose & Elder

8. Taste of Belgium

9. W Bar + Bistro

10. Maplewood Kitchen and Bar

Gulow Street cheeseburger. |

PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER

Quatman Cafe’s cheeseburger. |

PHOTO: SAVANA WILLHOITE

BURGERS. WINGS. SANDWICHES.

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ARTS & CULTURE

Sober-Curious Summer

How Cincinnatians are navigating the complexities of summertime sobriety

BY EMMA SEGREST

Walking into the monthly High Vibe Dance Party at Alice in Over-the-Rhine feels like walking into any other club experience: there’s dancing, laughter and an infectious urge to join the party. The energy is so captivating it is hard to believe it’s an alcohol-free event. The only drink allowed on their dance floor is water, but participants don’t seem to mind. In fact, for some, this rule allows them the freedom to enjoy their night without the pressure to consume

alcohol.

The term “sober-curious” has been trending in recent years. Defined as a mindfulness practice around alcohol consumption, sober curiosity involves taking a break from drinking alcohol. Sober curiosity is a noncommittal practice that allows people a chance to test out sobriety or even adopt new attitudes around how alcohol impacts their health and social lives. Those who choose to live sober fully abstain from alcohol in all forms, sometimes

for personal or religious reasons, and sometimes because they have an alcohol addiction. Sober-curiosity is not a binding oath to giving up alcohol forever, it is a lifestyle choice that encourages people to explore cutting back on alcohol.

The sober-curious community in Cincinnati is growing across all demographics, and it welcomes anyone curious about living alcohol-free. That’s part of why Erica Esham and Karley Willocks started hosting High Vibe Dance Parties.

The main focus of the dance parties is to create a safe, substance-free environment. These rules are enforced for all participants because High Vibe knows wonderful things can happen when connection and music are the focus. For Willocks, showing others that it is possible to have fun without alcohol is one of her main goals with the event series.

“I think they’re shown the same model over and over again — if you want to have fun with your friends, it has to involve alcohol,” Willocks tells CityBeat. “I’ve seen what else is possible. I’m like, ‘Oh my god, I actually have so much more fun when I’m focused on actually connecting with other people,’ and even just as far as how much more

fun it is to dance when you don’t have a drink in your hand.”

Willocks herself is not fully sober, but likes the freedom she feels not drinking.

“Getting drunk isn’t what makes the night. I think people are searching for something deeper and they don’t even know it and they’re just using substances because that’s the only thing that they’ve been shown,” says Willocks.

For many, alcohol can be a way to combat social anxiety. But for some people this can take away from genuine socializing and relationship building. Recent University of Cincinnati graduate Anya Grieze chose to quit drinking around her graduation. She noticed that heavier drinking, which felt normal in college, but began to hinder her health and social life. So, she decided to quit drinking and shift her focus to deepening her social connections.

“I like not being hungover every weekend and not having to worry about things that I did or said and also just feeling better in general,” says Grieze. “I think I didn’t realize how much [drinking] was making me just kind of feel crappy overall.”

Grieze’s drink of choice when she goes out now is a Red Bull, and she still enjoys going out to bars occasionally. She gravitates toward bars like Mecca that offer ample outdoor space. Outdoor spaces make it easier to focus on the company versus the drinking. Similar bars, like Somerset, allow for socialization in a relaxed environment

Mecca’s expansive patio is a favorite summertime staple for the sober-curious.

PHOTO: BRITTANY THORNTON

Karley Willocks (pictured) is the co-creator of High Vibe Dance Parties.

PHOTO: EMMA SEGREST

where it is easier to focus on conversation rather than consuming alcohol.

“I think I am stronger than I thought. I have more self-discipline than I thought I did,” says Grieze. “I think that’s reassuring; it’s given me newfound confidence just in general.”

Ashley Cook first tested out sobriety when they were 26 years old, and eight years later, at 34, are still maintaining a sober lifestyle. Cook never intended for sobriety to be a permanent fixture in their life, but was eventually inspired to make the change. Cook even attributes sobriety to how they met their nowhusband. They approached him after a DJ set to strike up a conversation.

“I went up and started talking to him afterward and I had a bottle of water,” says Cook. “He was like, ‘Is that vodka?’ because it was just a clear liquid in a bottle and I said ‘No, it’s just water. I don’t drink,” he’s like, ‘Oh, cool,’ and now we’re married.”

Cook likes to frequent music venue bars like the Comet in Northside, which offers alcohol-free beers, sparkling waters and sodas. The Comet is an easy place to go, according to Cook, because music is usually the focus instead of drinking, plus it offers a quieter outdoor space. Cook says they often won’t go out if there is not some sort of live music available. Live music offers a shared point of interest and natural conversation starter.

Cook is also a member of a queer drag burlesque troupe called Smoke & Queers which recently performed at the Cincinnati Fringe Festival. Cook also started a Facebook group called Cincinnati Sober Fun to help foster Cincinnati’s sober community and share events that might be more accessible to the local sober community.

“It has been hard to find sober friends but that’s why I made the Facebook group so people can maybe meet some people in there or post events that

they’re trying to get people to come out to,” Cook told CityBeat. “I’ve always told people if you’re interested in not drinking or having a sober friend, I’m willing to be there.”

Brian Garry has been sober for almost 40 years. After enduring a difficult childhood, drinking became a means of escapism for Garry in his youth. But he has found at 58 years old that sobriety has given him a fulfilling and entertaining life. Garry praises the park system in Cincinnati, noting a special love for Eden Park for its views and tranquility. Exploring nature is one of Garry’s favorite sober activities. Garry also likes to take in the local arts scene as well. Recently, he and his wife went dancing at The Main Event and enjoyed the play Trouble in Mind at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. The choice to not drink wasn’t a simple one for Garry; it came down to sobriety or life.

“I would probably be dead if I was still drinking because I had no plans for after I was 18 years old,” says Garry.

Garry went on to get a music degree from Northern Kentucky University and now dedicates himself to his family and volunteer work. Garry recalls all he had been searching for during his alcoholism was a sense of community. Now he spends his time giving back through organizations such as St. Francis - St. Joseph Catholic Worker House, helping him create the community he had been searching for all along.

Garry encourages anyone reflecting on their alcohol consumption to give sobriety a try.

“I can do the same things as anyone drinking, and have the same feelings and connections through sobriety,” says Garry.

Support for alcohol addiction can be found by calling SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357.

One of Brian Garry’s (front) favorite sober activities is kayaking on the Little Miami River.

PHOTO: BRIAN GARRY

Birds of a Feather: Queer Birders Flock Together

BY SAMI STEWART

More and more members of the LGTBQ+ community are gathering together and populating spaces that haven’t always welcomed them. Although queer nature groups are on the rise across the nation, there’s one in Cincinnati that’s gained popularity quickly. Queer Birders of Cincinnati caters to a niche market ––not just birders, queer birders. Even so, the group has had consistently growing attendance since its inception in the fall of 2021.

“We can look in nature and see a lot of queerness,” says Ash Conway, founder and president of Queer Birders of Cincinnati. “I feel like a lot of queer people have been told that queerness is unnatural. And then you look in nature and you see plants and animals that are not directed by this binary. They’re not male or female. There are animals that exhibit queer behaviors. There’s just so much around us that is queer.”

Conway founded Queer Birders after seeking community with queer people in outdoor spaces and not finding it. In college, Conway founded University of Cincinnati’s Ornithology Club, but once she graduated she struggled to find herself and other queer people represented in the outdoor community, so she created bigger overlap between these two groups she identifies with.

“A lot of times we don’t feel safe nor welcome in outdoor spaces, especially if you’re nonbinary, transgender, if you’re a person of color, if you have a disability. All of those things lead to people feeling excluded from the outdoor movement. So I wanted to create a group where all of those people could come together and feel at home,” Conway says.

She’s been birding for about six

years now, and still fondly remembers the bird that first sparked her interest in bird watching –– the pileated woodpecker. It’s the largest and most striking of the woodpeckers with its rufous crown and boldly striped face.

“It ignited that interest and after that I couldn’t stop,” she says. “Every time I go outside, I see something different. I think that’s what’s so cool about birding is that you’re always going to see something different. You’re always going to be amazed,” she says.

Queer Birders has held bird walks at parks and nature preserves around the city. Conway intentionally fostered a culture that was welcoming not only to people who have been clocking birds for years but also to those who’ve always had the interest but never the means. “There’s a lot of people that come on our walks and they don’t know a cardinal from a tufted titmouse, and that’s OK. As long as they are having a good time and they are able to find people like them, I think that’s really what a lot of people, especially queer people, are seeking in today’s world,” Conway says.

When organizing events, she reaches out to members of the community who have expertise in different areas, like plant identification or mindfulness. In early June, Queer Birders hosted a morning of nature journaling at Caldwell Nature Preserve with Mary Gordon, a naturalist with Greenacres Foundation and a teacher of 20 years. Earlier this spring, Queer Birders hosted a bird banding demo at UC’s Center for Field Studies. Members got to handle birds and examine them up close while learning the ins and outs of bird banding (the process of putting aluminum or colored bands on birds in order to

identify and track individual birds) and its place in ornithological research.

Conway has been volunteering with Dr. Canterbury, one of just a few ornithologists at UC, for almost five years. While pursuing her undergraduate degree, she helped Dr. Ronald Canterbury’s research on avian mortalities due to window collisions. Today she still helps him with banding birds during migrant seasons.

Beyond creating a safe space where queer people can gather, Conway notes that it’s extremely important for queer people to be able to envision themselves in STEM, academia and other fields where they have historically been underrepresented. “The outdoors doesn’t always feel like a safe and welcoming space for queer people. And a lot of times, higher education also can feel that way. Being able to see themselves doing something like that is good for queer people,” she says.

Queer Birders’ first meeting was last April. Twenty people turned up to have a walk in the woods and look at birds

together. These days, well-attended events more than double those numbers. “It’s been really exciting to watch,” Conway says. “I hope that it only continues to grow because it’s clear that this is something that queer people want. They want this space as well as this experience. And that’s really cool to see in a place like Cincinnati.”

Though the bulk of the spring migration is behind us, Queer Birders will be hosting a handful of summer events in the coming months. This summer they’re hosting:

• Hiking Basics at French Park on Sunday, July 9 from 10 a.m.-noon

• Summer Bird Walk at Mt. Airy Forest on Sunday, July 23 from 10 a.m.-noon

• A Walk in the Woods at Avon Woods Nature Preserve with Queer Climbing Cincinnati on Sunday, August 6 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

For more information about Queer Birders of Cincinnati, visit facebook.com/queerbirdersofcincy.

Queer Birders was created as a safe space for queer birders and nature enthusiasts to enjoy different aspects of the great outdoors.

PHOTO: MOHAMMAD SYED BILAL

Queer Birders hosts nature events throughout Greater Cincinnati year-round.

PHOTO: MOHAMMAD SYED BILAL

JULY 10-16, 2023

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5

VISUAL ARTS

Carl Solway Gallery’s Archives Exhibition Reveals Six Decades of Art & Ephemera

BY MACKENZIE MANLEY

The Carl Solway Gallery’s current exhibition, Archives, highlights ephemera, sculpture and drawings from its 61-year history, functioning as a tribute to the work of the late gallerist Carl Solway and the artists he loved.

Archives: Carl Solway Gallery 19622023 is broken up into multiple parts, says Michael Solway, Carl’s son. When Michael returned to Cincinnati in 2011 after living in California for 13 years, he began quietly sorting through files of active and inactive artists, where he found documents, letters and gallery announcements dating back to as early as the 1960s.

“I started compiling this ephemera that I felt was very precious that needed to be preserved,” says Michael. “I started to make binders and put them in archival sleeves and began to make more comprehensive archival selections that at some point would really help determine the history of the gallery.”

Archives brings together multiple iterations of the gallery and the artistcurator relationships that formed throughout the decades. That history goes back to Cincinnati’s one-time Flair Gallery, which Carl opened in 1962 alongside his then-wife Gail, Michael’s mother. Michael says that space was the beginning of his father’s relationships with artists like John Cage and Buckminster Fuller. As cited on the Solway Gallery’s artist’s page for Cage, Carl said this of their friendship: “No one was more influential in helping shape both my personal life and professional career

than John Cage. His thinking influenced and expanded the nature of music, dance, painting and our perception of both art and life.”

It’s fitting, then, that one of the first works gallery-goers encounter in the exhibit is Cage’s “Not Wanting to Say Anything About Marcel,” a nod to French painter Marcel Duchamp. The work consists of eight layers of translucent plexiglass with a brown tint, each printed with fragmented words and numbers.

“Cage was influential in introducing the gallery to other artists,” says Michael. “And that really is kind of a thread of what I’ve laid out is that it really is about the relationships of the artists that were involved with the gallery in 61 years.”

Other artists Carl worked with include Harry Bertoia, Helen Frankenthaler, Sam Gilliam, Ann Hamilton, Richard Hamilton, Charlotte Moorman, Claes Oldenburg, Yoko Ono, Nam June Paik, George Rickey, Mark Rothko, Saul Steinberg, Paul Stier, Joan Snyder, Andy Warhol and more.

While the whole show functions as an archive of the gallery’s history, within the show is what Michael is calling the Fuller Archive and the Nam June Paik Archive. Of the latter, visitors will see Paik’s sculpture “I Make Mistake after Mistake, but it always comes out Positive,” a conglomeration of vintage televisions, video cameras and other equipment arranged to be a body a la Transformers. The TVs display warped, moving imagery. Stare into the robot’s static and you may find yourself

transfixed.

Nearby is a vitrine with arranged photographs of Paik and his work, both in color and in black and white, and other materials, including a postcard advertising the opening of the Carl Solway Gallery’s 1988 exhibition Metrobot. That show marked the unveiling of Paik’s first monumental public sculpture, the still-standing (and now iconic) “Metrobot” installed outside of the Contemporary Arts Center.

“When you say archives, it’s really a different kind of experience,” says Michael. “It requires somebody to take their time. You can’t come through and look at the archive and spin through it; you have to, in some way, take it all in and then decide what it all means. There’s a gestalt to the situation.”

If you walk through the exhibition multiple times, something new may catch your eye with each turn, whether

it’s Warhol’s Pete Rose prints, a watercolor-and-ink piece by Keith Kleespies featuring Mickey Mouse’s beloved pooch, Pluto, or “An Ode to Cage,” as written (and signed) by Yoko Ono.

Archives also marks the gallery’s last show before it transitions from Carl Solway Gallery to The Solway Gallery. Located on 424 Findlay Street since the ‘90s, the gallery is housed in the Solway Building, so Michael says the transition feels natural.

The first show under the new name will open on September 21. Titled Tree Conscious, Michael describes it as a group show formed around the idea of trees as a symbolic, spiritual subject.

Archives: Carl Solway Gallery 1962-2023 runs through July 14 at the Solway Building, 424 Findlay Street, Over-the-Rhine. Info: solwaygallery.com.

Carl Solway Gallery’s Archives exhibition features ephemera and artwork from its 61-year history.

PHOTO: SARAH LONG

Yoko Ono ephemera display at the Carl Solway Gallery’s Archives exhibition.

PHOTO: SARAH LONG

FOOD & DRINK

American-Eclectic Eats

Rusk Kitchen + Bar offers food, drinks and a stylish yet cozy spot to have a good time.

BY KELSEY GRAHAM

Woodburn Avenue in East Walnut Hills has seen an energizing resurgence recently, with numerous shops, bars and restaurants opening in the last decade. From breweries, salons and specialty boutiques mixed with long-standing pet care and board game shops, it’s easy to get swept up in the charm of this street and keep coming back for more. And now, there’s another reason to visit with the opening of the new family-friendly bar and restaurant Rusk Kitchen + Bar. Rusk is owned by brothers Troy and Brendan McAndrews, who also own The Establishment in Oakley. They acquired the space on Woodburn Avenue in 2019 when it was originally a garage, intending to have someone else come in and take over the space. But as time passed, they realized only they could bring their vision to life, and Rusk was born. They brought on Dave Osborne as general manager to support their endeavor, leveraging his experience working at The Establishment for several years.

Osborne said they were going for an American-eclectic vibe. “We wanted something just to match the neighborhood,” he said. “It is a fantastic neighborhood. There are a lot of good things going on.”

What started as a vision for a welcoming neighborhood bar turned into a fully-fledged restaurant with a laidback rooftop deck. But what remained the same was the intent to make this a location for people to gather around for good times and good food. “We saw an opportunity to enhance and help join the community here, and that’s what we’re trying to do,” said Osborne.

“We’re trying to be part of the neighborhood and what’s going on here and making it a destination spot.”

The extensive menu offers a wide selection of dishes, from appetizers and salads to sandwiches and entrees. Osborne said his sandwich of choice is the Midwest Cubano. This filling sandwich is piled high with pork loin and pulled pork, topped with yellow mustard, house sauce, pickles, and Swiss

cheese, all housed between a delightful French roll. Regarding entrees, Osborne’s favorite is the Cajun Chicken Alfredo, made with blackened chicken and andouille sausage and a creamy Cajun spiced garlic parmesan sauce.

The Parthenon Power Bowl provides a lighter yet still-filling vegetarian option made with a medley of fresh vegetables, including kale, roasted red peppers and charred onions, all topped with feta and crispy capers. Depending on the day, a weekly special menu with gumbo, meatloaf and pesto is also available. Osborne plans to switch out options in the fall with staff-made plates. They plan to allow the kitchen

staff to create their own dishes, with the top picks chosen as the season’s new weekly specials.

The appetizer menu cannot be overlooked either, with classic favorites like doughy Bavarian pretzels paired with Düsseldorf mustard and wings to foodie finds like caramelized Brussel sprouts mixed with dried blueberries, crispy frizzled onions and a balsamic glaze.

If brunch is more your style, stop by on Saturdays and Sundays from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. to enjoy offerings like smoked salmon benedict, sweet cheese and blackberry pancakes, buttermilk biscuits and sausage gravy. A fellow Woodburn

Avenue neighbor and local

Rusk Kitchen + Bar offers guests an expansive rooftop.

PHOTO: EMORY DAVIS

Rusk’s owners are going for an American-eclectic vibe for the restaurant and bar.

PHOTO: EMORY DAVIS

business, Urbana Coffee, also provides fresh cups of coffee at the location for brunch.

The brunch menu also features mouthwatering lunch entrees if breakfast food isn’t your favorite. One option is the Animal Farm sandwich, made with fried chicken, applewood smoked bacon and pimento cheese on a toasted croissant. There’s also an Elvis-inspired burger, The King, made with a ⅓-pound smash burger topped with peanut butter, bacon and sweet onion jam. They also offer signature cocktails and drinks along with various tasty bites for breakfast, lunch and dinner. One of their customer favorites is a spin on a Moscow mule that swaps out the vodka for tequila with agave, aptly named The Rusk Mule. Another popular drink on the menu is the Irish Espresso Martini, made with Jameson cold brew whiskey mixed with Kahlúa and dark chocolate liqueur. Along with cocktails, a long list of wines, draft and bottled beers,

whiskey, bourbon and seltzers are also available.

After building the kitchen staff from scratch, Osborne is proud of how far they’ve come and how the team is constantly open to learning and improving daily. “Our staff is really coming together,” he said. “We adjust and pivot as we can and just try to make it the overall best experience.” Osborne knows how important family time and budgeting can be and wants to make sure Rusk is a dependable spot people can come to for an enjoyable meal and a relaxing time out.

“Our goal is to enhance the experience through the service, decor and food,” said Osborne. “We adjust and pivot as we can and just try to make the experience, overall, the best.”

Rusk Kitchen + Bar, 2724 Woodburn Ave., East Walnut Hills. Info: ruskcincy.com.

Rusk bartender making the Midnight Kiss cocktail.

PHOTO: EMORY DAVIS

Rusk Kitchen + Bar’s Cajun Chicken Alfredo.

PHOTO: EMORY DAVIS

New Fantasy-Themed Craft Brewery and Meadery Fabled Brew Works Opens in Erlanger

BY KATHERINE BARRIER

In fantasy literature, all the best quests begin in a tavern. It’s where villagers gather ‘round tables with mead in hand, trading tales, or where a weary traveler stops for a drink and meal only to have their plans upturned by a wizened, old man with a task only they can do. These taverns are in the heart of the setting and the story, because, as the founders of Fabled Brew Works in Erlanger understand, taverns – or, in their case, a brewery – are more than just drinking establishments.

“Having a beer is an opportunity to share with family, a chance to trade tales with friends, and a vessel to toast an accomplishment at the end of an epic journey,” the Fabled Brew Works team said in a press release.

A small craft brewery and meadery that opened June 1, Fabled Brew Works’ story begins with our main characters: Kent Wessels, Jon Lawlor, Mike Turvey, Aaron Daniele and John Ewers – five friends who love a good beer.

Lawlor says they’ve been traveling around the country nearly eight years trying different breweries and beer styles, and they wanted to bring that experience to the Cincinnati area.

“We wanted to bring similar styles that we’ve seen in other places – Florida, Virginia, California. A lot of breweries nationwide do different styles and do different things that places around here didn’t,” Lawlor told CityBeat. “Our

head brewer [John Ewers] has done similar styles to that over his career, so that was the first intention was to create a place that offered different beer styles and choices than were in the geographic area.”

The idea to craft those kinds of beers in the fantasy-folklore concept that is Fabled Brew Works came from the team wanting to differentiate themselves from the other breweries in the area, as well as honoring the stories they grew up with.

“We wanted to do something that allowed people to be more involved and more comfortable and more immersed in something than just your same kind of aesthetic you see,” Lawlor said.

What came from that is a sylvan-like taproom that looks like it sprung from between the pages of a storybook – a fantasy forest that leads to the door of a thatched-roof cottage, a half-timbered storefront with books in its “windows” and an apothecary. A hollowed tree sits behind the bar. You almost feel like the hero or heroine about to embark on an epic journey.

And those elements of fantasy, folklore and myths also make their way onto the tap list, featuring brews with names like Gnome Sayin’ (a hazy IPA) and Fee, Fi, Fo and Fum, a series of ice cream-inspired imperial fruited sours (peach pie, coconut cream pie, key lime pie and blackberry cobbler,

respectively). The brewery and meadery put its focus on fruit-forward beers and things you don’t find a whole lot of in the region: bold stouts, meads and dessert-inspired varieties.

“We want to have traditionals that meet the standard styles that other places offer so you don’t alienate anybody looking for your lagers, your pilsners,” said Lawlor. “But then from all of our traveling and what we like personally, you get your sours … Ice

cream sours, Berliner Weisses – very fruit-forward beers – New England IPAs, milkshake IPAs and then stouts – more heavily flavored stuff. We’re going to get into barrel-aged stuff as quickly as we can, and then we have our mead.”

While Ewers heads up the beer brewing on-site in a seven-barrel system, Brad Ryles is in charge of the mead, which is similar to a sweet honey wine. An experienced mead brewer, Ryles helped Listermann Brewing Company start up their mead program and formerly owned the Lebanon meadery, Dysfunctional Delights.

Apart from the taproom, Fabled Brew Works also has an outdoor patio and a rotation of food trucks Thursday through Sunday. Lawlor says they have limited space, but they’re hoping to add game nights or trivia into the mix in the future.

But above all else, the treasure at the end of the journey to Fabled Brew Works’ opening day for this fellowship is making sure their patrons have an experience that keeps bringing them back again and again, just like a good story.

“I hope guests get their favorite beers in the area, first and foremost, but secondarily, at least a unique experience. The phrase ‘haven’t seen that before’ would be nice to hear a lot because, hopefully, that’s true. We try to incorporate a lot of unique stuff that you’re not going to find elsewhere,” Lawlor said.

Fabled Brew Works, 331 Kenton Lands Road, Erlanger. Info: fabledbrewworks.beer.

Fabled Brew Works owners want to create a more immersive customer experience at their brewery.

PHOTO: KATHERINE BARRIER

Patrons can take in elements of fantasy and folklore while sipping on fruit-forward beers and bold stouts.

PHOTO: KATHERINE BARRIER

Mason

MUSIC

A Door to the Past

Rock band 3 Doors Down is revisiting their 2002 album Away From The Sun on a tour set to visit Ohio.

BY ALAN SCULLEY

As a 40-plus-minute conversation in mid-May with 3 Doors

Down singer Brad Arnold wound down, he pondered a question about whether, after 25 years of major success, his band has any goals left to pursue.

“You know, I don’t feel like there’s

anything that we’re chasing, but honestly, I never really have,” Arnold said.

“I say it jokingly, but I’ve never really made plans. I guess I’m a rock kicker.

I just kind of walk through life kicking rocks as I go.”

Then came a thought that was more profound.

“I told my mama not long ago and I told my wife the same thing, and I don’t mean it as dark in any way. I mean it as the brightest thing I can mean it as,” Arnold began. “I told both of them, if something happens to me tomorrow and just, I’m gone, let me tell you, I have lived like three lifetimes. In 45 years, I have lived three lifetimes. I’ve gotten to do stuff that people can’t imagine. I have been so blessed that if I don’t get to live another day, I am so thankful for the life I’ve gotten to live. Everything from here on is a bonus. And I’ve been in bonus room for a while now.”

Yes, the band that soared to

multi-platinum popularity behind a debut album called The Better Life has pretty much lived the best life a rock band could want.

Twenty-three years after “Kryptonite,” the lead single from The Better Life, became a signature hit, 3 Doors Down are in the victory lap stage of their career, touring comfortably and marking anniversaries of musical milestones from a career that has produced six studio albums (four of which went platinum or better) as well as 13 top 10 mainstream rock singles, five of which topped that chart.

This summer, the band members — Arnold, guitarist Chris Henderson,

3 Doors Down

PHOTO: DOVE SHORE

drummer Greg Upchurch, guitarist Chet Roberts and bassist Justin Biltonen — are following up a 2021 tour on which they celebrated the 20-year anniversary of The Better Life by playing that seven-times platinum album in its entirety. This summer, the second 3 Doors Down album, Away From The Sun, (itself a quadruple-platinum hit) is getting a similar live treatment to mark its two-decade anniversary.

Arnold said the band learned a few things about how to structure a set list from doing the anniversary tour for The Better Life and those discoveries are influencing how 3 Doors Down are presenting the songs from Away From The Sun this summer.

“What we found during The Better Life tour is if you just play the album tracklist (in order), you kind of can wind up with a few dead spots in there that maybe some people that aren’t maybe as diehard of fans or weren’t around for the record and don’t know those deeper cuts, you start seeing people get a little bored in the crowd,” he said. “So about halfway through that Better Life tour we said, ‘All right, we’re going to play this whole record, but let’s pick a couple spots and sprinkle a song they know in there.’ So I think we’ll probably start out playing as many songs consecutively off of the (Away From The Sun) record as we can. But most of that record’s singles are kind of toward the beginning of the record. So as we get into the deeper cuts, we’ll sprinkle some hits (from other albums) in there, too, to keep everybody singing along and (hearing) songs that they know. We want to play the whole record, but we want to bring about the best show possible as well.”

Arnold still considers Away From The Sun one of his favorite 3 Doors Down albums, and he expects this summer’s tour will bring back fond memories — just as playing The Better Life album did on that previous tour.

Not surprisingly, becoming a popular band with The Better Life album and getting to tour across the U.S. and in countries around the world was a lifechanging and eye-opening experience for the band, which started out in the small Mississippi town of Escatawpa and had never toured before recording that first album.

“It was a lot for us,” said Arnold, noting he had just turned 21 when touring began. “And we went so many places on that first record that I think on Away From The Sun, in some ways I think we felt like veterans. But it had changed us a lot, going out there like that. I was saying it to somebody the other day, that I am so incredibly thankful that I had a good family — and I still have a good family — but that I had a good family with a good mama and daddy and good brothers and sisters that

didn’t want anything for me but to be alright.”

What became particularly significant as writing began for Away From The Sun were the stories the band members heard from fans while on tour about how certain songs related to experiences from their lives. These stories flavored the mood of the band members and the lyrics that Arnold and his bandmates wrote for the second album.

“You meet so many people and when you start hearing so many of these worldly experiences, especially when you’re not a worldly guy from a little bitty town and you don’t know nothing about anything and you start hearing these experiences, you learn that there’s a lot of dark in the world,” Arnold said. “I think that stayed in our minds with us and I think a lot of the lyrics, at least, got written in that darkness I’d seen in the world and a lot of the darkness I felt in me.”

That’s not to suggest that writing and recording Away From The Sun was at all a depressing experience for 3 Doors Down.

In fact, even though 3 Doors Down were trying to follow up a hugely successful debut album, Arnold said he and his bandmates didn’t feel much pressure in making Away From The Sun, thanks to having written the song “When I’m Gone” while on tour promoting The Better Life

“Between our management and label, they had already heard it, and they were like ‘Yeah, that’s most likely going to be the first single off of the second record because that’s a good song,” Arnold said. “(We began writing) that record not knowing, but feeling like we already had one hit. So it took the pressure off of it.”

“When I’m Gone” became another No. 1 single for 3 Doors Down, and Away From The Sun later spawned a second chart-topper in “Here Without You,” solidifying the group’s place at the forefront of the mainstream rock scene.

Arnold remembers the tour to promote Away From The Sun as a great experience as well. The band played arenas and other large venues, stayed in nice hotels and had grown more confident as a live band. But the memory that sticks most involves the fans.

“We recorded a live Away From The Sun show over in Houston, and I’m so glad we did that so I can go back and watch it and really re-remember the passion of those crowds back then,” Arnold said. “That was a good time in music, it really was. That’s my favorite thing to look back on.”

3 Doors Down play the Rose Music Center at The Heights at 8 p.m. July 7. Info: rosemusiccenter.com.

SOUND ADVICE

JUNGLE BROTHERS

June 30 • Woodward Theater

In the late ‘80s, hip-hop was still in its nascent phase. Acts like Run-D.M.C., Beastie Boys and Public Enemy had mainstreamed the genre, but in 1987, Jungle Brothers — DJ Sammy B, Mike Gee and Afrika Baby Bam — came along and infused house and jazz elements, thus creating a different sound. (You can dance to their music.) The Brothers recruited like-minded groups De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest to form collective Native Tongues, a way to pay homage to their African roots. Later on, Black Sheep and rappers Queen Latifah and Monie Love joined the Tongues. In 1989, they collaborated with Tribe’s Q-Tip and Love on the feel-good bumping single “Doin’ Our Own Dang.”

In 1988, Jungle Brothers released their first album, Straight Out The Jungle, on indie label Warlock Records. The titular song sampled Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five’s 1982 seminal hip-hop hit “The Message.” “I’ll House You” not only became a club hit, but it also became the

first non-Chicago house music single to become a hit. The Marvin Gaye-inspired “What’s Going On” integrated horns, beats and samples. “Black Is Black” injected social commentary with lyrics like “My light complexion has no meaning/If you think so you’re still dreaming.”

Their sophomore follow-up, 1989’s major label Done By the Forces of Nature, included the track “Beyond This World,” which sampled 1983’s now-classic “White Lines (Don’t Don’t Do It).”

The trio remained prolific through the ’90s and 2000s — they call themselves “the longest running hip-hop group in the world” — and in 2020 released Keep It Jungle. Today, hip-hop is quite different from its roots. But Jungle Brothers set the template for the golden era of hip-hop and deserve to have more credit for doing so. July marks the 35th anniversary of Straight Out the Jungle, so expect to hear many nostalgic songs and tributes to a bygone era. “Jungle Life 4 Ever,” indeed.

Jungle Brothers plays Woodward Theater at 8 p.m. June 30. Sons of Silverton will open the show. Info: woodwardtheater.com. (Garin Pirnia)

ANNIE D

July 7 • Southgate House Revival

A high-energy set of stellar indie pop songs is what you’ll experience at the Southgate House Revival on Friday, July 7. Annie D (AKA Ann Driscoll), along with bandmates and local legends Chris Robinson on guitar and vocals, Patrick Zopff on bass, Erin Williams on keyboards and Zach Larabee on drums will perform her rocking and catchy original songs in a manner that is powerful, polished and genuinely entertaining.

Annie D began her musical journey at the age of 7 with guitar lessons, and soon after started writing her own songs. Not long after, Annie D also began playing the bass, piano and drums. Then, at age 11, she got a Fostex 4-track tape recorder, and with her well-honed multi-instrumental abilities, began making demos of original music. The upright double bass played a big role in Annie D’s musical development. She took formal double

bass lessons from Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra bassist Debbie Taylor and jazz legend Michael Scharfe and landed a position in the Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra, where she would perform throughout her high school years.

Annie D has many musical influences. She was introduced to The Beatles by her parents and discovered Nirvana and Stone Temple Pilots via her older brother. As time went on she developed an interest in a variety of artists. From Radiohead, Stevie Wonder, Fiona Apple and musical theater to Nine Inch Nails, The Knife and Beach House, Annie D over the years has drawn inspiration from just about every corner of the musical realm. But, Annie D has a voice all her own. Her music is singular, creative and instantly recognizable. This show is not to be missed.

Annie D, along with Daisychain and Jess Lamb & The Factory, plays the Southgate House Revival at 9 p.m. July 7. Info: southgatehouse.com. (Eric Bates)

Annie D PHOTO: WILLIE CALDWELL

Jungle Brothers

PHOTO: MIKAMOTE, WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

POST MALONE

July 9 • Riverbend Music Center

It’s safe to say that local Post Malone superfans shed a few tears when they heard the exciting news that he’s set to stop in Cincinnati for his tour, “If Y’all Weren’t Here, I’d be Crying.” It’s also safe to say that some eyes will water during the show at Riverbend Music Center on July 9.

Post Malone rose to stardom in 2016 with the release of his smash hit “White Iverson,” on which the singer-rapper croons comparisons between himself and hall-of-fame basketball player Allen Iverson. He immediately left a mark on the industry, owning his quirks and revealing his candidness before ever being accepted as an industry mainstay.

And the authenticity did him well — he’s since become an absolute machine. He’s released four albums and is approaching his fifth, titled AUSTIN, set to drop July 28, and has repeatedly demonstrated his musical versatility, blurring genre lines of pop, alternative and hip-hop with even a dash of country, thanks to his voice’s twangy shrills. Along the way, he has built an image in the music industry that is both vulnerable and relatable, endearing him to the masses with his music and heartfelt fan interactions.

The show will be a memorable one for those who managed to scoop up the hot tickets.

The vocalist tends to perform solo — a

man and his microphone, occasionally bringing out a guitar for acoustic renditions of poignant songs, of which he has plenty. A catalogue as vast as Post Malone’s ensures that the mood won’t be sulky all night, however. He has plenty of kinetic hip-hop anthems showcasing agile flows and deliveries that float between emceeing and singing.

Post Malone’s bubbling, boyish energy will push the night along. He’s famous for letting loose on stage and permeating his present emotions through the venue. When it’s all said and done, the crowd will have witnessed — and maybe unfurled — a gamut of emotion and may need to gather some composure before calling it a night.

Post Malone plays Riverbend Music Center at 8 p.m. July 9. Info: riverbend.org.

(Killian Baarlaer)

THE ASSOCIATION

July 14 • Ludlow Garage

The Association, a 1960s pop royalty group, is set to appear at Ludlow Garage in July.

Indicative of the sound of the sunnier side of the ‘60s FM radio dial, The Association released a string of hits that have stood the test of time and become oldies standards, earning Grammy and Golden Globe nominations along the way.

The band formed from get-togethers at legendary Los Angeles club The Troubadour in the early ‘60s before settling on

what became the original lineup in 1965. They got a record deal in 1966 and their first hit came that year when founding (and still current) member Jules Alexander was hired to play on a demo session for songwriter Tandyn Almer that became the band’s breakthrough, the vibrant, punchy and endlessly catchy “Along Comes Mary.”

Their debut album, And Then…Along Comes the Association, released that same year, also featured the band’s first number one hit, “Cherish” which undoubtedly must have served as countless couples’ first dance. A second, less successful record was released a few months later titled Renaissance Insight Out, the group’s third album, features “Windy”, the effervescent and kinetic pop hit dripping with ‘60s-toned sunshine. With lines like, “Who’s bending down to give me a rainbow,” “smiling at everybody she sees” and talk of flying above the clouds, it’s no wonder the song connected in the summer of 1967, going to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and still carries a colorful, sunny appeal. The album also featured a variety of sounds and influences and, most notably, the delicately arranged and ethereal hit, “Never My Love,” which became the second-most played song on radio and television in the 20th century, according to Broadcast Music, Inc.

The band dissolved over the ‘70s before reforming in variations over time for select events and, later, touring in oldies package tours like the “Happy Together Tour” in the early ‘80s, that continues to this day. They were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003 and the Pop Music Hall of Fame in 2016.

The Association plays the Ludlow Garage at 8:30 p.m. July 14. Info: ludlowgaragecincinnati.com. (Brent Stroud)

Post Malone

PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER

The Association PHOTO: PUBLIC DOMAIN

CROSSWORD

Across

CORONATION DAY

BY BRENDAN EMMETT QUIGLEY WWW.BRENDANEMMETTQUIGLEY.COM

1.  Does an encore showing

7.  Christmas symbol

10. Scatting syllables

13. “Unlock the door!”

14. With it

15. Thinking of Mother Earth

16. Check to see if deposits go through?

18. Gun collectors?: Abbr.

19. Big dog at the office

20. Call to action

21. Snotty retort

23. Philosophy of the Washington Post?

27. One for the road

28. Increase at the gym

29. ‘Enough of that jibber jabber”

32. One for the road

35. “Hadn’t considered that”

38. Driver’s Ed class about stopping?

42. Buffoon

43. Hamad International Airport city

44. Slowly, in music

45. With the bow, in music

48. Beauty line owned by McEvoy Ranch

49. How some teachers earn more money?

55. Rather mean

56. Magnum ___

57. Record label that released the first 45 single 60. Sought election

61. Game about doing valet work?

65. “Lucky Hank” network 66. Drop trou 67. Mid-day tryst 68. Tach. measurement

2.  Sports equipment that comes with a bell

3.  “The Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs” author

4.  Giant takeaway: Abbr.

5.  Spicy application

6.  James of “The Blacklist”

7.  Religious belief

8.  Maid employer

9.  Saskatchewan’s capital

10. Getting a little bit closer

11. Follow, as an impulse

12. Sound heard twice in the phrase “gentle giant”

14. “Who’s Line Is It Anyway?” bit

17. Neither partner

22. Activity that requires a pass

24. Berry in

31. Feels in one’s bones

32. Marzo is a part of it

33. “This CAN’T be happening”

34. Scheduling placeholder

36. Otolaryngology specialist

37. Freudian topic

39. Bey, to the BeyHive

40. Trader Joe’s rival

41. Really into

46. Fish eggs

47. Ionic ___

48. Skater Baiul

49. “Leave me alone!”

50. Runner’s problem

51. It might remove the wrinkles

52. Over

53. “Howzit goin’?”

54. :) :) :)

58. “Your guide to a better future” website

59. City in India’s Golden Triangle

1.  Duke recruiter, for short

62. Hawaiian paste

63. Mythical flyer

64. “Rock and Roll, Hoochie ___” (1974 hit)

LAST PUZZLE’S ANSWERS:

Bertha G.

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