Nightlife in Cincinnati is being revitalized by DJ Boywife (among others, of course), who embodies club glamour and brings a fresh dose of club culture to the Queen City. Growing up in a small town in northern Ohio, DJ Boywife cites discovering the music of queer pop icon SOPHIE as an “epiphany” moment that inspired him to get into music. The DJ’s near-nightly appearances at popular nightclubs and venues such as Alice, Mecca OTR and DSGN CLLCTV have skyrocketed the Ohio native to local fame. “There’s just something about making good times for people and making memories for other people,” DJ Boywife told CityBeat in a previous interview.
Music & Nightlife
Here are the 2025 Best Of Cincinnati® Reader and Staff Pick winners for Music & Nightlife.
- The Belle & The Bear
- MVP Sports Bar & Grille
- The Monkey Bar & Grille
- Ludlow Garage
- Northside Yacht Club
- The Comet
- Ghost Baby
- Somerset
- Queen City Exchange
- Little Miami Brewing
- Oakley Pub
- Mount Lookout Tavern
- Southgate House Revival
- Old Kentucky Bourbon Bar
- Mansion Hill Tavern
- Juniper’s
- Second Story
- Jerry's Jug House
- Rosie’s Tavern
- The B-List
- Covington Yard
- Smoke Justis
- Knotty Pine Rock Club & Tiki Bar
- West Side Brewing
- Blue Note Harrison
- The Belle & The Bear
- Southgate House Revival
- MOTR Pub
- Ghost Baby
- Juniper’s
- Northside Tavern
- Arnold's Bar & Grill
- Dead Low Brewing
- Urban Artifact
- Northside Yacht Club
- Bogart's
- Ludlow Garage
- Southgate House Revival
- The Belle and The Bear
- Queen City Exchange
- MixWells
- Cat Middendorf (Queen City Exchange)
- Ceris Christopher (The Belle & the Bear)
- Adrienne Curry-Zeigler (Revel OTR)
- Queen City Exchange
- The Belle and The Bear
- Higher Gravity
- Queen City Exchange
- The Belle & The Bear
- Yardhouse
- Crafts & Vines
- Higher Gravity
- Hoppin' Vines
- Rhinehaus
- Dead Low Brewing
- Sons of Toil Brewing
- Somerset
- Northside Yacht Club
- The Eagle
- The Belle and The Bear
- Juniper’s
- Nation Kitchen & Bar
- Dead Low Brewing TIE HangOverEasy
- Crazy Fox Saloon
- Taste of Belgium
- Maplewood Kitchen and Bar
- Coppin’s at Hotel Covington
- Old Kentucky Bourbon Bar
- Wiseguy Lounge
- Japp's
- Old Kentucky Bourbon Bar
- Queen City Exchange
- Wiseguy Lounge
- The Party Source
- Jungle Jim's International Market
- Revival Vintage Spirits
Sway (Madtree)
RGBevs (Rhinegeist)
Blackberry Breeze (FigLeaf Brewing)
RGBevs (Rhinegeist)
Blackberry Breeze (FigLeaf Brewing)
Holiday Liquor Bar offers drinks like Malört and food like hot dogs. In a separate area next to the bar is the fun center, featuring pool tables and Skee-Ball. But in the bar area lies possibly Cincinnati’s only Zoltar machine. If you recall, in the movie Big, Tom Hanks wishes on a Zoltar machine to be a 30-year-old man, and his wish comes true. Instead of making wishes come true, the machine spouts out a horoscope-like card predicting your future. Take the master’s wisdom to heart. holidayliquorbar.com.