Now, time for something different: a sober bar. Eli Tea started in the Detroit suburbs before opening a second location in Andersonville. The tea drinks are impressive: there are concoctions not seen anywhere else in town, such as a smoky lapsang souchong with white chocolate. There’s a selection of boba drinks also. The space is fun — there’s regular entertainment, including drag queen bingo — to give those who don’t want booze a lively location to grab a drink.

With a focus on community building and inclusivity, this Andersonville queer bar mixes old-school Chicago tavern charm with modern comfort. “The Pink Kitty” (Hendrick’s Gin, aperol, grapefruit, sparkling wine) is an example of the drink menu’s “classic cocktails, elevated” creed. The bar was recently named a James Beard Award semifinalist for best bar program.

The Tap Room inside the new brewery and taproom Cultivate by Forbidden Root is a beer geek’s dream, stocked with a rotating assortment of hard-to-find beers from other breweries from Chicago and elsewhere, all on tap. There are cans available as well, plus bar snacks and a brief selection of cocktails, shots, and ciders.

On the city’s Northwest Side in Portage Park, Moonflower is a plant-themed bar with high-powered drinks featuring unusual ingredients like matcha and Korean soda. These drinks are also available to go, and there’s a small pub menu with snack and appetizers. Nightshade, a second, more experimental lounge, is scheduled to open in the basement in June.

This eagerly anticipated bar opened in early March in Logan Square. It’s a spinoff of a well-regarded New York hotspot, a hybrid cocktail lounge and dive bar that offers a little bit of something for everyone. Boozy slushies are on tap as well as a fun mix of classic drinks with modern twists. Food, sandwiches, and waffle fries, are also available.

Enter off Clark Street to venture into the bar side of this fine dining operations from Jenner Tomaska, a former executive chef at Next, and his wife, Katrina Bravo. Esme’s bartenders mix bespoke cocktails and have a variety of spirits to pick from — just strike up a conversation with a bartender. Customers can also find top-notch eats, including a giant Cheeto that is pretty much the ultimate in bar food.

This new two-story bar in Lincoln Park from the team behind AJ Hudson’s and the Dandy Crown is two drinking establishments in one: the Albion Manor, an English-style football pub with beer and snacks on the ground floor, and the Parlour, an elegant cocktail lounge upstairs.

Adalina has been a hit in Gold Coast: chef Soo Ahn dazzles with a creative Italian-American menu that’s kept the second-floor dining room filled during the pandemic. The owners also inherited a downstairs lounge, and they’ve made the space their own thanks to beverage director Aaron Pollack. Rose Lounge is dimly lit with room for 50. True to theme, some drinks come with fancy block ice carved into roses. Reservations are available via OpenTable.

Taking over a long dormant River North space, the Marvel brings a unique take on nightlife that’s part lounge, part music and art space, with a kitchen. There’s a tidy drink list with something for everyone, plus a robust events calendar. The Marvel is spiritually miles away from the tourist-heavy bars on Hubbard Street giving folks a fun alternative to the usual.

Kumiko, the West Loop’s Japanese-inspired cocktail bar, is known for having one of the most thoughtful drink menus in the city; each concoction incorporates a carefully balanced mix of spirits, including a deep bench of Japanese whiskies. Those who don’t imbibe alcohol have plenty of options as well, as the menu offers a variety of booze-free drinks made with top-flight teas. Creative director and partner Julia Momosé’s book The Way of the Cocktail was recently nominated for a James Beard Award.

The owners of Porto and Beatnik have revamped their Loop wine bar along the river to focus on natural wines. It’s the same cozy and intimate space ideal for happy hours or after-work dates, but a refined menu with small bites.

Operated in conjunction with the esteemed steakhouse Gibsons, José Andrés’s new happy hour-friendly bar with a raw bar and high ceilings has expansive views of the Chicago River. The space, within a new Loop skyscraper that houses Bank of America’s local headquarters, was one of 2021’s most impressive openings in terms of scale and construction costs. The drink menu includes a caipirinha that’s frozen with liquid nitrogen and a presentation that will make you the envy of the room.

This new spot from the owner of Heritage bicycles and Larry’s in Uptown promises a more low-key experience than the average West Loop bar. Choose from a selection of specialty and classic cocktails with unique ingredients like cream cheese and popcorn-infused tequila while munching on selection of Mexican dips and burritos from the owner of Antique Taco. There are plenty of TVs tuned to sports inside and a dog-friendly patio outside.

Osito’s, which opened in 2019, is prepared for the rain and cold with a tent and heaters for outdoor service. Find an array of Mexican liquors like mezcal and tequila, and a great selection of beer; growlers and cocktails are available to-go. Osito’s also sells food, including tacos. Reservations via OpenTable.