Summertime drinking should be about ease, which is exactly why Sportsman’s Club in Humboldt Park is my preferred spot for an alfresco hang. Not a single thing about this bar is fussy, from the long wooden picnic tables to the crushable cocktails that rotate daily. (Who doesn’t want to sip a watermelon and gin drink on a hot day?) Dogs are allowed, and it’s easy for groups to congregate since everyone orders at the bar (no tabs to split!). On Sundays, top restaurants like Le Bouchon and Birrieria Zaragoza come by to host cookouts. Summertime Sportsman’s is like the world’s greatest backyard barbecue. 948 N. Western Ave. drinkingandgathering.com