PERFECT FOR

Sampling forgotten classics or catching a live music performance

START WITH

The daiquiri, nicely balanced and just 10 bucks during happy hour

Walking into Lemon feels like the start of a great night. That’s especially true if you arrive between 4 and 6 p.m. for happy hour and can order $10 Bounty rum daiquiris and $7 mixed drinks. But really, at any hour Lemon, run by a crew of longtime bartenders that includes beverage directors Jeremy Barrett and Zak McMahon, captures what today’s drinkers want. The well-curated menu of classic cocktails includes both crowd favorites like Palomas and Sazeracs and lesser-knowns like a sherry-and-vermouth-based Bamboo or an Absinthe Suissesse, a New Orleans concoction that’s hard to find even in New Orleans. There’s a stage in back, so you might catch a show, but if not, you’ll find a low-key crowd of neighborhood locals and industry folks. When you really want to get your night started, order the Stanky Life, a High Life paired with the bittersweet mint-coffee house shot. 1600 W. Grand Ave.