242 NIGHTLIFE BEST MARTINI HANNY’S 40 N. FIRST ST. 602-252-2285 HANNYS.NET You deserve a nightcap at Hanny’s, the 1940s department-store-turned-restaurant and bar known for its midcentury elegance and eccentric decor — we’re talking about mirror-maze upstairs bathrooms and a creepy basement doll convention. It’s a superlative backdrop to sip something refined. The selection of martinis here proudly take the top spot, literally, on their cocktail menu. Indulge in a variation if you must, but the classic is truly where it’s at: Prairie Organic gin, a hint of vermouth and a twist (or, better yet, two blue cheese olives), stirred and delivered with flecks of ice still dancing across the rim. In this economy $10 rarely buys such elegance. A cocktail this good, and with alcohol content approaching 100%, you can’t help feeling even more refined. As Hemingway said, the first sip will make you feel civilized. The sips after that … well, you might just start chatting up those hard-staring basement dolls. i i i BEST BOUGIE HAPPY HOUR JADE BAR SANCTUARY CAMELBACK MOUNTAIN 5700 E. MCDONALD DRIVE, PARADISE VAL- LEY 866-241-5059 SANCTUARYAZ.COM/DINING/JADE-BAR In a young town like Phoenix, diners and drinkers obsessively hunt for what’s new. Don’t let that impulse lead you to overlook Jade Bar, the luxe lounge inside Sanctuary Camelback Mountain. The Valley’s OG craft cocktail bar boasts inventive tipples and an extraordinary vantage from its perch at the base of Phoenix’s most famous piece of sand- stone. This bar could exude exclusivity. Instead, a daily happy hour (from 3 to 6 p.m.) at the walk-in-friendly lounge makes it easy to feel like a baller on a budget. Visiting during this time will save you more than a few bucks on cocktails, beer, wine and bar bites prepared next door at Sanctuary’s lauded restaurant, Elements. Snag a club chair near the windows and order a tropical Lilikoi Mai Tai and spicy yellowtail rolls. As the sun dyes the sky cotton candy pink, take a deep breath, sip your drink and enjoy the view of those gorgeous mountain crags. BEST PLACE TO SPLIT THE G CORNISH PASTY CO. 7 W. MONROE ST. 602-374-8500 425 S. MILL AVE., #11, TEMPE 480-284-5442 AND OTHER VALLEY LOCATIONS CORNISHPASTYCO.COM The dim lights of your closest Cornish Pasty are your cue to escape the desert for a Dublin-esque Guinness on draft. Your beer arrives in a frosted, classic Guinness glass, possibly with that delightful toucan logo. Once you and your pals have your pints, you are contractually obligated to try to split the G. To do so, take one first gulp precisely large enough to drop the liquid line down to cut through the first letter of the word “Guin- ness.” Nail this silly human trick at Cornish and you may almost believe you and your mates are enjoying overcast sweater weather on the other side of the pond. i i i BEST SPORTS BAR BACKYARD 21001 N. TATUM BLVD., #14 480-585-5900 1975 E. WILLIAMS FIELD ROAD, GILBERT 480-428-8444 BACKYARDUSA.COM A proper sports bar gives you at least a tickle of the sensory overload you’d get at the stadium. Knowing this, Backyard wallops you with arena-level sound, 100-plus feet of LED screens and 40 beers on tap. So what if the Cowboys beat the Cards by three touchdowns? Who cares if the Diamondbacks miss the playoffs by, like, two boneheaded errors? Rolling up to this north Phoenix or Gilbert sports bar beats the price of parking at a Suns game. Enjoy your tailgate tray — potato skins, onion rings, ribs and chicken wings — and fool your brain into thinking you’re at the park, sans the gridlock traffic afterward.