This Andersonville bar is know for multi-course dinners paired elegantly with wine or unique cocktails. Its happy hour starts at 5 p.m. with deals on bubbly, cocktail shrimp, and oysters.

Chicago’s only true sober bar is also LGBTQ welcoming with plenty of daily events including drag bingo and trivia. The bar, which specializes in tea, doesn’t offer happy hour specials, but for those who want to gather without booze, Eli Tea provides a tranquil space without judgments.

Nobody’s Darling has been a revelation since opening, bringing tons of energy to an otherwise quiet stretch of residential Andersonville. The bar’s owners are both Black and LGBTQ, and those qualities are reflected in how the tavern is operated (a drink menu launched in June is dedicated to Pride with themed names like All About Love; the bar also held a festive Juneteenth celebration). While this bar isn’t located near downtown, it’s the type of bar that workers living far away have turned into a destination. And that vibe is more important than any drink special, thus making it a great choice for happy hour.

Mother’s Ruin is the Chicago port of a popular N.Y. bar and so far it’s delivered the goods in making this classy dive feel like a welcoming bar run by locals while adapting the best practices of the original. There are daily food and drink specials (the food menu is criminally underrated with tasty burgers and fried chicken sandwiches). The danger here is coming for happy hour and feeling so great that you let your hair down and stay longer than anticipated. It might be a slow morning tomorrow.

This Lincoln Park wine bar thrives thanks to the after-theater crowd (the Steppenwolf is down the street), plus after-dinner groups thanks to the myriad of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises’ restaurants in the area. It recently underwent a large expansion which makes it more comfortable when some of the world’s best wine producers show up to show off their brands for happy hour. Check the bar’s social media for the latest. This bar is great for folks who don’t mind learning something during happy hour.

One of the city’s best bars is tucked behind Rush and Division and Mariano Park. For drinkers fed up with those shenanigans, Sparrow is a moody spot patterned off of Havana’s rum bars. Find draft beer and wine specials Wednesday through Friday.

This Heisler bar features a feint nautical theme with sharable drinks in tribute to the British navy. For its happy hour, find specials on Sunday and Monday on oysters and martinis.

Luxbar, the Gold Coast bar from Gibsons, offers a variety of food and drink specials on a regular basis. Find specials on wine, beer, and food. The popular Luxburger is often on special.

In West Town, this cute wine shop and restaurant is perfect for those who want a glass of natural wine and to bring a few provisions for home enjoyment. The staff is most knowledgeable and friendly, and this is the type of venue where patrons can start early and make lunchtime happy hour time.

Tanta, the Peruvian mini chain, has weekday food and drink specials that change out regularly starting at 5 p.m. each days. These specials are restricted to the bar. Check social media for more information. This happy hour is boosted because the restaurant also has a rooftop.

Bub City’s focus is on barbecue and bourbon — though management has recently revealed a love for malört. The restaurant, owned by Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, has a county music feel dropped into the middle of River North. Find specials on burgers, beer, and cocktails on weekdays starting at 5 p.m.

From the owners of Beatnik and Michelin-starred Porto, this natural wine bar features views of the Chicago River. It’s a narrow space perfect for groups and dates. GoodFunk offers food and specials on bottles of wine on weekdays from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

This bar is styled like a dive giving patrons along trendy Randolph Street a more casual breed of tavern that specializes in cocktails and beers from Three Floyds Brewing. The food comes from Claudio Velez, Chicago’s legendary Tamale Guy. Find daily cocktail, shot and beer, and other specials on late weekday afternoons with the exception of Friday when the specials start late morning.

This is a modern slashie, a hybrid liquor store and bar with some creative wine selections from superstar sommelier Derrick Westbrook and company. The bar doesn’t have regularly scheduled happy hours — customers will have to check the bar’s Instagram account. But when they announce their specials, often in conjunction with an event, it’s wise to mark those calendars and expect a fun time with discounts on cocktails and glasses of wine.

Inside the Board of Trade building, Ceres Cafe carries a reputation for serving some of the city’s most powerful. It’s open for breakfast in the morning, which is a blessing or a curse. There are weekday specials, but a can of coke and glass of rum might be the most special drink offered at a Chicago bar.

This South Loop bar attracts Columbia students and professional alike. It’s divided into two space with the cocktail speakeasy in back. Look for $5 select drinks daily from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.