Highbrow cocktail parlors can make me feel uncouth (I’m sorry, can you tell me what Combier Mûre is?). But at Scofflaw, with its novice-friendly drink list (complete with illustrations and a glossary), palatable prices (all signature cocktails are $8, and small plates are $4 to $8), and service sweeter than Combier Mûre (a French blackberry liqueur that tastes mighty fine with North Shore #11 gin and lemon in the Basil Bramble), I felt as though I’d strolled into my neighborhood watering hole. “Mixology is just a different approach to bartending,” says Scofflaw partner Danny Shapiro (The Whistler). “People want to differentiate between slinging shots at a sports bar and someone mixing cocktails. But I think there should be no hierarchy.” And with that, my woes melted quicker than the banana-flavored ice in my Lonesome Hero. 3201 W. Armitage Ave.; 773-252-9700.

Photograph: Anna Knott