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Full Circle Bar
318 Grand St., 347-725-5488, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Time for a little math lesson, Bar of the Week style. If 9 x 40 = 360, and 360 degrees make a circle, then what Williamsburg bar can you count on for your Skee-Ball league and craft-beer-in-a-can needs? Named after the best risk vs. reward bet in Skee-Ball (sink all nine balls in the 40 hole), Full Circle Bar fills a void in our lives we didn't realize existed: a national home for Brewskee Ball (i.e., competitive bar Skee-Ball). Anyone who has unintentionally fist pumped or raised the roof post-Skee-Ball-game is ready to take it to the next level by joining the league at Full Circle. With two similarly afflicted friends and a puntastic team name (music-related names seem popular: Notorious B.I.Skee, Flock of Skeegulls, Beaskee Boys), the Brewskee Ball National Championship title is within your reach. Those who are worried about developing uneven biceps can work out their livers instead at the yellow-edged bar made to look like a Skee-Ball lane. Canned craft beers like Sly Fox Pikeland Pils ($5) and Dale's Pale Ale ($5) are served from ice-filled coolers behind the bar, and on tap you'll find Full Circle Wheat ($5) and Sixpoint Sweet Action ($6).

Rye House
11 W. 17th St., 212-255-7260, Flatiron District, Manhattan
Rye House, Flatiron's newest gastropub, makes it easy to paint the town red, white and blue, with its American-centric spirits and elevated pub fare. But don't expect any primary colors to grace this bar's interior. A subdued color palette, reclaimed wood and a sleek granite bar with an 1870s liquor shelf as its centerpiece give Rye House a modern-rustic feel. In name, it celebrates the stuff George Washington himself distilled at Mount Vernon (does it get any more American?). Sample one of 16 rye whiskeys like Old Portero 19th Century ($18) and High West 21-year ($35), or take the cocktail route with the Orange Blossom Special ($12), a blend of rye, lemon, orange flower water, egg white and soda. If what was good enough for GW isn't good enough for you, try one of the many American bourbons or vodkas on offer, or mix things up completely with the New Orleans–inspired Creole Daiquiri ($13), combining chorizo-infused mezcal and pomegranate molasses. Various regions across the United States and our mishmash of cultures also play muse on the food menu, from the Pittsburgh sandwich (andouille sausage, coleslaw and fries on perfectly toasted bread; $10) to pork belly and gouda empanadas ($12) to Buffalo-style sweetbreads (served with blue cheese and celery, of course; $12). For dessert, in lieu of apple pie, try the Appleseed Cobbler ($12)—bourbon, applejack, cinnamon bark syrup and bits of apple over crushed ice—a sort of 21+ slushie.

Minor Arcana
706 Washington Ave., 718-399-7722, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn
For Jesse Levitt, the glass isn't just half full—it's half full of beer. After a Coney Island tarot-card reading that foretold the ill fate of his newest venture, Levitt decided, if you can't fight the cards, join 'em. And so what was to be Flying Monkeys became Prospect Heights' new Minor Arcana, named after the cards in the tarot governing our everyday lives. Like Levitt's other bar, Bushwick local Kings County, Minor Arcana isn't as much about going full-gimmick as it is about giving the neighborhood a place to get together. Miniature antique furniture makes you feel a little like Alice after a taste of the "Eat Me" cake, while framed freak-show posters and a colorful display of tarot cards under the glass case–topped bar add to the subtle carnival feel. Nothing's over the top, though, and exposed brick and walls painted a serious blue-gray help keep it that way. Fans of Belgian-style beers can enjoy an Ommegang Rare Vos ($7), and the PBR set will expand their horizons with a can of Genesse Cream Ale ($2). Happy hour from 4 to 8pm gives you $1–$2 off drinks and a better chance of chatting up friendly bartenders.

Union Square Lounge
30 E. 16th St., 212-645-1802, Union Square, Manhattan
With the apocalyptic announcement of a T.G.I. Friday's–to–be in Union Square, our favorite organic produce/skater/political zealot–filled spot in the City is seeming more and more like the un-missed strip malls of our youth. But before the mudslide mania begins, promoter Michael Gogel and his latest project, the subterranean Union Square Lounge, hope to revive the lost art of nightlife in Union Square. Connected to scene-y mainstay Coffee Shop, USL is underground in more ways than one. It's been the laid-back hang for those in the know since 2001, but is now open to all you unwashed masses. We're guessing that Gogel, formerly of Lotus and Merkato 55, will attract a mostly pretty-people crowd, but don't expect trouble at the door whether you're making it a sweatpants or no-pants night. Lined with cushy velour couches, the space boasts a handsome wall made entirely of carved wood and a fireplace embedded at eye level. Leather ottomans complete the lounge-y feel, but can be pushed aside for when the hand-picked DJs turn you into a rumpshaker. With turntables that have already seen the likes of model Jamie Burke and Beatrice Inn's Todd Smolar, the music will run the gamut from Elvis to the Ting Tings to DJ Jazzy Jeff. The entire Coffee Shop menu is on offer, even after last call, making USL your go-to spot to pre-game before perusing the aisles at the just-opened, 24-hour Best Buy (sigh).

Doghouse Saloon
152 Orchard St., 646-429-8780, Lower East Side, Manhattan
Any Annex/Ruff Club/hipster-haters out there may want to take a minute to eat your words. Beyond the stately doors and glossy-bricked facade that once housed gyrating eye candy decked out in fuschia spandex, you'll now find the stuff of frat-boy wet dreams. The first sign that the Doghouse Saloon brings something new to the LES is its, um, sign. Featuring a middle-age office worker in a doghouse upon which a buxom blonde is chillaxing, it serves as a beacon to any Brother Jimmy's patrons who are taking the night off to slum it on the LES. Sure, now you're nostalgic for the days of shoulder-to-shoulder American Apparel ad fodder, but if eating words isn't your style, the Doghouse has hot dogs in abundance and they come gratis with any drink. For those in the business of free, happy hour (4–8pm) not only snags you the hot dog, but $1 off drinks and a chance to spin the Wheel of Shot (Buttery Nipple, anyone?). After a few beer-shot combos, you'll want to pass on the pool and Skee-Ball for the most rarified of ancient Greek games—beer pong. It's a bit hush-hush, but ask at the bar, and you shall receive. If your eyes need rest from focusing on those elusive plastic cups, 10 TVs playing non-stop sporty delights await. Various theme nights with Guitar Hero, margaritas and bikini-clad girls bouncing on trampolines ensure that even Moby will probably end up making the Doghouse a late-night haunt after closing up shop at Teany.

For more nightlife coverage, visit Papermag.com.