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Attitude-free cheap vodka cocktails, served up on Thursdays.

Monday Nov 13, 2006.     By Erin Brereton

Lifestyle Feed

As adults, we may no longer think that we are what we eat (at least, I can't really identify with the mac and cheese I had for dinner—but I did enjoy it). However, we sure think we are where we drink.

I'm talking about bar identity: where you go most often, where you tell people you go most often, and where you secretly enjoy but wouldn't admit you go.

Like TV, the bar world is full of guilty pleasures. Places you've been by accident you'd like to go back to. Places you secretly want to check out. And places you make fun of when you drive by with your friends because you consider yourself WAY too cool to ever go in (although in reality, you've probably all been there at least once, and most likely together).

I had placed Cans Bar & Canteen, 1640 N. Damen Ave., in that category. And to be fair, I still don't get the appeal of serving more than 30 varieties of canned beer. Beer in cans is bad. My one previous trip there had done little to change my mind. It was a Saturday night, and so packed I could barely see my way to the bar (which is, um, sort of the point of being at a bar). And when a girl walked in wearing a blazer with nothing but a bra underneath I thought, "This place? Maybe not for me."

But when I found myself back there two weeks ago, I have to say, I do believe I may have judged Cans unfairly. Yes, I still don't get the cans bit. And I didn't order one. But going on a weeknight undoubtedly brought a different crowd.

It also brought drink specials. Cans has deals most nights (though, sadly, one night involves, you guessed it, cheap cans.). On Thursday nights, Cans pours $4 Svedka Vodka cocktails (note: you need to ask for it by name or you won't get the deal) and $6 you call-it-martinis. And after the week I'd had, I called it...and called it again. Why not when you can spend less than a $20 for a whole lot of liquor?

I had a vodka martini with a twist of lemon and then asked the bartender to make me something like a cosmo, but not a cosmo for the next one. She whipped up a cocktail with raspberry liquor and vodka that was delish. Tasty, and no aluminum to be found—a win!

When it wasn't packed, Cans looked—well—inhabitable. The interior was just dark enough. There were plenty of seats. The after-work Thursday night crowd was chatting, drinking.

Cans has quiet patrons? Cans serves food? (Apparently—Monday is 35-cent wing night, if wings is your thing.) I guess I've been a bar snob. And coming from someone who regularly drinks as much $3 Trader Joe's wine as I do, that is a ridiculous amount of conceit.

Want to test out the weeknight Cans crowd? Visit www.cansbar.com/chicago for more details.

Erin Brereton is our resident urban cowgirl on a bi-weekly search for life on the cheap. If you know of the mythic happy hour that she missed, do clue her in.