Get as much sunshine as you can this summer.
Take advantage of Battle Creek’s social district to take your happy hour outside. It works like this: Go to one of the following venues, order a drink in a to-go cup with the State Street Commons logo and take it outside. The district is marked by signs throughout downtown.
Sit by the river. Wander around Michigan Avenue. Get an Instagram pic in front of a mural. Find a bench under a tree. Take it to the farmers market. Sip during a concert at Friendship Park. Hang out in the fresh air while waiting for a restaurant table to open.
Your choices for libations include the following:
These baristas bring the same attention to detail they have for their lattes to a cocktail. Try a classic, such as the old fashioned or the Bloody Maria. Or jazz up your cocktail with coffee, like the Cafe Rican which has Noire rum, peach bitters, simple syrup and iced cold brew. 
And while it’s not to-go, we can’t talk happy hour and not mention Cafe Rica’s cocktail flights. Bring some friends and choose between margaritas, mojitos, mimosas, old fashioneds and wine.
Cricket Club If you don’t need to look at a menu because you know exactly what kind of cocktail you want, then challenge the bartenders at Cricket Club. Besides mixology, the bar also has a wide selection of draft beer, with 40 varieties on tap.
An Irish-inspired pub is a no-brainer if you love Guinness, but Griffin has a versatile bar with 34 beers on tap. Check out the draft specials. The mules are especially popular. They have 12 varieties, including the dragon mule and the mango mule.
At Handmap, you know exactly where your beer comes from — take a look through the window into the brewery. The Rye of Sunshine IPA is a good place to start, or get a taste of Battle Creek with the cereal-infused Two Can.
This upscale restaurant made its name with truly genuine, locally sourced food. Their wine dinners can be sellouts. But did you know they also have a rocking cocktail list? They’re the kind of drinks that you’ll want to sip and savor in the evening. Maybe at one of downtown Battle Creek’s outdoor summer concerts.
Smooth and sophisticated, New Holland Brewing goes down easy. Try the flagship IPA Tangerine Space Machine, perfect for summer. There is more than beer to imbibe, with cocktails made from spirits distilled on site.
Clara’s does have nice outdoor seating on the garden patio, if you’re in the mood for food. But they also have the perfect summer drink to pair with downtown festivals. The Gilligan’s Island has coconut rum, melon liqueur, Captain Morgan’s, creme de banana, amaretto, orange juice and pineapple juice, then it’s finished with a little bit of sweet and sour mix and grenadine.
