Good bars in Cleveland

While there is no shortage of made-up holidays throughout the given year, today is National Martini Day — a perfectly good excuse for revisiting a classic cocktail that never goes out of style.

Let's be real, Cleveland: We're not all Don Draper. But today, we can profess ourselves as the devout martini connoisseur that he is and tipple one (or two) with the panache of some Mad Men fantasy.

Ah, but where to celebrate such a day?

Cleveland.com has a quick-and-dirty martini (see what we did there?) list that will help you get in the swing of things. Whether you like 'em fancy or no-frills, there's a watering hole on this list that's for you.

Clifton Martini and Wine Bar (10427 Clifton Blvd., Cleveland; 216-965-0221, You want it Old School? Clifton is a good place to start. You can build a really good gin or vodka martini from their menu; they'll dirty it up with olive juice upon request. And you can upgrade their Clifton or Classic Martini for a buck. Although, for our taste, the Boodles London Dry Gin is pretty satisfying as a base. They also offer a wide range of sweet martini/cosmopolitans and have a "seasonal" martini menu that changes every few months. We could rave about their Negronis, but that's best for another column.

Fairmount Martini and Wine Bar (2448 Fairmount Blvd., Cleveland Heights; 216-229-9463, On a boozy "holiday" like this, you can go Old School or New School with your choice of martini. At Fairmount, you can do both. The Cleveland Heights hotspot has a couple of martinis well worth checking out: Their Pickled Cocktail is a variation on the martini, made with homemade pickle brine, muddled pickled peppers, cucumber and dill. Or you can take a swing at the John Daly (named for a certain pro golfer, natch) which is the kind of martini you'd want to lean against your golfbag with: house-infused black tea vodka (!!) and homemade lemonade.

Prosperity Social Club (1109 Starkweather Ave., Cleveland; 216-937-1938, Prosperity does many things well, and their martini aesthetic is no exception. They have a couple delectable martinis on the menu to choose from: The Almost Traditional (which features Hendrick's gin, vermouth, lemon) and The Good Samaritan (Ketel One vodka with blue cheese-stuffed olives). For a frillier, sweeter spin, their French 75 (Courvoisier cognac, Cointreau, champagne and lemon with a simple syrup) is also worthy of the day. It's pretty far removed from a proper martini, but as one of their "Prosper-tinis, " it's a martini for people who don't usually like them.

Wonder Bar (2044 E. Fourth St., Cleveland; 216-298-4050, If you like a trendy spin on traditional Martinis, this East Fourth watering hole has it going on. The Sparkling Gin martini is as close to traditional as you can get here without specifically asking for one. With a Bombay Sapphire gin, St. Germain (a deft elderflower liquor) and soda, it's got a lighter, perfumed touch. Their Made Martini, with a base of Maker's Mark and Triple Sec, certainly turns the aesthetic on its ear. For our cash, a Maker's neat is every bit as good, but with a half-dozen craft martinis on the menu, you can certainly pick your poison.

Velvet Tango Room (2095 Columbus Rd., Cleveland; 216-241-8869, Need we revisit the brilliance of VTR or all of the national kudos it (and owner Paulius Nasvytis) has received since opening in 1996? Probably not, especially as it relates to being the gold-standard for hand-crafted cocktails. If you fancy yourself the James Bond type, the Don Draper type, or just the Joe Average type, roll on in and ask for a martini (or just about any other libation) here. You'll walk away thinking there should be a National Velvet Tango Room Day.