Best rock club without whisky shots

With a bowling alley on the other side of the room and a fabulously eclectic booking policy, the Milky Way has been a cherished addition to the local scene since it opened almost two years ago -- so it seems like nitpicking to complain that you can't order a Jim Beam at the bar. But throwing back shots right before your favorite band goes on is as hallowed an indie-rock tradition as ringing ears and leather jackets, and for now the club's partial liquor license limits patrons to beer, wine, and cordials. Help might be on the way: when we called recently, the bar manager said the club was looking to purchase a full liquor license "in the near future." Until then, the bartenders will continue to make creative use of their extensive arsenal of cordials (Southern Comfort, Kahlúa, etc.) in a colorful menu of faux cocktails that's nothing to laugh at. And if you're lucky, as we were at the super-hip Le Tigre show in April, there just might be a few oversized, bowling-pin-shaped Budweiser bottles lying around, too.

Milky Way Lounge & Lanes, 403 Centre Street, Jamaica Plain, (617) 524-3740.