From the outside, Square 1682 might not be the obvious choice for a casual drink, but the interior tells a different story. Behind the imposing baroque facade of Rittenhouse’s Hotel Palomar, past the revolving doors spun by a stream of uniformed valets and well-dressed business travelers, is a relaxed, welcoming bar and lounge.

Happy hours abound. Specials are featured every weekday from 5–7 PM (a $7 cocktail, $5 wines, half-priced bar bites), on Sunday–Thursday evenings from 10 PM–midnight ($7 cocktail, $6 bubbly, $3 beer and half-priced apps) and on Sundays from 3–6 PM ($5 Bloody Marys), and all are worth a step inside.

The dark and sultry room is dotted with colorful local art and staffed with friendly servers, who are full of suggestions from the bar’s just-introduced wellness program. A new menu is full of cocktails made with natural sweeteners – like agave nectar or maple syrup – instead of the refined white sugar syrup that is a staple in many mixed drinks. This not only makes your happy hour quaff healthier, but also adds new and interesting flavors to each sip.

For example, the Tobago Swizzle uses unfiltered apple juice to sweeten the floral bite that the mix of Ten Cane rum, Velvet Falernum, lime juice and ginger beer brings to the palate. Coconut sugar is the honeying agent in the Blue Sage, where it melds with muddled blueberries and fresh sage to soften lime-spiked Herradura tequila. Bliss lives up to its name with its simple, perfect combination of Bluecoat gin, St. Germain elderflower liquer and a squeeze of lemon.

Why the effort to make cocktails that are better for you? Square 1682 chef Guillermo Tellez is a veteran of the restaurant game, working under Chicago pioneer Charlie Trotter for nearly 20 years and then helming Stephen Starr’s acclaimed Striped Bass in this city. After more than two decades of off-hour and late-night eating and drinking, he recently went on a wellness push, losing 40 lbs. over just a few months.

Chef Tellez challenged his bartenders to come up with a selection of cocktails that followed his newly-found healthy mantra, and they obliged with an impressive list. To accompany the sips, try an overflowing basket of truffled popcorn, or the pickled vegetable plate – a share-ready tray holding four jars of housebrined veggies, lightly-dressed frisee, dried fruits and piquant goat cheese (“It’s really a make-your-own-salad-plate,” says Tellez).

Rounding out the beverages are an impressive wine list and a solid collection of local and imported craft brews, all more reason to take the plunge past the striking gold entrance and enjoy the fun inside.

Photos by Danya Henninger