They treat us like little stars upon arrival. Maybe it's the big, black car. But the velvet-glove treatment at Doku 15 (8 Colborne Street) is palpably over when the true VIPs pull up. Nonetheless, this hotel lounge is a truly sweet concept: take a cool spot, add a wildly hip deejay and a topflight crowd, then throw an excellent cocktail lineup into the mix - and voilà: a busy boy's den of fun that challenges to keep us here longer than we can afford. The bartenders who work the bar at Doku 15 have taken the time to get to know the cocktail menu and they're familiar with the arsenal of fresh goods needed to concoct that little drink of yours.

Next up - and we have to hurry as we have a plane to catch - is Butterfly (422 Adelaide Street West), situated in the old Tantric space in Clubland Central. It's been adorned with a trickling zen fountain on the main level with a full-on jungle treatment on the second level. With its hard-core beats, moody lighting and constant parade of well-groomed clubland types, Butterfly feels more like a jungle than a stylish nightclub. But once you adjust to the crowded setting, the hedonistic heart is in the right place. The juggernaut momentum of the crowd with their sneering punk attitudes will no doubt score comparisons with Tantric, but this is a much more fun and weirder club; aiming not for sociological high design, but just a space where the younger throngs can rip their little livers out. Look out, Calgary.

Moving like lunatics, our plane was eventless and, sadly enough, dry. Our astute driver has delivered us from the airport to downtown Calgary (back in time two blissful hours).

We're dropped off at Bungalow (524 17th Avenue SW).
Bungalow is something of an anomaly in the Calgary drinking and music scene as the hipsters that grace its square footage are often cooler than the club itself. Tucked in beside the Ship and Anchor (at 534 17th Avenue SW, it's easy to find - just ask any passing student), Bungalow has become a haven for 17th Avenue club kids and downtown revelers since it first opened its doors. The lounge is a healthy size and (at certain times, from certain angles) attractive. But that comfortable room typically gets packed post-10:00pm, and with that it gets loud - pushed further by a constant cry for "Shots!" But you have to realize that getting its well-dressed crowd nicely lubricated on shots is Bungalow's métier.

Back in the car, I think that I can't be the only interloper who thinks of Calgary as little more than a blur out the window en route to the mountains. But I've revised my mindset now that Velvet (608 1st Street SW) has rolled into town. The latest from Pat and Connie O’Connor of Canadian Rocky Mountain Resorts has blessed us with this lounge and restaurant stuffed into a bustling theatre. The land of 10,000 recovery programs is well served by this kick-off-your-office-manners hangout.

Pay top dollar for the top shelf goods; this is what we learn at our next stop: the lounge at the revitalizing Belgo Brasserie (501 8th Avenue SW). We feel good about spending our hard-earned pennies on cocktails as good as they come. It's still early and a good deal easier to remain your civilized self, but not because the drinks are any less stiff or because you're paying a fair price for that French Martini; it's impossible to move on without sampling Chef Shaun Desaulniers' menu. The stylized Belgian feel is a gratifying change from the typical Calgary bar scene, which tends to range from fratty to rave-ish.