With the Royal Wedding and the death of Osama bin Laden, this week was pretty hectic, and what do we do when things get too crazy? We drink!

With Cinco de Mayo quickly approaching, I wanted to head to a relaxed bar where I could languidly sip a cocktail (you know, before I’m downing tequila shots and am being carried off by buff Mexican guys, I’m assuming). So I settled on The Clinton Social Club, because I had been there previously, and thought it was a nice place.

My friend and I rolled up pretty early on a weekday, and the bar was fairly quiet. A few friends sat together at the bar, talking over beers.

Bartender Ronnie Saladyga greeted us immediately and asked what we’d be having. Since we are two incredibly cheap people who never turn down a special, we inquired about the ½ price “fusions.” They are basically booze steeped in fruits or spices, served with ice and garnish. It sounded like a spring-y type drink, so we went for it. I ordered a mango-vodka infusion, while my friend ordered the pineapple-tequila. Normally, the infusions are $10 each, but we got two for that price, which wasn’t bad. 

I have to say that I love the music selection at The Clinton Social. Reviewing a bar every week, you get to hear a lot of bland Top 40 whatever, so it was nice to hear stuff like Radiohead, MGMT, The Strokes and The Gaslight Anthem while you are sipping your drink and kicking your feet up (you don’t even know how exhausting Googling photos of hats at the Royal Wedding for pleasure has been).

I also must salute the couple who walked in after us, or at least the gentleman, who was wearing a plaid and paisley shirt. While his date settles on a single glass of white wine, this dude orders a full pitcher of sangria for himself. He even eschews the ice. They might have been visitors from somewhere, as I heard English accents or something. Anyway, I appreciated his drinking abilities.

Back to the review: Happy Hour is Monday through Friday, 4 to 7 p.m., Tuesdays is Wine Night with $2 off glasses and 20 percent off bottles, Wednesdays boast half-price Social Tea’s (check out the menu here), Thursdays are half-priced martini’s and Sundays offer half-priced wings and $3 drafts. 

On weekends, after the restaurant portion closes, around 11 p.m., Saladyga said a DJ comes in and the bar becomes more of a dance spot where you can order a shot and a beer.

Saladyga calls The Clinton Social a “starter bar,” which thankfully means that it is not the type of place that people roll into before closing to down as many shots as they can and throw up outside on the sidewalk. He sees people dressed in business casual, right after work, or dressed up to go into the city.

"The next morning, at brunch," he said, "it’s just sweatpants and t-shirts."

When asked what the most popular drinks are, Saladyga mentioned the John Daly sweet tea cocktail ($10), made with lemonade and Jeremiah Weed sweet tea. I imagine myself returning in the summer when it’s sticky hot, ordering one of those bad bears in a Mason jar and sitting at a table outside under an umbrella. Saladyga also said some of the regulars will come in for the half-price martinis and just order down the list, trying out all of the drinks they haven’t.

Other drinks on the menu include the Plymouth Rock ($11) made with Mt. Gay rum, St. Germain, lemons, strawberries and club soda; the Pomegranate Caipirinha ($10) with Pitu Cachaca, Pama liqueur, lime juice and brown sugar; Blackberry Basil Lemonade ($9) made with Stoli Blackberry, basil, sugar, homemade lemonade; and the Clinton Street Punch ($10), made with Myers dark and Flor de Cana white rums, sloe gin, pineapple, orange and cranberry juices. Most drinks are between $9 and $12, so they won’t break the bank for a fresh cocktail made with decent ingredients.

In all, I will give the Clinton Social Club nine out of ten frosty mugs. The staff is friendly and the location is just enough out of the way for it to remain a neighborhood bar. The drink list (and daily specials) is what seals the deal, though. If you want an imaginative and different type of drink, in a relaxed, upscale atmosphere, the Clinton Social should be your spot.

700 Clinton Street; (201)239-0063. Visit www.clintonsocial.com for up-to-date information on events.

The Bar Hopper is a sometimes tongue-in-cheek look at Hoboken's abundant bar scene. The views expressed in these reviews are half-sloshed, and do not reflect the overall views of Patch.