It’s late afternoon and a wind is blowing away the oppressive heat of a spring day in Eugene, but inside the warehouse that houses the recently opened Sam Bond’s Brewing Company, a fiercer storm is fermenting.

“What even is ‘swag?’” said Mark Jaeger, one of the four owners of the brewery, which opened May 29. “It used to mean bad beer.”

“Or weed,” said bartender Blair Vallie while he stood at the bar pouring a rich, golden colored IPA into a glass.

“I think it has something to do with clothes now,” said another.

These are the kinds of things you can expect at Sam Bond’s Brewing. It’s located a mere block from the University of Oregon campus area, in between the U.S. Courthouse and Franklin Boulevard at 540 E. Eighth Ave. It’s not a stretch to say that Jaeger and Vallie might experience the “swag” phenomenon first hand — in fact, they encourage it.

“We want to be the campus go-to bar,” Jaeger said.

Sam Bonds Brewing has all the ingredients to fulfill that desire: it features a wide variety of unique craft beers, frequent visits from food carts like Hot Mama’s and Twisted Tacos, an outdoor drinking patio with a view and a basketball hoop for beer-related merriment.

“Free-throw shooting contests are in the works,” Jaeger said.

“We’re going to do like ‘free-throw Fridays,’” Vallie said.

Although it shares its name with Sam Bond’s Garage, the semi-legendary bar and music venue in the Whiteaker neighborhood — and also shares three of the same owners — Sam Bond’s Brewing is a purposely separate entity that arose after the plans to turn the Garage into a brewery failed.

“Music took over and we just didn’t make it happen until now,” Jaeger says.

But they didn’t abandon the brewery idea despite this setback. Jaeger and company found an ideal location in a former steel foundry and set about realizing their vision — but that doesn’t mean Sam Bond’s Brewing was born easily.

It took two years after they moved in to build up the infrastructure and open officially — only after they had to deal with renovating a historical building.

“We found old receipts from the foundry from 1935 when they were working on old Chevy wheels and stuff,” Jaeger said

Many of the old relics they’ve found have been incorporated into the brewery.

In the midst of Eugene Beer Week, Sam Bond’s Brewery is no longer just an idea but a tangible presence. The owners and employees feel the brewery will succeed in competitive local brewing industry.

“I think we have a different feel than a lot of the breweries that are going around,” Vallie says. “Everything here is very drinkable.”

For example, one of Sam Bond’s newest creations, the Crankshaft IPA, is a light, crisp ale that doesn’t assault the senses like some overly hoppy beers. Instead embraces the taste buds and makes for a very decent drinking experience.

Despite the large shadow cast by it’s older sibling, Sam Bond’s Brewing has a lot going for it, and is bringing some of that same Whiteaker-like flair closer to the campus area.

Sam Bond’s Brewing is open every day from 3 p.m. to midnight.

Eugene’s next-door neighbor, the semi-mythical Springfield, has its fair share of unlucky stereotypes — most of which are indeed based in fact and which can be bottled up into the nickname “Springtucky.” But while this nickname has shreds of truth, it doesn’t tell the whole story; for most of us here over in Eugene, all Springfield will ever be is stereotype in our imaginations because we never leave our cozy little haven of faux bohemia. Springfield actually has many places and attractions worth a visit — and this is true in the arena of nightlife, too. If you ever do manage to cross over Interstate-5 and enter the wild lands, there’s a few places worth a visit:

Planktown Brewing

When you step into the welcoming confines of Planktown Brewing, it’ll feel like you never left Eugene: A host of eclectic craft beers on tap, the aromas of hearty pub food, the soft strings and quavering voices of a live band and a general hum of activity as people kick back after a long Saturday in the sun. Although it is relatively young, Planktown has already established itself as small brewery in the same vein of quality and passion as its Eugenean neighbors like Oakshire and Ninkasi. It has some mighty fine beers for everyone like the award-winning Riptooth IPA, the flavorful Li’l Red Ryder red ale, the Odd Fellow Wit and a selection of traditional cask ales. And to top it off, it’s located at 4th & Main St. in downtown, which is a stones throw from the EMX LTD Springfield Station, making it an ideal locale for drinking a couple beers and leaving the car or bike at home. If you love Eugene because of it’s beer culture, it’d be a shame to ignore Planktown just because it’s in Springfield.

Whiskey River Ranch

The Whiskey River Ranch is exactly the kind of place one would think exists in Springtucky, and that makes it all the more worth a visit if you’re in the area. From the outside it looks like it auditioned for the Patrick Swayze movie Roadhouse; from the inside it looks like a bar wrenched from the very annals of country-western history. Everything is made of polished wood that gleams as the dim lights dance off it. The regal heads of antlered animal long gone from this world hang everywhere. The drinks and food are pretty standard fair — but one doesn’t visit Whiskey River for that. The ambiance is what makes this place stand out, and it’s usually augmented with live music, frequently from Lane County harmonica virtuoso Hank Shreve and his band of local all-star blues and rock musicians; it also pulls in travelling acts too like this past fall when Sir-Mix-A–Lot dropped in to play a show. In short, it’s a quintessential country bar in a town known for rural stereotypes, and it’s an experience everyone should have at least once.

 Hop Valley

Like Planktown, Hop Valley is another craft beer haven located in Springfield that rivals its Eugene counterparts. Though there’s a tasting room in Eugene at 990 W. 1st St., the original Hop Valley is to the east at 980 Kruse Way. Situated in an imposing brick building reminiscent of the Steelhead Brewery on 5^th St. in Eugene, Hop Valley is a bustling brewpub featuring a wide variety of food and their signature craft beers like 541 Lager, the vanilla infused porter, the Bubblestash and their Imperial Red Ale. And there’s a happy hour Sunday through Thursday from 2-6 p.m., which, combined with its location relative to the McKenzie River, makes it an ideal spot to grab a beer after a day floating the river or hiking in the Cascades. Or, if urban pursuits are more your jam, the Gateway Mall is a few blocks away. For beer, food and conversation lovers, the original Hop Valley should meet all your needs.

Humanity has a somewhat ill-advised obsession with showing off their individual vocal talents: We sing in the shower, in the car, and while competing on TV shows like American Idol and The Voice.

We like singing regardless of talent — and we like to sing for others. One of the prime examples of this is karaoke. It’s your chance to see two brothers perform a whiskey-infused duet of Pearl Jam songs in the wrong key, or a man in an oversized suit croon like Frank Sinatra.

Luckily for us, Eugene is no exception. Let’s start with the best — Black Forest.

With the closing of the Oak Street Speakeasy, the karaoke title belt goes to Monday and Wednesday nights at one of Eugene’s grungiest dive bars. If you go, you’ll hear some karaoke like you’ll never hear in the greater Lane County. Beginning at 9 p.m., it’s loud, energetic and unapologetic. It feels like a Friday or Saturday night.

But a word to the wise: If you intend to step behind the microphone at the Forest, make sure you test the temperature of the room. Try belting out a rendition of Toby Keith or Katy Perry and you might find yourself — regardless of vocal chops — booed more heartily than that time Justin Bieber asked people to take him seriously, when Lebron returned to Cleveland or A-Rod to Seattle.

The Black Forest takes its karaoke seriously, and it’s in your best interest to adhere to the unwritten rules of the room.

But if the Black Forest is a little extreme for your tastes, it’s no trouble, because Wednesdays at Cornucopia is for just about anyone. Beginning at 9 p.m., karaoke at Cornucopia is a treat because it gives you a chance to rub shoulders with people of all walks of life, and is a place where you can get away with horrible renditions of Top-40 hits without getting tarred and feathered.

You’ll run into college kids, the professor types and people on a personal mission to keep the Grateful Dead’s memory alive. It’s great fun.

But if you’re trying to stick to the campus area, then you can’t go wrong with either Agate Alley or Webfoot Bar and Grill on Sunday nights. Neither is anywhere near as crowded or energetic as Black Forest or Cornucopia, but should do fine if you’re new to the game. It’s for anyone, but it’s still quirky and eclectic — which is nice because during the busier nights of the week, most places on campus can seem totally bereft of those traits.

And that is the crux of the karaoke night. On nights when most people are at home watching How I Met Your Mother or some derivative, one of humanity’s most entertaining oddities quietly creeps out from the cracks from which it hides and gives anyone lucky enough a chance to hear our inner songster.

I’ve heard The Horsehead Bar described as a dive on several occasions, and I don’t think that generalization is entirely correct.

The Horsehead, located in downtown Eugene in the legendary “Barmuda Triangle,” is a “dive” bar like The Black Keys are an “indie” band. That’s not supposed to be a snide comparison, but it’s true.

The Horsehead is a little too clean, a little too produced and a little too welcoming to be a true, stereotypical dive bar. The Horsehead is like a fashionable cousin to the dive bar. It’s a place where you could take a snobby friend and they wouldn’t try and wipe everything down with hand sanitizer, but still a place where you can spill cheap beer on yourself without being judged.

For starters, it’s got a patio with wooden benches surrounded by bamboo. That’s always a plus, and makes The Horsehead particularly well suited for grabbing a beer as a warm, sunny spring day is drawing to a close.

And speaking of starters, or appetizers, rather, you’ll be hard pressed to find another bar in town that matches The Horsehead in its caliber of food. Not only is it great drunk food, it’s probably not that bad sober either — and that’s a hard thing to find in this world.

In addition to normal fries, hotwings, etc., The Horsehead has everything from an alligator burger, to a catfish sandwich, to beer battered fried pickles. I, for one, am a fan of the nachos, which can rival The Bier Stein’s — a tall order to fill.

With regards to drinks, The Horsehead’s able and friendly staff make some of the strongest mixers around in terms of the alcohol-to-whatever-else is in it ratio. You’ll get your money’s worth at The Horsehead.

Which brings us to price. It’s not bad — but not great either. The food is moderately priced and the drinks are in line with about everywhere else. Its drink specials won’t leave any jaws on the floor, and chances are if you get there late in the evening you’ll be paying full price.

But that minor nuisance is fine because people don’t go to The Horsehead for the prices or deals. It draws a diverse crowd of locals of all ages (typically younger types on the weekends) and though it gets annoyingly crowded, it’s still laid back enough that you can meet people, actually hear what they’re saying over the jukebox and then maybe challenge them to a game of pool.

Overall, The Horsehead doesn’t deserve to get pigeonholed as simply a dive bar. You won’t find drunks passed out on the counters, or contract something from your beer glass and it hums with too much upbeat energy.

Within the grand spectrum of drinking establishments, it offers the experience of a dive without the disreputable elements, but the camaraderie of a college bar without the awful soundtrack and overabundance of cologne.

In short, if you’re in the area, it’s worth a visit.

The Red Wagon Creamery used to look out of place after sunset. Located in the hub of downtown Eugene’s bustling nightlife scene, this artisanal ice cream parlor didn’t appear to be the likely destination for the masses of boisterous individuals stumbling through the streets.

However, not anymore.

Now, the Red Wagon Creamery packs a formidable and logical punch of its own: a punch that’s spiked with booze and ice cream.

“I mean, really, who doesn’t love ice cream mixed with booze?” said Red Wagon’s Meghan Coleman.

After 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, the Red Wagon Creamery transforms from a simple ice cream parlor,  to a laid-back haven for adults with a hankering for desserts infused with boozy courage. The Red Wagon now has a full menu of ice cream-based cocktails —served after 10 p.m. only— to complement its existing practice of serving “beer floats,” which are available all day.

But this isn’t a matter of tossing some hard alcohol into a cup of ice cream. Red Wagon after hours features its own bartender and a wide variety of unique, as well as common ice cream flavors like Smoked Salt Caramel, Lemongrass-Thai Basil Sorbet, and a variety of others.

A fan favorite: The Frozen Goat Latte, which features a mixture of Wandering Goat coffee ice cream, vanilla ice cream, and Kahlua with whipped vodka. According to the menu it’s,  “guaranteed to beat the rain.”

As spectacular as that sounds, that’s just one of many similar dessert cocktails one can find at Red Wagon Creamery after hours.

“The spiked milkshakes are really good,” said Red Wagon’s Lia Thorpe, a statement which seems to speak from firsthand experience.

The spiked milkshakes formula includes your choice of ice cream flavor spiked with Jack Daniel’s, rum or Burnside Bourbon. If you switch out the hard alcohol with your choice of local craft brew, you’ve got a Red Wagon beer float.

For those individuals who can’t stomach the rigors of ice cream and booze mixed together, Red Wagon also features a contingent of “regular” cocktails. For example, the Hawaiian Volcano features house-infused pineapple Habanero vodka, pineapple juice and blue Curaçao

And if that doesn’t do the trick, Thorpe adds, “We’ve got $2 Rainer tallboys every day, all day.”

According to Coleman, the foray into ice cream cocktails has been pretty well received, especially with the youthful, college-aged crowd, but it’s still relatively underground. “More people will come,” adds Coleman. “They just need to hear about it.”

The Red Wagon Creamery is located on 55 W. Broadway in downtown and and serves cocktails on Fridays and Saturdays from 10 p.m.-12 a.m.

A good word to describe the Black Forest is “intimate.” But not intimate in the way you would usually connote the word.

It’s not intimate like a romantic comedy. You won’t find any candlelit dinners or loving glances or hand squeezes under the table. The type of intimate you’ll find is more akin to a frantic, sweaty underground metal club squeezed into the cozy confines of a building not big enough to contain its grungy energy and noise.

Even when it’s not crowded, it still feels congested — but not necessarily in a bad way.

From the outside, Black Forest looks like a relatively ordinary dive bar — albeit one that takes its namesake to heart. But it’s not an ordinary dive bar, or at least not one in the same vein as Luckey’s Club or the Jackalope Lounge.

It’s a dimly lit, claustrophobic, sweaty dive bar and music venue that is probably (especially now with the passing of the Oak Street Speakeasy) one of Eugene’s premier destinations for people who prefer their music with a hint of metal, or at least loud, and like their drinks to be strong, affordable and without frills.

It’s the kind of place the dudes from Dethklok would hang out at if they were real and lived in Eugene.

In terms of food and drink, Black Forest is decent in both selection and price. It won’t break your bank, but it could trim the fat off your wallet if you let it.

Like nearly every other local bar, it serves the customary selection of local craft brews like Ninkasi and Oakshire, as well as other craft and domestic peers. The food menu features normal bar fare like nachos, tots, wings and burgers, as well as a full breakfast selection. On weekdays there’s a happy hour from 4-7 p.m., and weekends it runs from 11 a.m.- 3 p.m.

But Black Forest separates itself from the pack with tangible things beyond its drink selection.

On Monday and Wednesday nights, Black Forest has karaoke and also its “No Well Wednesdays” drink deal — where call liquors are the same price as well drinks. To put it lightly, these events attract an interesting (perhaps eclectic) array of people and tastes. It’s generally quite loud, off-key, entertaining and well-worth attending.

When patrons aren’t butchering songs on karaoke nights, Black Forest features a steady stream of live music, usually in the form of metal, hard rock or just rock music.

These concerts are usually loud, rough and make no apologies for the band (or your own) drunken condition.

In the end, if clean sports bars or preppy college bars are your jam, it’s best you avoid the Black Forest — but if you feel like adding a little grungy dash of the unexpected to your bar-hopping routine, Black Forest will get the job done.

An imposingly built, middle-aged man sits on a stool in front of a room teeming with watchers. He strums a mandolin, his head inclined slightly towards a microphone so that his plaintive lyrics floating through the cozy confines of the room.

As the last notes bounce off the walls, the assembled crowd puts aside half-eaten chicken wings and half-finished beers to clap admiringly; before the echoing claps can fade the man exuberantly asks —though it kind of seems like he’s already made up his mind— if the crowd wants to hear another (they do) and he launches into another song, the warm tones of his mandolin accompanying guttural lyrics about Alton Baker Park and vans down by the river.

It’s a Tuesday night at Eugene’s Hot Mama’s Wings, and the house is relatively full because it’s open mic night (and because the wings are good).

The song the man has just launched into is, interestingly enough, a violation of house rules. Each performer at Hot Mama’s Mic-Night is only allowed three songs before they give way to the next in line and this is the man’s fourth —but no one seems to mind. Soon enough he finishes his set and two young men take his place and tear into a set of angst-filled acoustic guitar ballads.

This is a typical mic night at Hot Mama’s, and one of the reasons they’re a popular event not just here but all over Eugene. They give people a chance to express themselves musically; because, let’s face it, few of us will ever be in a band and tour the world —but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of gifted musicians all around us.

“I’ve heard everything from Ween covers to people playing their own material that sounds like Bob Dylan, and even some stand-up comedy,” Hot Mama’s Billy Ashe said. “A lot of them are regulars who all actively play in the community.”

Open mic nights are not a new phenomenon, but in an eclectic college town like Eugene, they’re quite common and feature a wide array of instruments and styles.

According to Cozmic Pizza’s Amber Ivey, at their event, which are on Wednesdays at 7 p.m., she’s seen full piece bands show up.

“I’ve seen violinists, keyboardists, full metal bands, comedy and even dubstep,” Ivey said.

But even that eclectic mix can’t be said for all open mics across town; on Tuesdays nights one can encounter “Bluegrass Jam Night” at Sam Bond’s. Anyone can show up and play, as long as it’s bluegrass.

Closer to campus, one can encounter the more prototypical open mic night, like the one Don Draper encountered in Greenwich Village in season one of “Mad Men.”

On Mondays, starting at 9 p.m., The Buzz holds an open mic for poetry, and on Fridays, also starting at 9 p.m., an “eclectic mic night.” This is your chance to encounter an open mic night in its purest form: young college types with plenty of creative energy who feel like they’re drowning in a sea of sameness and who are desperately looking for an outlet (if you’re lucky you might spot a beret and hear someone misquote T.S. Eliot).

Jokes aside, college towns like Eugene are full of creative and bright people, and open mic nights give them a chance to show their talents; luckily enough for us, we don’t have to travel far to find and enjoy one.

For a town whose image is inescapably linked to the prominence of its collegiate sports teams, downtown Eugene does not cultivate an atmosphere indebted to athletics.

But now, right smack in the midst of establishments like The Barn Light, Voodoo Donuts, Shoryuken League and The First National Taphouse comes Sidelines Grill and Sports Bar. Surrounded by the other companies, it’s safe to say that Sidelines is a fish out of water.

It’s an interesting choice of venue, but not one that detracts from its potential. If anything, the recently opened sports bar adds a measure of diversity of downtown. (And when is diversity a bad thing?)

In terms of temperament, Sidelines is like a downtown version of campus’ Webfoot Bar and Grill, but with more TVs and pool tables. For those unacquainted with Webfoot, Sidelines could be like a newer or more upscale version of The Cooler (but without the Fishbowls). If neither of those comparisons help, it’s pretty similar to Portland’s Blitz Sports pubs.

The dimness of the narrow entranceway is misleading once you get inside. The spaciousness of the rectangular room disappears into unseen depths and is only illuminated by the glow of numerous flat screen TVs hanging at intervals like paintings in a museum depicting NBA highlights and Cialis commercials.

Flags hang from the ceiling: Arizona State, USC and the usual Pac-12 suspects.

The place is populated by a mix of business types knocking back after-work Buds and whiskeys, younger folks wearing sports jerseys, people playing pool or darts, and looking like actors in a Buffalo Wild Wings commercial — but drunker.

The drink selection is pretty standard — they’re not making any strides in mixology nor do they have any specialty drinks sometimes associated with sports bars. But the beer selection is honest, featuring a variety of domestics and local craft beers and it’s moderately priced. They also have a happy hour from 4-9 p.m. everyday that’s very convenient for dropping in and watching a game.

Watching games at Sidelines is easy because there are TVs mounted on just about every available wall surface and plenty of space to sit or stand within range of their silently flashing narratives of gridiron glory and overtime free throws.

If watching sports isn’t your thing, Sidelines has a variety of activities to indulge in — including pool, darts, shuffleboard and beer pong. Work up an appetite during these activities? Sidelines has a wide selection of food that goes beyond being moderately priced and into the realm of very affordable.

The quality of the fare won’t have you scrambling to write home to mom, but it’s not bad and rarely does even the most expensive entrée break the $8 threshold.

It won’t revolutionize your Friday night, but if you’re downtown and want to watch a game with a cold beer and maybe play some pool — it should do just fine.

Invasions can come in many forms, and are typically met by the general public with protest and resistance. But apparently, that generalization doesn’t apply to beer. In the bar and restaurant scene, there’s one type of objection that’s being met with open arms: It’s the phenomenon known as a “tap takeover.”

A tap takeover is an event where a specific brewery — sometimes with a sponsored organization in tow — “invades” a restaurant, bar or growler fill-station and features its beers on tap that evening. Usually accompanying the beer on tap is a representative from the brewery or organization. Some growlers are filled with obscure exotic beers and merchandise, some of which is free.

In the last few months alone, Claim 52, Georgetown and Mazama Brewing have all occupied Growler University, a growler fill-station near campus. At the Claim 52 event, participants got to try a variety of the small, local brewery’s beers and even meet its owner. According to Growler U’s Aaron Rumble, it’s because of things like that that these events are special.

“Usually they’re beers that you never get to try; you can interact with the brewers and hear stories,” said Rumble. “It turns beer into an experience.”

Establishments and brewers collaborate like this for a variety of reasons. Some takeovers take place so that smaller, local breweries, like Claim 52 or Viking Braggot, can expand their market by introducing their brews to the unacquainted; but other takeovers are regional brewers trying to broaden their appeal on a national scale.

For example, last night, local favorite Hop Valley invaded the taps at Hot Mama’s Wings (craft beer and craft wings? say no more), and two weeks from now it will be invaded by California’s Sierra Nevada Brewing.

These events are generally about the beer and the people who brew them, but sometimes they can go beyond that.

At The Barn Light, a coffee shop and bar hybrid in downtown Eugene, takeovers are usually accompanied by an outside organization being sponsored by a brewery and sending representatives. With the help of Ninkasi, companies and organizations like Madison Meadow, Create! and Womenspace are the focal points of the event. The companies partner with Ninkasi, who reaches out to venues like The Barn Light, and then advertise to draw people to the event. In this sense, the Ninkasi beers occupying the taps are just a bonus.

According to The Barn Light’s Mark Sheppard, some of the events are packed, like the Ninkasi/Madison Meadow takeover, while others are slower.

“How many people show up usually depends on how well the group does their own advertising,” said Sheppard.

The tap takeover isn’t necessarily a revolutionary marketing scheme, or a raucous beer-festival like event, but a clever way the craft beer industry is continuing to evolve and find ways to reach out to the community in a mutually beneficial way.

“There’s free stuff, which people like, and you get to drink beer,” said First National Taphouse’s Justin Rathsuck.

Look for tap takeovers at all your favorite local food and drink venues — they’re becoming a regular phenomenon.

The most perverse — and popular — multi-player card game in recent memory is further tightening its grip around our popular imagination. Labeled by its own creators as a “party game for horrible people,” Cards Against Humanity’s rapid rise to prominence has been reminiscent to Sherman’s March to the Sea.

However, because it is a multi-player game, you need to have a rowdy bunch of companions to enjoy its lewd fruits, and rallying the necessary troops isn’t always easy to do.

Luckily, two local establishments are making that problem a bit easier to solve. Red Wagon Creamery and Tiny Tavern now both feature weekly events specifically dedicated to the popular card game.

“It’s the perfect late night opportunity to be inappropriate,” Red Wagon Creamery Co-Owner Stuart Phillips said.

For the last six weeks Red Wagon Creamery, a quaint ice cream shop located in Downtown Eugene that moonlights as a low-key bar at night, has hosted Cards Against Humanity Nights from 10-11 p.m. on Fridays. Tiny Tavern, located in the Whitaker neighborhood, has a similar event on Mondays at 7:30 p.m.

According to Phillips, Red Wagon’s event has been quite successful, pulling in crowds anywhere from 10 to 30 people, and many of whom who wouldn’t come otherwise.

“We get calls from people asking about it all the time,” Phillips said.

The card game has garnered an eclectic following and is quite popular with young people. According to Phillips, the game nights at Red Wagon are usually peopled with a fair amount of students.

“It gives students a chance to snark-out a bit,” he said.

Red Wagon began hosting the event after an employee expressed her fandom of the game, and now, it’s taking center stage after hours at the Creamery. (Unfortunately — or maybe fortunately — minors aren’t allowed at either event).

But what’s so special about this card game that it needs its own events? According to Phillips, and confirmed by Amazon’s bestsellers list, it’s simple, addictive and has slightly subversive content.

“In an era where political correctness reigns supreme,” Phillips said, “it’s refreshing to have a game specifically designed to be incorrect.”

For the unacquainted, Cards Against Humanity is essentially Apples to Apples without a moral compass. That’s not to say the latter doesn’t allow for inappropriateness or offensive content, it’s just that the former is designed specifically to encourage it.

The game centers on specific cards that contain a prompt that must be answered by one of the cards held by the various teams or players. For example, the card, “A romantic candlelit dinner wouldn’t be complete without _______,” can be answered with something like, “Harry Potter Erotica” or “Lance Armstrong’s Missing Testicle.”

There isn’t a middleman necessary for the lewdness — the game provides all the components. In fact, it’s almost more difficult to be politically correct than it is to be downright absurd.

“Cards Against Humanity is real workingman’s game, and it made sense, because Tiny’s is a real working-class bar,” said Emily Nyman, the runner of Tiny’s Tavern’s Cards night.

But that doesn’t mean there aren’t rules.

“There’s only one rule: Anyone who draws the ‘David Bowie riding a dragon’ card is always, hands down, the winner,” Phillips said.

For those who don’t know what that means and want to, just head to Red Wagon or Tiny Tavern Friday or Monday night, and you’ll find out.