A good cocktail lounge evokes the spirit of its forebear, the watering hole, while forgoing the risks associated with slippery mud banks and lurking alligators. Partake in reptile-free revelry with today’s Groupon: for $10, you get $20 worth of drinks and small plates at Mixx Lounge in Novi.

Mixx Lounge tops off cocktails and broadcasts dance beats to entertain and invigorate Detroit-area patrons. A dark wood bar props up drink glasses and customers’ elbows as they peruse the menu for new potable possibilities, whether interests guide them toward a martini, a savory small plate ($6–$10), or a career in botany. La Terre ($6.50) mixes Californian merlot and cabernet into a ruby-colored refreshment, and the warm spinach-artichoke dip’s ($8) creamy texture complements a crunchy pita-chip vehicle. Pluck tender shrimp from a cocktail glass filled with dipping sauce ($9) while wielding the 007, a classic vodka martini, shaken vigorously and garnished with a deployable grappling hook.

Mixx Lounge’s swanky interior houses a mirror-backed bar flanked by high-top stools and a phalanx of booths lining the periphery. The good-times emporium hosts large groups and singular sippers alike, encouraging patrons to play games of pool or hit the dance floor on weekends, when DJs spin records and yarns about knitting with Davy Crockett.