The watering hole: Boud’s Pinehurst Pub, 11753 15th Ave. N.E., Pinehurst.

The atmosphere: While Northgate Mall cruisers can sip martinis at nearby Stanford’s, those looking to really let loose can head to what locals refer to as “the Hurst” as their final destination. Upon entering, it looks like any bar with jerseys on the wall and sports on TV. However, come Tuesday’s weekly pool tournament, the bar serves more as a five-o’clock-shadowed-UW-professor retreat. Pinehurst even has free bingo nights every Wednesday, a good enough excuse to can the old VFW.

The barkeep: Jesi Hocking from Libby, Mont. Don’t let her small-town charm deceive you—she’s tougher than nails when it comes to defending her neighborhood bar. With a psychology degree from UW, she knows all about mind games, and will prescribe a drink to anyone looking to leave his or her troubles behind (or start trouble).

The drink: Jesi shook up her favorite drink, the Strawberry Kamikaze: strawberry Stoli, muddled lime, triple sec, Rose’s sweetened lime juice, and a splash of sweet and sour, finished with a sugary rim. Best dive feature? Plenty of chipped martini glasses.

The verdict: With just the right amount of tartness, Jesi’s drink is a winner—although the bar’s One Night Stand, a specialty bomb shot of Absolut Raspberri mixed with Red Bull, would make a good runner-up. Even the regulars would agree that the menu has some real perks, including breakfast served until 11:30 p.m. And as one patron remarked, “When it was snowing, I thought this was my ski lodge.”