Suika

Suika is the closest Seattle has come to the bustling izakayas that line the streets of Tokyo and serve as gathering places for eating and drinking after work. Suika's happy hour menu changes daily, with a rotating list of about 10 food specials and 10 drink specials, but you can usually count on the rainbow uni shooter ($6), a tiny flavor bomb; potato salad ($7) crowned with silky onsen tamago, a custardy soft-cooked egg; kyuri kimchi (Suika's original kimchi-sauce-marinated cucumber sticks, $4); and glorious garlic-jalapeño chicken wings ($8). Drinks include sake ($6), beer ($4), and cocktails made with fresh, spicy house-made ginger puree ($6). The DIY Chu-Hi ($6)—a shochu highball that comes with your own grapefruit, orange, or lemon to squeeze—is cute and fun, just like everything else about this place. Happy Hour: 5–6:30 pm Tues–Fri, 4–6:30 pm and 10–11:30 pm (drinks only) Sat–Sun; 611 E Pine St, 206-747-9595. JULIANNE BELL

Korochka Tavern

Korochka was specifically hatched to be a Russian-themed cocktail bar—after Russian American owner Lisa Malinovskaya lamented that they don't really have cocktail culture back home—and they offer some weird shit here. Makes sense, seeing as they're not working with common alcohol archetypes... unless you count a Moscow mule. As such, you can get, for example, a Birch Sapling, which is made with birch sap liqueur (people in Russia sometimes drink birch sap, I'm told), vodka, lemon, and tonic, or, say, brilliant red beet-infused vodka with Cynar and prosecco, known as a KGBeet. And they have kvass (a traditional fermented Slavic beverage that's usually made from rye bread), and they were putting chamomile syrup in things the other day, and there's always a different herbal cocktail special that tastes like a dryad ladled it out of a hollow tree trunk. Never fear, though: Malinovskaya and co-owner Kendall Murphy know what they're doing, and the weirdness is always a delicious draw, never a deterrent. Also, hey—there's a free Tetris machine, and during happy hour, you get $1 off all beers and food, plus there are various drink specials. Happy Hour: 4–6 pm daily; 12348 Lake City Way NE, 206-420-3142. MEG VAN HuYGEN

2 Fingers Social

Self-described as a classy and family-friendly dive bar (family-friendly until 8 pm, parents!), 2 Fingers Social in White Center is serving heavy-handed two-finger pours, and I'm here for it. There is a hot and cold cocktail list at the neighborhood favorite, and for the cooler to colder weather, I'd highly recommend the signature hot toddy, a delightfully steamy drink with Four Roses bourbon, lemon, honey, and a cinnamon stick ($8). The house cocktails are always reasonably priced ($8–$10), but don't miss happy hour for $1 off drafts and $5 half-sandwiches, like the pork roast bánh mì, tuna melt, or green-chili grilled cheese. Happy Hour: 4–6 pm daily; 9211 Delridge Way SW. KARA TIERNAN

Bathtub Gin & Co.

You could call this speakeasy-style Belltown bar a bargain basement during happy hour, when the drinks sink from $12 to $9 (and $7 for wine by the glass). Built in the former boiler room of an old hotel, it's a literal basement, and from the minute you enter through the alley (instructions on their website: "Look for the wooden door"), you're Alice in Cocktail Wonderland. Exposed brick, low ceilings, and small, creatively carved-out spaces create an intimacy with the bartender and/or whomever you're with, depending on where you sit. Upstairs, the six bar seats are the perfect place to debate the merits of various gins with whoever is behind the stick while you drink. Downstairs, cozy into the couches or carry on at one of the few tables over an Exterminating Angel (gin, orgeat, lime, and lime and cardamom bitters) or the dark, complex Death Star (bourbon, fig and maple syrup, and lemon juice). Wherever you choose to take your drink, the tiny space and laid-back atmosphere make this an easy place to work your way through expertly made cocktails that mix traditional spirits and interesting ingredients in new—and ultimately fascinating—fashion. Happy Hour: 5–7 pm daily; 2205 Second Ave, 206-728-6069. NAOMI TOMKY

Roquette

Roquette, Zig Zag veteran Erik Hakkinen's debut cocktail bar, is a portal to Paris. Step inside and you'll find dark, sexy lighting, plush royal blue upholstery, pendant lights, a palm tree mural, and "Love Vigilantes" playing in the background. Happy hour drinks run from $5 to $9, including a Campari and sour orange ($8), Calvados & Fever Tree Indian Tonic ($9), and a rotating daily daiquiri ($9). Fried-to-order chicharróns ($3) arrive in a metal cup, warm and still audibly crackling, and sizzle and pop in your mouth like porky, salty Pop Rocks. Buttery olives ($4) in a petite Weck jar, and salaminis ($7), chewy bites of fancy jerky, are also worthy happy hour snacks. Happy Hour: 4–7 pm and midnight–close; 2232 First Ave. JULIANNE BELL

Lottie's Lounge

This unassuming neighborhood bar in Columbia City is, in my opinion, one of South Seattle's best-kept secrets when it comes to fine craft cocktails. Their signature Moscow mule, the Cascadia mule, is a refreshing mix of basil vodka, fresh lime, and pear and Douglas fir ginger beer, served in a classy copper mug with a splash of basil bitters. They're pouring with house-infused liquors, fresh ingredients, and often from-scratch mixes. Stop in during happy hour for $2.50 tallboys, $5 wells, and $1 off drafts, glasses of wine, and signature cocktails. Happy Hour: 3–6 pm daily; 4900 Rainier Ave S, 206-725-0519. KARA TIERNAN

Life on Mars

What makes the Capitol Hill spot stand out from the rest of Seattle's hundreds of watering holes are its formidable wall of records and its plant-based menu. It's a paradise for vinyl-loving vegans—and also not a bad place for those not obsessed with analog musical formats and eco-conscious eating. During vinyl happy hour, patrons can select something to play from the wall of vinyl, and titles vary greatly, from Prince to Dusty Springfield to M.I.A. There's also a traditional happy hour menu with discounts on some of those vegan eats (e.g., $5 Caesar salad, $6 roasted broccoli, $8 Golden Treasure fries), plus the obligatory alcohol offerings, of course—$2 off wells and house cocktails such as the Everyday Sunshine (gin, genepy, blanc vermouth, lemon) and the Velvet Goldmine (mescal, dark rum, cashew orgeat, ginger, lime), plus $1 off drafts and wine. Vinyl Happy Hour: 4–7 pm Mon–Sat, all day Sun; Regular Happy Hour: 4–6 pm daily; 722 E Pike St, 206-323-9166. DAVE SEGAL

Cafe Flora

As a recently converted gluten-freebie, I absolutely love and appreciate what chef Janine Doran and team are carefully crafting over at Madison Valley's Cafe Flora, aka literal food porn for the GF sect, vegetarians and vegans, and really, anyone in between. Nearly everything on the menu is GF, like the Oaxaca tacos with smoky braised greens or roasted corn and heirloom tomato pizza with one of the best gluten-free crusts I've ever had—it's fluffy and airy, not the usual flat chewy crap you've grown accustomed to if you're gluten intolerant. The food isn't cheap, but if you go during happy hour, at least you save on your drinks; beer and wine for $4, and cocktails like house margarita or the witty gin and tonic for $7. Happy Hour: 3–6 pm Mon–Fri; 2901 E Madison St, 206-325-9100. KARA TIERNAN

Ben Paris

Christened after Benjamin M. Paris, an iconoclastic Seattle sportsman and entrepreneur who used to run Paris Cigars, Lunch & Cards in the space during the early 20th century, this bar and restaurant inside the renovated State Hotel conjures timeless Americana vibes. The happy hour menu features updated comfort-food staples like poutine ($6) with short rib gravy and Beecher's cheese curds, steak frites ($15.50) with hanger steak, caper salsa verde, and hand-cut fries, and a signature burger ($9) with smoked aioli, bacon jam, and Délice de Bourgogne, a lush triple-cream cheese. Settle in with a classic cocktail ($8), like a Sazerac, manhattan, old-fashioned, daiquiri, martini, or Tom Collins. Happy Hour: 4–5:30 pm daily; 130 Pike St, 206-513-7303. JULIANNE BELL

Teachers Lounge

Teachers Lounge is a marriage of opposites. Stashed in a cozy, sexy, low-lit storefront on Greenwood and 85th, the décor under that low light is real shticky, with pull-down educational maps, chalkboard-painted walls, hopscotch on the floor, and an orrery hanging from the ceiling. But despite all the hard kitsch, co-owners Desiree and Perry Wright (formerly of Copper Gate and Cicchetti) make some seriously unfuckwithable classic cocktails—and the ones that aren't classic yet should be. The Corn & Oil is the standout, with falernum, blackstrap rye, and lime; the sharp, peaty Ed Rooney comes in at a close second, made with blended Scotch, Cynar, Lillet Blanc, orgeat, and whiskey-barrel-aged bitters. I'm also a fan of the sleek, subtle Burlock, with light rum, Bonal, Heering cherry liqueur, and black walnut bitters. During "Happy 1 5/8Hour," you get $2 off house cocktails, and $1 off all beer, wine, and food. Happy Hour: 5–6:37 pm Tues–Sat; 8505 Greenwood Ave N, 206-706-2880. MEG VAN HuYGEN

Artusi

Italy has its own version of happy hour—the grand tradition of aperitivo, where friends gather for a nip of something boozy and a light meal after the end of the workday to stoke their appetites before dinner. Artusi—a "modern aperitivo bar" on Capitol Hill with white hexagon-tiled tabletops and long, cylindrical paper tubes dangling from the ceiling—translates that experience to the Northwest. And there's no better time to take advantage of it than their happy hour, where you can order a $6 spritz (your choice of Aperol, Campari, Cynar, and Gran Classico with prosecco and soda), Cynar Collins, gin or vodka martini, old-fashioned, Americano, or Fernet Branca, and munch on light bites like salumi ($7), cheese ($5 for a party of one, $8 for two, and $11 for three), and roasted hazelnuts with controne chili and muscovado sugar ($3), all the while pretending you're on a sidewalk in Rome. Happy Hour: 5–7 pm and 10 pm–close daily; 1535 14th Ave, 206-678-2516. JULIANNE BELL