GREAT SCOTT

I'll be honest: This wasn't the first Sunday afternoon I've squandered on Great Scott's people-watchers' paradise patio.

J.A. STATS

99 BROAD ST., BOSTON. 617.357.8287. JASTATS.COM

Meandering cautiously toward the five drinks that awaited me at J.A. Stats, I have the looming feeling that I'm about to run a marathon I haven't trained for.

THE BEER GARDEN AT CHARLIE'S KITCHEN

I'm excited about the prospect of relishing the joys of daytime carousing, especially at the recent installation of the neatly outfitted outdoor beer garden at late-night social staple Charlie's Kitchen.

ASHMONT GRILL

It's noon on Sunday when I stroll into Ashmont Grill to be greeted by Butterfly. She and I chat amiably as she leads me to my table.

ROGGIE'S

Roggie's is a straight-up Boston College joint. A BU-grad myself, I may have had some preconceived notions of the crowd—tame, football jersey-clad, probably sipping session beers.

MCGREEVY'S

I'm no Soxhead, and therefore imagined myself being grossly out of place in this replica of 1894's McGreevy's 3rd Base Saloon, which is brimming with Boston MLB history.

PRECINCT

Previously Toast Lounge, Precinct looks and feels a lot different than its earlier incarnation.

JJ FOLEY'S

Ah, Foley's. The last South End refuge from the ever more gentrified (read: expensive) nightlife scene in this no longer up-and-coming, but now truly "up" neighborhood.

GALWAY HOUSE

Local pubs rule in Boston, perhaps more so than any other city in the US. Not only does the local population imbibe furiously and famously, bars are our backbone—like it or not.

EAST COAST GRILL

Sunday brunch is a critical scene at ECG, overflowing with patrons waiting for a keen munching table.

BLEACHER BAR

With Avalon and Axis reduced to rubble and the House of Blues quickly rising, this once mighty street of nightlife is being reborn for the morning and noon.

MARLIAVE

Tucked away on a sleepy downtown strip, recently reopened Marliave is a secret enclave destined to become impossibly popular.

EASTERN STANDARD

The ladies of LUPEC are professionals: Nary a member bats an eyelash when I announce we'll be drinking five drinks before 5pm, and calling it journalism, but no one can get away from their pesky "real jobs" until later.

FRITZ

Known for its heavy sports ambiance, volatile drinks and friendly bears, Fritz kind of reminds me of a gay Cheers.

RED HAT

I was sent to Red Hat on a mission. Tucked snugly between City Hall and the State House, the editorial staff reasoned I was sure to stumble (literally) across politicians drinking after a long day of legislatin', so it was imperative I drink on a weekday.

PARISH CAFÉ

The Parish Café isn't really my scene. It's much, much better than my scene.