Easy-going Rocky’s Rock and Blues Bar and Hotel (Calle Dr. Rosen 22, El Batey, tel. 809/571-2951, www.rockysbar.com, 7 a.m.–2 a.m. daily) admittedly caters to expats and tourists, but it is popular with locals as well. You can grab an ice-cold Presidente or try a Mamajuana shooter to some rock and blues music (obviously). The Canadian-American menu has dishes like fried chicken and homemade pies. Rocky’s has very basic rooms for rent.

Britannia Bar (Calle Pedro Clisante and Calle Libre, tel. 809/571-1959, www.britanniasosua.com, 10 a.m.–late), a long-standing expat favorite, is clean and popular with tourists. Local beers like Presidente and Bohemia are in abundance, but they also have imports like Guinness, Beck’s and Bud. A long list of liquors behind the bar create some of the specialty drinks. Don’t forget to create a good food base to soak up the liquid fun with some truly yummy bar food. Try a Hungry Man Burger or some appetizers like the shrimp sizzler served with plenty of bread.

At Ruby’s Lounge (Pedro Clisante and Calle Arzeno, 1 p.m.–1 a.m. daily), a cool expat-owned bar, you can listen to live music (Fridays), do a little dancing, or belt out a tune during karaoke (Sundays) in the bar, which is located on the first floor. Upstairs, you can settle down for a drink in the lounge. There’s an amazing all-day happy “hour” that lasts from 1 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The international clientele is friendly. With prostitution glaringly apparent almost everywhere in Sosúa, in this bar it’s not as prominent as in other nightclubs.