Sidling up to the bar, Special Agent Cooper and Sheriff Truman enjoy a slice of pie and strong cocktails while chatting with locals. The bar’s friendly owners regale a group of regulars and serve up seconds. All the while, a mysterious stranger lurks in the corner, only later to reveal shocking information that promises to take the Laura Palmer case in a new direction.
No, this isn’t the Double R Diner n “Twin Peaks,” though you can still score some damn fine cherry pie in the cozy establishment. But Agent Cooper would find himself tempted by more than just black coffee here. Snohomish’s Pie Dive Bar pairs flaky pastry crust and fresh fruit fillings with unique craft cocktails better suited for the final munchies-quenching stop on a night out than prepping for a long day of homicide investigation.
The Pie Dive Bar reads like a Mad Libs for late-night diners. The pitch: A longtime baker and restaurateur and a country musician-slash-bartender open a dive bar in Snohomish that promises a wide selection of craft cocktails, homemade pies, both sweet and savory, decidedly rustic decor, and a jukebox that doesn’t take quarters. (It’s free.)
Oh, and don’t forget the painting of pie’s patron saint, Agent Dale Cooper, that graces the wall.
Sit in the back corner — sans mysterious stranger — and chat up owners Hart and Alyssa Kingsbery. They’ll greet you like long-lost friends from another life, talk about their pandemic-inspired romance and whirlwind marriage, and brag on their newest creation, 3-month-old daughter Birdie.
Their Pie Dive Bar has been a huge hit in downtown Snohomish since opening a year ago. The rustic ambiance fits perfectly with the crumbly pies, stiff drinks and vibrant conversations that echo from all corners. It’s the kind of place that makes you feel like you’re in a TV show, maybe more “Cheers” than “Twin Peaks.”
Alyssa is no stranger to the pie or bar world, having created the concept of marrying fun cocktails and pies over a decade ago when she opened the original Pie Bar on Capitol Hill in Seattle. She went on to open more locations, sold them, starred on the Food Network show “Bake You Rich” and ultimately found Hart.
The steak pot pie and salad at Pie Dive Bar. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
If the pies are Alyssa’s area of expertise, the cocktails are where Hart’s heart belongs. A veteran of Seattle’s dive bar and country music scene, Hart left for the Arizona desert to follow music and work in bars. Soon after, the pandemic shut everything down and one of Hart’s friends offered him a place to live. He returned to the Northwest, met Alyssa and the rest is dive bar history.
In Tucson, Hart ran a variety of bars. At The Royal Room, he learned the intricacies of making the perfect margarita, selecting the best mezcal and keeping your customers cool in the sweltering heat.
“The key to a good margarita is making your own mix,” said Hart. “We take great pride in our margaritas.”
The pies at the Pie Dive Bar may get all the press, but don’t sleep on Hart’s creations. The house cocktails are creative, flavorful and mix a wide range of ingredients with high-end base liqueurs. There are six different margaritas, including the jalapeno variety that uses tequila aged with halved peppers.
“The jalapenos give it a sweetness and earthiness that absolutely make it,” said Hart.
Hart recommends the Boulevardier, which uses Snohomish’s locally-distilled Skip Rock rye whiskey, vermouth, Campari and bitters to create a fan favorite. Match with a slice of pie and be transported to heaven, or at least a “Twin Peaks” version of the sweet hereafter. The secret that lurking stranger possessed most assuredly had to do with the fact that the Pie Dive Bar’s cocktails are as good as their pies.
Next up for the Kingsberys is a second Pie Dive Bar location in Bellingham, along Holly Street. Modeled after the Snohomish original, the new one will include a speakeasy-inspired bar downstairs. It might just be the perfect spot to drown your worries with a generous slice of pie and an expertly-mixed drink after a long day of solving crime.
Pie Dive Bar manager of operations Hart Kingsbery poses for a photo. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Lavender Vodka Lemonade
Few things are better on a hot summer day than a glass of lemonade. Pie Dive Bar kicks it up a notch by adding its lavender-infused vodka. Infused with lavender petals for four days, the Lavender Vodka Lemonade is the perfect antidote to a scorching hot day.
1½ ounces lavender-infused vodka
1 ounce lemon juice
1 ounce simple syrup
Shake well.
Oaxaca Old Fashioned
The key to this drink is the ancho chili liquor. Hand picked, the ancho reyes chilis are sun dried for 15 days and then left to soak in a neutral cane spirit, giving them a baking spice flavor and vegetal notes. They give the drink a slight heat to match the smokey flavor of the mezcal.
Muddled orange slice
1½ ounces Mezcal
1 ounce ancho chili liquor
Dash simple syrup
8 dashes bitters
Stir the ingredients and then pour over ice. Orange zest for garnish.
Jalapeno Margarita
Having learned how to make the perfect margarita in Arizona, Kingbery infuses Pie Dive Bar’s well tequila with jalapenos for two days and then mixes it with the bar’s house margarita mix, which is lime juice, simple syrup and water. The result is a spicy margarita that is complex yet thirst-quenching.
2 ounces jalapeno tequila
1 ounce triple sec
Fill with house margarita mix
Shake ingredients and pour over ice. Rub Tajín spice on the rim and garnish with lime.
Kentucky Peach
Kingsbery picked up this gem of a drink during his time bartending at Seattle’s Drunky Two Shoes BBQ. It’s a simple sipper that pairs perfectly with spicy food and goes down easy.
1½ ounces bourbon
1 ounce peach liqueur
½ ounce lemon juice
½ ounce simple syrup
Top with iced tea
Stir the ingredients and pour over ice. Garnish with a lemon slice.
Sound & Summit
This article is featured in the summer issue of Sound & Summit, a supplement of The Daily Herald. Explore Snohomish and Island counties with each quarterly magazine. Each issue is $4.99. Subscribe to receive all four editions for $18 per year. Call 425-339-3200 or go to soundsummitmagazine.com for more information.
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