If you’re the sort who frequents bars and pubs, then you most likely know that most places offer specials throughout their open hours.
They do this to encourage people to come in and visit when they would not normally do so for one reason or another (more on why they do what they do in a moment).
This practice of offering discounts during various times is generally referred to as Happy Hour or Drink Specials.
The exact definition of “Happy Hour” sort of depends on where you are.
In the United States, the term refers to the specific time frame when a bar offers discounted drinks.
You’ll find that it’s typically between 4:00 and 7:00 PM there is no real standard.
In other countries, the term “Happy Hour” refers to a specific type of drink that is typically discounted.
In Australia, a popular choice is the “Lemon, Lime and Bitters.”
In Canada they go for the “Crazy Hour” as “2 for 1’s on all drinks” is referred to as.
While I’ve never been there, from what I understand Israel has their own version as well.
So now that we know how it got started, why do places offer specials?
Well, it’s pretty simple really: they make more money this way.
The idea is pretty simple: you bring in a bunch of customers by advertising drink specials and you make a little bit more money off them than you would if they were paying full price during normal hours.
It also tends to work as a good promotion technique as well: you can bring in new customers and promote people trying out your establishment.
People first started doing it back during the Great Depression.
From what I’ve read, it was actually sort of an underground thing that only those who were wise to such things knew about.
As time went on, however, bars and pubs became more popular and the “Happy Hour” practice gradually became public knowledge (no pun intended).
While I never was able to find out exactly who coined the term specifically, there are a lot of theories about where it came from ranging from New York to Los Angeles.
One of my favorite origin stories is presented by etymologist Barry:
The earliest form, ‘apijo’, was in use around 1900.
From the early 1950s, at least, the term was applied to specific periods when bars dropped prices for drinks (generally short periods before restaurants opened) and also to times when bars served only beer or other non-powerful drinks.
There are several tales about how the name came into being, including that it meant that during these periods.
“you could get a drink for a nickel” (i.e., 5c), while another says it is an acronym for ‘After Prices Go down Happy Hours Start’.
I love this one because it’s got wordplay in it; I enjoy stuff like that.
Regardless of where you think the phrase is from, you can rest assured that it’s definitely an American term.
Now that we know a little bit about how and why these times became popular, let’s take a look at where you can find them near you.
Of course, if you don’t feel like leaving your home, the Internet is always available to help you find specials in your area.
There are a lot of different places to look for this information: social media sites, websites specifically dedicated to listing specials, etc… Let’s go over a few of them here.
Facebook is one of the best ways to get notified when bars and pubs have Happy Hour coming up in your area because their advertising system allows establishments to directly list their discounts on there.
They also offer tools allowing you to create your own events and invite people too.
I find that this is probably the easiest way to get all of the info you want in one place.
The downside here is that it’s not an all-inclusive list, so if you don’t live around a lot of bars or pubs then you might not have any options.
This site is essentially an online version of checking out the window displays at your favorite drinking establishment(s).
You’ll see drinks listed along with prices, which are usually discounted during Happy Hour times.
Another website is based specifically on listing drink specials, but it has a much wider range than just bars and pubs as they also go into other types of restaurants as well.
When you go to this site, you will be presented with a list of drink specials sorted by day and time.
I find that it is pretty good for finding new places to check out in your area after I’ve exhausted some of the other resources available.
This one actually has quite a bit on there: restaurants, bars, and pubs, casinos, etc… It’s certainly worth checking out.
The website for this TV show (and app) has a list of drink specials organized by day and time, but it is very limited.
I would only go here if you live in one of the areas covered by their affiliate stations or are planning on traveling to that city soon.
During Happy Hour times, a lot of bars and pubs offer their own special deals outside of just discounted drinks.
These may include anything ranging from 1/2 priced appetizers to free birthday drinks.
As I mentioned before, there are quite a few other places that you can go to find drink specials both near you and all over the place.
You might have to try them out one by one until you find the ones that work best for you.
However, the most important thing to remember is to take advantage of these times when you can.
If you don’t, then you might never get the chance to go out and enjoy a discounted drink.
