The History Of "Happy Hour" And How The Popular Phrase Came To Be

#1 Those $3 Margaritas Didn't Come Easy

Whether you are a nacho lover or an aficionado on the mixed beverages, one thing we can all agree on is that Happy Hour rocks! It's become a sacred evening ritual in America, a time of day when a haggard worker can stroll into a comfy bar and have a snack and a few glasses of discounted wine to relieve some stress. But did you ever wonder how the tradition of cheap libations all got started?

#2 The Happy Hour Social Gatherings

The first known "Happy Hours" were begun back in the very early 1900s but had nothing to do with consuming alcohol. For the US Navy sailors during the first World War, a "Happy Hour Social" was a weekly entertainment program held to help alleviate the boredom that comes with life at sea. They were local gatherings that included dinners, boxing matches, entertainment, and movie showings. They were often set up by local charity organizations or host businesses who wanted to have a place for the men to meet single ladies.

#3 Rebels Got Their Drinks At Speakeasy's

You can thank Prohibition, 1920-1933, for the Happy Hour as we know it today, sort of. Illegal drinking establishments sprang up across America when the government decided that alcohol was the devil's brew. Borrowing the naval slang, these "speakeasys" began offering "Happy Hour" specials, generally moonshine, or whatever spirits the bar could get their hands on at the time. The 'Happy Hour" was never at any set time, however, and was just something that happened when a smuggled shipment of fresh alcohol was purchased and distributed.

#4 Bars Cashed In During Slow Periods

Though Prohibition was repealed in 1933, the concept of Happy Hour specials persisted. Knowing they were on to a good thing since the slow hours for the bars was from 3PM to 6PM, the newly opened taverns began creating regular "happy hours" in the 1960s with discounted cocktails and bar food as bait directly after working hours so they could catch patrons before they headed home for the night.

#5 The Happy Hour 'Buffet' Began In The Mid 1970s

The Saturday Evening Post is credited with giving the term "Happy Hour" it's new meaning, mentioning the term in their 1959 article "The Men Who Chase Missiles." It was shortly after that when bars began to see the need for luring in customers with cheap drinks and specials. It started with a three martini lunch until employers cracked down on drinking during work hours. Slowly it evolved into an after work party, and it didn't take long for food companies to join in on the fun, providing snack foods and sometimes full buffets of appetizers to keep customers drinking and ordering half-priced beverages. By the late 1970s "Happy Hour" had taken on a whole new meaning.

#6 A Whole New "Party" Emerged

As the decades rolled on, the 'hour' turned into a party like atmosphere, and businesses continued to play with different happy hour strategies and drinkers continued to take the bait, so much so that some states had to place restrictions on, or outright ban, happy hours in response to spikes in alcohol-related accidents. In fact, happy hours are still illegal in a number of states, including Massachusetts, Indiana, and Vermont. Massachusetts was the first state to ban the low-priced drink specials in 1984, which is ironic since Boston is known as "the drunkest city" in the US.

#7 To Drink Or Not To Drink

Though the Sailors are credited with their shore leave as the first known to start having happy hours as gatherings, it was actually a phrase used by The term first seems to crop up in Shakespeare. Shakespeare's happy hour refers to a time of merriment and entertainment in King Henry V, written around 1599. Sadly, it did not include discounts on mixed drinks and cheese fries.

So there you have it with Shakespeare, sailors, and prohibition, the origins of the happy hour are even cooler than a fiercely shaken martini.