What a happy hour menu is and what to put on it.

What does happy hour mean?

The Cambridge Dictionary defines happy hour as a time, usually in the early evening, "when drinks are sold cheaply in a bar or a pub". Its American entry adds restaurants: "a period of time during which a restaurant or bar sells drinks at a reduced price".

Most happy hour menus today include food as well. Cheap snacks keep guests at the bar longer, and they're easier on an empty stomach than a second cocktail. A discounted dinner served early is a different deal, closer to an early bird menu.

Did happy hour start in the US Navy?

Partly. The name does seem to come from the Navy, but it didn't mean cheap drinks.

Researcher Peter Jensen Brown traced it to the battleship USS Arkansas in 1913, using old issues of Our Navy magazine. A group on board called the Happy Hour Social ran twice-weekly "smokers": evenings of boxing, music and movies. Other ships copied the idea, and it spread throughout the Navy between 1915 and 1920. As Brown puts it, "The connotation of happy, as in tipsy or inebriated would only come later."

The bar meaning shows up in the 1950s. Wikipedia notes print uses from as early as 1951, mostly from places near naval bases in California, and a 1959 Saturday Evening Post article that helped the phrase spread. Wikipedia calls the Navy "one possible origin", so treat it as the best-supported story, not a settled fact.

What should go on a happy hour menu?

Keep it short. Your bartenders are at their busiest, so pick drinks that are fast to pour and bites the kitchen can send out in minutes.

A simple happy hour drinks list might have:

• one or two draft beers
• a house red and a house white by the glass
• well drinks, saying which spirits are included
• one or two simple cocktails
• one zero-proof drink, so drivers and non-drinkers can join in

Here are some ideas for food, by type of venue.

If beer is the center of your bar, our beer menu guide covers how to list styles, pour sizes and strength.

How do you price happy hour?

Discount the drinks that cost you little, and keep the discount simple. A dollar or two off is easier to read than a percentage off selected items.

Here's an example. Say a 16 oz draft lager costs you $1.50 to pour and sells for $7. At $5 during happy hour, you still keep $3.50 on each glass. A cocktail that costs $2.50 and sells for $13 still leaves $6.50 at $9. Fries that cost $1.10 still leave $3.90 at $5. Run the same math on every line before you print. Our guide to pricing menu items shows how to find each cost.

Leave premium pours and your most expensive dishes at full price. The hope is that guests who come for the deal stay for a second round, or for dinner.

Are happy hour deals legal everywhere?

No. Some places limit or ban them, so check your local rules before you print two prices. A few examples:

• Utah. The Utah Code stops bars and restaurants from selling alcohol at a special or reduced price for only certain hours of the day, and names happy hour as the example.
• Ireland. The Intoxicating Liquor Act 2003 says "A licensee shall not supply intoxicating liquor on the licensed premises at a reduced price during a limited period on any day."
• England and Wales. The mandatory licensing conditions ban "irresponsible promotions", which can include unlimited drinks for a fixed price.

Other US states have their own limits, and the rules can change. Your state or local licensing authority can tell you what applies to you.

What does a happy hour menu look like?

Show both prices on each line, so guests see what they save.

You can see a longer version on our happy hour menu example.

In Menupresso, one drink can carry several labeled prices, such as "Happy hour" and "Regular", so both show on the same line. The menu doesn't switch prices at set times, so showing both prices does that job, and guests at 9 pm simply read the regular one. A free TV menu board above the bar can run a ticker line with the happy hour times. Our page on QR menus for bars covers the rest of the setup.