December 21st is going to be the longest night of the year (literally, it's the Winter solstice). Here to help you ensure it also doubles as the Best Night of Your Life, we've got eight of the best happy hour spots in NYC -- because no good/great/best/average/kinda aight night is complete without one of them. Check out our picks below, and make sure to fully map out a perfect evening with our itinerary builder.
Maison Premiere
Williamsburg
People will actually line up before it opens to hit this happy hour, thanks to their amazing selection of $1 oysters, totally excellent cocktails, and a New Orleansian vibe. BNOYL Bonus: they now do a weekend "happy hour" from 11a-1p. Go ahead, you've had a hard morning.
Tom & Jerry
NoHo
T&J's got all the things needed to be considered a solid after-work spot: good specials, free bar snacks, and a giant moose head.
Blind Tiger
West Village
Aside from just being in the conversation for best beer bar in the city, they've got an 8.5-hour happy... hour, that scores you $1 off draught beer, cask ale, wine, Prosecco, and mead. Where else are you gonna get mead on the cheap, huh?
Faces and Names
Midtown West
Somehow managing to be both 1) prototypical Midtown and 2) not awful, FandN is always a solid choice for a post-work meet up with quality pub grub and veteran 'tenders who'll pour from a beer list that gets a little crafty while still pleasing the masses.
Flatiron Hall
Flatiron
If you want to get rowdy in the Flatiron, this new beer hall is your go-to for 501p steam-letting. If you want to get kinda-rowdy, the upstairs will be a little more subdued than the full-on beer hall basement.
American Whiskey
Midtown West
Perfectly situated, lotsa TVs, pub food that takes the genre up a level, basically an endless supply of bourbon -- this place is pretty much the ideal environment for a an in-between-work-and-dinner whiskey (or six).
The Wren
East Village
This Bowery hotspot is the perfect place to start a night, with great cocktails (get the gin, basil, green Chartreuse Green Machine), a solid beer list, awesome bar snacks (vinegar fries/spicy beef jerky), and prime going-out-after positioning.
Drop Off Service
East Village
$3 Imperial (20oz) pints 'til 8p? Yessir. Also: an excellent selection of craft beer and whiskey in a divey-but-not-dirty environment.
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1. Maison Premiere
298 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn -
2. Tom & Jerry's
288 Elizabeth St, New York -
3. The Blind Tiger
281 Bleecker St, New York -
4. Faces & Names
161 W 54th Street, New York -
5. Flatiron Hall
38 W 26th St, New York -
6. American Whiskey
247 W 30th St, New York -
7. The Wren
344 Bowery, New York -
8. Drop Off Service
211 Avenue A, New York
This cosmopolitan city-inspired oyster bar and cocktail den is a classy Williamsburg spot where you can enjoy a stocked raw bar, and lounge outdoors on its greenery-filled patio. We suggest bringing a first date here, as the swank and intimate atmosphere & delicious menu will be sure to wow them.
T & J's is a laid back, neighborhood bar that has one of the best happy hours in the vicinity. Don’t let the cash-only factor keep you away from one of the best post-work happy hour spots in the game. Drinks are $5, there’s a moose head on the wall... and you can hit the all-you-can-carry-in-one-hand communal Chex Mix bucket in the back as many times as you want (before you’re given the stink eye... ).
Arguably the epitome of a New York City craft beer bar and a true pioneer in the NYC craft scene, Blind Tiger’s been doling out a fine selection of the top tier libations since it opened in 1995. It’s the go-to spot to meet folks from your favorite breweries who happen to be swinging through town, and the tap takeovers are legendary to say the least. Sip from 28 taps, two casks and a staggering list of microbrew bottles.
Faces & Names... where everyone knows your face... and name... Anyway, their mini burgers on potato rolls are excellent, as are their happy hour specials.
The Houston Hall guys strike again with FH, an upscale beer hall in Flatiron that's decked out in American/German/beer-y paraphernalia and's serving specialty beers from Greenpoint Beer Works, as well as awesome 'tails and innovative bar eats -- like pastrami egg rolls and chicken tikka masala wontons.
With a whopping 150-deep whiskey list, AW is one of (if not the best) whiskey bars in the city. On the food menu, you'll find things like lamb “lollipops” with grape pepper glaze and crushed pine nuts, as well as beef brisket sliders that are way better than they need to be. The 6,500sqft space is conveniently located one block from Madison Square Garden and is especially great for lunch and dinner, or a post-game glass of whiskey.
Given its proximity to Washington Square Park, The Public Theater, The Standard, and a number of other downtown points of interest, there's never a dull moment at this inviting bar on Bowery. Artisanal cocktails -- like the Wren Old Fashioned, made with Old Overholt rye, Punt e Mes, cherry liqueur and orange bitters -- work alongside sophisticated bar bites to keep the energy up at this venue, long after happy hour's over.
Drop Off Service has delicious meat pies, awesome beers on tap, and they let dogs inside. So basically, it's the ultimate adult playground.