The Happiest of Happy Hours

If you’re like me, the mid-week slump is enough to make you want to run home, curl up on your couch and watch Netflix until you have up again tomorrow.

Now, normally I would be a huge supporter of this idea but I’ve been thinking I need to branch out and do a little bit more with my afternoons once I get off work. And if you’re like me, you like ballin’ on a budget. So with that I’m here to give you some insider happy houring information.

Everything on this list is $5 or right above, so go forth my little boozers and happy hour like it’s going out of style.

Bar Tonique

Ambiance and Awesome cocktails, what more do you need?
Ambiance and Awesome cocktails, what more do you need?

Located on Rampart Street, across from Armstrong Park, Bar Tonique has an amazing rotating happy hour specials menu, discounts and promotions for service industry workers and a hand-crafted cocktail list that has something for everyone. Unlike many places, every night has a different happy hour, from Tuesday’s special, whiskey flights, to Moscow Mules (a cocktail made of vodka, ginger beer and lime usually served in a copper cup) on Wednsday and Thursday’s speciality is Caipirinhas, a drink made with Cachaca (a common Brazilian spirit distilled from sugarcane), sugar, grapefruit, bitters and lime. All of these specials are only $5 and in addition to these fabulous daily specials, everyday from 12-5, Bar Tonique also serves $5 Aviation (gin, violet liquor, Marischino and lemon juice), Dark and Stormys (ginger beer and dark rum), Moscow Mules, Pimm’s Cup and Sazerac. I mean, with a happy hour menu like this, the question isn’t when are you going, it’s why aren’t you there now?

 

Domenica

Pizza and Cocktails: The way God intended for Happy Hour
Pizza and Cocktails: The way God intended for Happy Hour

If you have been living in New Orleans for any significant period of time, then the name John Besh has likely come up once or twice. His restaurants are all over the city, like the American Sector in the WWII Museum, Besh Steakhouse, Lüke, August, or Borgne. My personal favorite, though, and the one I frequent most often is Domenica. Besides having absolutely amazing food for lunch and dinner, the happy hour specials are served everyday from 3-6 and include half off wine, cocktails, beer and my favorite part, half-off the spectacular artisan, oven-cooked pizzas. Bring your friends, share pizza and cocktails and feel classy than you really are while you do it.

 

Rum House

Margaritas and Hurricanes, uh, yes please?
Margaritas and Hurricanes, uh, yes please?

The Rum House, located on Magazine Street between Louisiana and Jackson, is a frequent watering hole for the Uptown darling. Their daily happy hour from 3-6:30 everyday includes includes $2 Red Stripes, Bottles of Sake, and draft beers as well as $4 Margaritas and $5 Mojitos and Rum Punches. The best part about the Rum House is the outdoor seating and the “Caribbean taqueria” menu that includes Lamb Vinadaloo, Pork Mole, and of course, Jerk Roasted Chicken. So you can be drunk, full and not break the bank.

Cure

If you want to impress someone special, invite them to happy hour at Cure. Located on Freret Street, Cure is a swanky establishment that will have you feeling like a cigar and a scotch when you’re there. Cure just takes you back to when bars weren’t filled with a pumping bass and the drinks in plastic cups. Everyday from 5-7, Cure does $6 classic cocktails. My recommendations: The Passiflora #2, a champagne cocktail with cilantro, passionfruit, and ginger and The Mexican Bus Ride with Reposado tequila, infused Italian wine, lemon oil, Benedictine, and vanilla. These aren’t your typical Jack ‘n Cokes, but Cure offers you an opportunity to open your mind and taste buds to something new and totally different.

The beautiful and impressive Cure bar
The beautiful and impressive Cure bar

Ralph’s on the Park

Like every other restaurant associated with the Brennan Family’s legacy, Ralph’s on the Park is a New Orleans institution. If you want to get out of the usual Uptown or Downtown bar scene, try Ralph’s for a taste of the familiar in a new area. Located right next to City Park and Bayou St. John, Ralph’s is usually a brunch favorite but people always seem to forget their wonderful happy hour.  Everyday from 5:30 to closing, Ralph’s serves $2 domestic beers, $3 Bloody Marys and $5 specialty cocktails and wine by the glass. In honor of this mid-week post, I recommend the Hump Day specialty cocktail of gin, Campari, orange juice, ginger ale, and grenadine.

 

 

Sometimes you just need to wind down and drink in the middle of the week. We know that, and we want to help. New Orleans has almost limitless options, but these are just a few places I like to recommend for my fellow broke-ass friends that want to get a buzz on a budget.

Happy happy houring my lovelies! If you have a favorite happy hour that you think I should put on the next edition, tell me all about it in our Comments Section!

About Morgan

Morgan was born in Georgia, raised in Louisiana, a Southern gal through and through. A graduate of the University of New Orleans, she loves her Saints, her city and inserting thinly veiled sarcasm throughout all her writing.

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