No fun city? Not any longer.
It seems that happy hour has put a big ol鈥� smiley face on the town once known for being, oh, let鈥檚 be politely Canadian and call it 鈥渞eserved.鈥� Others, however, might call it boring, unfriendly and really, really expensive.
You wouldn鈥檛 think Vancouver was so dull if you were hanging around the new cocktail bar at Hy鈥檚 Encore on a Friday at 5 p.m., though. The place is jammed with a mix of young and old, male and female, denim and suits. The DJ鈥檚 spinning what he calls 鈥渆clectic and borrowed nostalgia.鈥� The waiters are busy ferrying $5 cheese toast and half-price Manhattans out to customers having, yes, fun.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been nothing but positive,鈥� says Hy鈥檚 head bartender Ryan Shimozawa.
That wouldn鈥檛 have been the case a couple of years ago. That鈥檚 because it was illegal to serve discounted liquor 鈥� a.k.a. happy hour 鈥� in British Columbia. It was also illegal to carry a glass of wine from a restaurant鈥檚 lounge to the dining room, to sample craft beer at a farmer鈥檚 market or to order a drink in a restaurant without being forced to order food as well.
That鈥檚 all changed, too.
After welcoming the world for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, it became apparent that our antiquated liquor laws were preventing Vancouver from joining the ranks of world-class hospitality cities. In response to a multitude of complaints from tourism operators, business owners and customers alike, the provincial government conducted a review of the liquor laws and in April 2014 began implementing the first of 73 proposed changes.
So far, 38 recommendations of the Liquor Policy Review have been implemented. Some have been more successful than others. Putting wine on grocery store shelves has been fraught with difficulties, for instance. And don鈥檛 get private store owners started about the so-called 鈥渓evel-playing field鈥� of pricing.
But a little bit surprisingly, legalizing happy hour has made a lot of people, well, happy.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a great thing,鈥� says Scott Garett, general manager of Joe Fortes, which was one of the first restaurants to set happy hour drink prices in Vancouver. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been really positive and it鈥檚 been wonderful for our guests.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 wonderful,鈥� agrees Sabrine Dhaliwal, bar manger at Uva Wine & Cocktail Bar, whose happy hour features the sort of handcrafted cocktails you might find at the Diageo World Class bartending competition. 鈥淚鈥檓 so happy that we find it implemented, especially now that so many Americans are coming up. Everyone wants to go out and have fun, and all businesses want to make money.鈥�
You might be surprised by this if you remember all the alarm about happy hour when it first started in 2014.
Back then, words like 鈥渄angerous鈥� and 鈥渋rresponsible鈥� were being tossed around 鈥� and that came from bar owners themselves. There were fears about excessive drinking and related social problems. More to the point, smaller, independent bars and restaurants were afraid they鈥檇 be clobbered by the big chains. It didn鈥檛 help that the provincial government introducing minimum pricing around the same time, which meant that prices in some establishments actually went up.
It鈥檚 true, happy hour doesn鈥檛 work for everyone. Pourhouse is one restaurant that introduced happy hour, then quietly dropped it.
But for the most part, happy hour, at least in downtown Vancouver, is fun and social, and still more likely to focus on food than booze. Perhaps that鈥檚 because Vancouverites are so used to 鈥渁ppy鈥� hours. Or maybe it鈥檚 just that few people really want to get schnockered on a weekday afternoon.
Crowds actually line up for Joe Fortes鈥� happy hour, but Garett says he鈥檚 not really seeing much of an increase in liquor sales. 鈥淥ur happy hour is a bit more about the food piece,鈥� he says.
Still, it is proving lucrative, even though they make less on each order of food and drink than they do during regular hours. When they offered 鈥渁ppy鈥� hour in February 2009, they managed to generate $300,000 a year, Garret says: 鈥淣ow, seven years on, we鈥檙e hovering around the million-dollar mark. It鈥檚 been really successful.鈥�
The real value is that happy hour brings in completely new revenue by filling seats at times they would otherwise be empty. Besides, as Hy鈥檚 general manager Chris Langridge points out, many of those people who come in for, say, Hy鈥檚 $5 cheese toast return for special occasions.
鈥淭he benefit of the opportunities it opens for us outweighs the pricing,鈥� he says. 鈥淓very hundred people who come in, if one or two see an opportunity, it鈥檚 a winner.鈥�
More to the point, perhaps, happy hour offers great value to the consumer, even though we鈥檙e not likely to see U.S.-style $2 highballs and 50垄 beers any time soon. And that encourages customers to try untested new establishments.
鈥淚t just gives people another reason to check out new venues because the financial commitment is not really there,鈥� Dhaliwal says.
It can also create a whole new customer base, as it is doing at Joe Fortes and Hy鈥檚, which have traditionally attracted an older, moneyed demographic.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a slightly younger crowd, the twentysomethings and the thirtysomethings, we鈥檙e seeing more of that,鈥� Langridge says. 鈥淵ou do get sort of the office crew who鈥檝e been in the office all week. And also it enables a lot of people, let鈥檚 be honest, who can鈥檛 afford to eat here on a regular basis. It鈥檚 nice that you can be open to the whole spectrum of people.鈥�
Even better, although part of the fun of happy hour is hopping from bar to bar, many establishments are seeing those customers staying on for dinner and returning week after week.
鈥淪ome people come in, enjoy happy hour, and leave. And then some people come in and enjoy the happy hours and stay on afterwards,鈥� Langridge says. Adds Dhaliwal, 鈥淯sually, they鈥檒l stay for one more because they really enjoy these features and want to see what else we have.鈥�
Of course, nothing is perfect. Garett, for one would like to see a few changes: 鈥淚 would like to see the sa国际传媒 government be a bit more liberal, maybe lower the minimum pricing. There鈥檚 still an opportunity to pass on those savings because it鈥檚 really expensive to live in the Lower Mainland,鈥� he says.
And, sure, there are those who over-indulge, and those who take advantage of the deep discounts. But for the most part, what sets happy hour apart is not the great deals (though they certainly help), but the fun atmosphere. Happy hour is, above all, a social hour.
鈥淓veryone鈥檚 having fun,鈥� Dhaliwal says. Garett agrees: 鈥淚t has created that fun piece there, and for the most part everyone is enjoying it responsibly.鈥�
听
TOP PICKS:
With so many great choices, it鈥檚 no wonder happy hour hopping has become a thing in Vancouver. Staring in the early afternoon, you can easily sip and nibble your way through the city right into the evening (with a short break for dinner or a movie), and all at a bargain price. Here are 10 great happy hour destinations 鈥� and three late-night ones 鈥� to get you started from 2 p.m. onward.
2 to 3 p.m. daily
Medina Caf茅
780 Richards St.,
The 鈥淕olden Hour鈥� features $7 鈥渆nlightened鈥� cocktails, $5 local draft beer and $4 coffee spikes.
2 to 6 p.m. daily
Uva Wine & Cocktail Bar
900 Seymour St.,
Possibly the city鈥檚 longest happy hour. Four cheerful hours of dollar oysters, discounted food items, $8 wine and $12 handcrafted World Class cocktails featuring ultra-premium spirits.
2:30 to 5:30 p.m. daily
Tableau Bar Bistro
1181 Melville St.,
Here, 鈥淐asse Cro没te鈥� is happy hour en Fran莽ais, with 50 per cent off food, half-price oysters, $5 highballs, $4 lager and $6 glasses of house wine.
3 to 5 p.m. daily
Provence Marinaside
1177 Marinaside Crescent,
鈥淭appy hour鈥� features a generous menu of $5 bites including risotto balls, merguez sausage, grilled squid and meatballs, plus $5 glasses of wine.
3 to 6 p.m. daily
Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar
Sutton Place Hotel, 845 Burrard St.,
Can鈥檛 go wrong with buck-a-shuck oysters and small plates for $5 to $10, including the famous crispy chicken wings. Drinks include $6 wines by the glass, $5 beer by the bottle, $6 Stanley Park beer flights, and $5 Moscow Mules and Rosemary & Cranberry Collins.
3 to 6 p.m. weekdays
Hy鈥檚 Encore
637 Hornby St.,
The new cocktail bar upstairs is the place to go for half-price classic cocktails, half-price wine and discounted menu items, including sliders and $5 cheese toast, with retro tunes spun by local DJs.
4 to 6 p.m. daily
Joe Fortes
777 Thurlow St.,
There鈥檚 a good reason why people are lining up every afternoon for the dollar oysters, discounts of 20 to 50 per cent off bar food items and $5 beer, wine and highballs.
4 to 6 p.m. daily
The Flying Pig
Various locations,
Popular for its $4.75 wine and a large selection of generously sized $6 appies including salmon cakes, cured meats and short rib croquettes.
4:30 to 6 p.m. Monday to Saturday
Royal Dinette
905 Dunsmuir St.,
鈥淟鈥橝p茅ro鈥� hour features classic aperitifs (Americano, Pastis et l鈥橢au, 鈥淎pero鈥� Spritz and Kir Royal) for only $6.
5 to 6:30 p.m. daily
Pidgin
350 Carrall St.,
鈥淏efore dark鈥� happy hour features classic cocktails for $7.50 (Negronis, Moscow Mules, Margaritas, Old Fashioneds), wine for $6, Tiger tall cans $5 and daily food specials. Note: The chicken wings are a must-try.
And here are three places to swing by for a late-ish night snack and a nightcap:
8 to 10 p.m. daily
Siena
1485 West 12th Ave.,
Who says they roll up the sidewalks early in South Granville? Siena offers $6 appies and a rotating selection of $6 drinks and wines nightly for the post-theatre crowd.
9:30 to 11 p.m. daily
Joe Fortes
Same drink bargains as earlier in the day; slightly different menu choices. Still a great deal.
10:30 p.m. until late daily
Pidgin
The 鈥渁fter dark鈥� menu features the same great deals as the 鈥渂efore dark鈥� one, plus industry types get to enjoy them, too.
The whole point of happy hour is going out to enjoy it, but if you must stay in, try this refreshing and sophisticated cocktail. It鈥檚 one of five World Class cocktail recipes created by Lauren Mote for happy hour at Uva Wine & Cocktail Bar.
11/2 oz (45 mL) Tanqueray 10 gin
1/2 oz (15 mL) ginger wine
3/4 oz (22 mL) lemon juice
3/4 oz (22 mL) Earl Grey syrup听 (see note)
2 dashes Bittered Sling Plum & Rootbeer Bitters
Soda water
Place all ingredients except soda water in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake well. Strain into a Collins glass with fresh ice and top with soda. Garnish with a slice of grapefruit peel. Serves 1.
Note: To make Earl Grey syrup, steep 1 cup听 (250 mL) Early grey tea, then add 1 cup (250 mL) sugar and stir until completely dissolved. Cool to room temperature, cover and refrigerate for up to three weeks.
