The Bear & Kilt Freehouse
This unassuming downstairs rec-room-style pub does happy hour Monday to Friday from 4 to 8 p.m. and on Saturdays from noon to 8 p.m., with highballs and domestic bottles of beer for $4.50, domestic pints for $5.50 and 60-oz. domestic jugs for $15.50. There’s also a happy-hour food-plus-drink special that includes a domestic pint and a daily food item (wings, fried pickles, a steak sandwich, etc.) for 10 bucks flat.
110 8 Ave. S.W., 403-232-8442
Below Deck Tavern
This East Coast bar (how “East Coast,” you ask? Their website features the phrase: “Lord tunderin’ dying Jesus Murphy bye” and the food menu includes a “Halifax Donair”) hosts a weekday happy hour from 4 to 7 p.m. (and all day on Sundays) with 10 per cent off all draft beers and highballs.
221 8 Ave. S.W., 403-452-3832, belowdeck.ca, @belowdecktavern
Cucina
This traditional-styled bistro (think subway-tile and cured meats hanging beside the open kitchen) does happy hour from 3 to 5 p.m., offering 25 per cent off beers and glass pours of wine.
515 8 Ave. S.W., 587-353-6565, eatcucina.com, @eatcucina
Divino Wine and Cheese Bistro
Happy hour goes way beyond cheap beer and pretzels at this warm and welcoming spot that is a favourite haunt of the pre- and post-theatre crowd. Divino’s elevated happy-hour concept involves a weekly selection of wines paired with two small plate offerings: think Iberico ham with melon, cheese tarts and house-made pats. Wines are priced at around $9 a glass (a deal when you consider the selections are regularly in the $15-a-glass range) and the small plates are $5 to $9. Happy hour is from 3 to 6 p.m., Monday to Friday. Check in on Twitter to find out what’s on the menu for the week.
113 8 Ave. S.W., 403-410-5555
Earls Bankers Hall
Weekdays from 3 to 6 p.m. in the Earls lounge you can get $3 sleeves of the house brand Rhino beer, $3 signature highballs and discounted 6 oz. and 9 oz. glasses (or what the heck, full bottles) of What Cha Ma Call It Chardonnay and Crios de Susana Balbo Malbec wines ($19 per bottle for the Chardonnay, $22 per bottle for the Malbec). There are great happy-hour food specials as well, like tuna tostadas for $2 each (regular $3.75), and Leroy’s crispy dry ribs for $8 (regular $11.25).
315 8 Ave. S.W., 403-265-3275, earls.ca, @earlsrestaurant
Hy’s Steakhouse and Cocktail Bar
The bar at this stately steakhouse is your best bet for a Don Draper-approved happy hour experience, with $8 classic cocktails (Manhattan, French 75, whiskey sour and Boulevarier) from 3 to 6 p.m., Monday to Friday. Hy’s happy hour also includes well highballs for $5.25, 14-oz. draught beers for $5, Champagne and sparkling wines at 40 per cent off, and a snacking menu that includes fresh-shucked or pan-fried oysters for $1.50 each and a New York steak sandwich for $20.
The Core, 403-663-3363, hyssteakhouse.com, @hys_steakhouse
The Libertine
A favourite haunt of local-celebrity food blogger (and Avenue contributor) Dan Clapson, this modern gastropub takes $1 off highballs and draft beers from 4 to 7 p.m. and has daily food specials including half-price rustic pizzas on Tuesdays from 4 p.m. onward.
223 8 Ave. S.W., 403-265-3665, thelibertine.ca, @libertinepublic
Metropolitan Grill
Those tasty, tasty bellinis, along with craft beers and house wines, are all $5 between 3 and 7 p.m. at this Stephen Avenue spot that has been doing its thing since back in the year 2000.
150, 317 7 Ave. S.W., 403-263-5432, themet.ca, @metcalgary
Milestones
At $4, the bellinis are even cheaper at Milestones between 3 and 6 p.m. You’ll also find discounts during those hours on selected beers such as Heineken if you’re not about the sweet stuff.
107 8 Ave. S.E., 403-410-9521, milestonesrestaurants.com, @milestonesca
Murrieta’s
This second-floor restaurant and lounge is a great room that has great deals at happy hour – select food items, beers, wines and spirits for $5 every Monday to Friday from 3 to 6 p.m. If you happen to be working on a Sunday, you can take advantage of their 50-per cent discount on select bottles of wine between 4 p.m. and 10 p.m. (if you’re downtown working on Sunday, you’ll probably need it).
200, 808 1 St. S.W., 403-269-7707, murrietas.ca, @murrietascalg
Original Joe’s
The Stephen Avenue location of the popular chain hosts happy hour from 3 to 6 p.m., serving highballs, 14-oz. sleeves of beer and glasses of house red or white wine for just $4 each.
109 8 Ave. S.W., 403-262-7248, originaljoes.ca/stephenave, @originaljoes
Teatro
Happy hour or, in Teatro’s case, Apperitivo Italiano, is a great time to enjoy the ambiance of this elegant room and hobnob with the City Hall crowd. Monday to Friday from 3 to 6 p.m. you’ll find “Apperitivo” to mean $7 glasses of wine, $5 highballs and bottles of Peroni, as well as an ever-changing bar-snack menu.  Â
200 8 Ave. S.E., 403-290-1012, teatro.ca, @teatrocalgary
Thomsons
The Hyatt Regency Hotel’s classic restaurant (and its Sandstone Lounge) has a tasting flight of Balvenie scotch for $25. It’s not technically a “happy-hour” special, as it’s available any day and at any time, but it’s perfectly suited to the hours between quittin’ time and dinner downtown.
112 8 Ave. S.E., 403-537-4449, thomsonsrestaurant.com, @thomsonscalgary
Trib Steakhouse
Happy hour at Trib runs from 3 to 6 p.m., but you’ll be very happy indeed if you can get there early since happy-hour items are $3 during the first hour (3 to 4 p.m.), increasing to $4 between 4 and 5 p.m., and $5 between 5 and 6 p.m. Special-priced drink offerings include highballs, select red and white wines by the glass and Wild Rose Red Ale beer. There’s also a bar snack menu that includes things like onion rings and duck pat. Aside from the $3-$4-$5 menu, Trib’s happy hour also features $1 oysters.
100, 118 8 Ave. S.W., 403-269-3160, tribsteakhouse.ca, @tribsteakhouse