The Cheapest Happy Hours in Brooklyn (Just In Time for Tax Day)
Has The Man got you down? It is Tax Day, after all, which means you’ve likely spent the last few weeks filling out paperwork to find out just how much of your hard-earned cash you “get” to give to the IRS. It’s stressful, exhausting, and depressing –and you need a drink. The only problem: Now that you’re broke (at least temporarily), you can’t afford to dish out too many dollars to help take the edge off.
Fortunately, our borough is rife with watering holes offering sweet deals for those unable to drop big bucks on booze. Whether it’s a classic cocktail you seek or a classic beer-and-shot combo, we gathered some of our favorite Brooklyn bars, old and new, that let you drink well and won’t put you in the red while you await your tax return.
King Tai, 1095 Bergen Street; Crown Heights
This month-and-a-half-old Crown Heights spot serves up more than a Miami Beach air with its bright, open interior–it also offers a solid happy hour deal. Stop in before 8 p.m. every day of the week for $3.50 well drinks, $4 tap beers, and $7 glasses of wine. Even if you can’t escape the office in time, King Tai also mixes up expert house cocktails for $9–a fair price to pay for the bar’s boozy Bergen Motel or its rich take on the classic daiquiri, made with aged rum and orange blossom syrup.
The Drink, 228 Manhattan Avenue; East Williamsburg
Head to The Drink between 5 and 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 1 to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays for two-for-one drafts, well spirits, and wines. This Williamsburg mainstay is also well known for its $5 punches, which rotate on the regular and always boast inventive flavor combinations. Basically, you can stop in every day of the week, sip on something new, and still not blow your budget.
Donna, 27 Broadway; Williamsburg
Treat yourself without forgoing food for the day. Monday through Friday until 7 p.m. Donna offers half off its $10 draft cocktails, which include the Cuba Libre, Paloma, and Americano. But the real winner is the frozen Brancolada, a minty, more refreshing take on the creamy classic. Even better: On Tuesdays, Donna also offers a two-tacos-and-draft-cocktail combo for $12–a veritable steal.
Bearded Lady, 686 Washington Avenue; Prospect Heights
Excellent cocktails and an interesting tap list have made this Prospect Heights stop a neighborhood favorite–though surely its happy hour has helped. Take $2 off drafts and $1 off everything else, including already-affordable specialty cocktails, from 2 to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday. Add some East and West Coast oysters ($1 from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday), and you’re living large. Just be sure to save enough change to play a round or two on the bar’s pool table, located in the rear.
Soft Spot, 128 Bedford Avenue; Williamsburg
On the most stressful of days, sometimes all you need is a giant margarita. At Soft Spot, one of those (served in a pint glass) will only set you back $6, every day until 8 p.m. (2 a.m. on Tuesdays). Drafts and wells are also two-for-one, along with beer-and-shot specials. Plus, now that the weather is finally cooperating, you can enjoy your drinks in the comfort of Soft Spot’s quaint, cozy backyard.
