Did you know the term “happy hour” as used today for late-afternoon or early-evening discounted drinks and snacks in bars and restaurants traces its roots back to an unexpected source: the U.S. Navy?
Around 1913–1914, the U.S. Navy began hosting “happy hours” aboard ships like the USS Arkansas. These were scheduled periods of entertainment, which included boxing matches, music, dancing and movies to improve morale and alleviate the boredom of long voyages at sea. Alcohol was notably absent, as naval regulations prohibited it aboard ships and near naval stations.
After World War I, the tradition came ashore and mingled with changing American social customs. During Prohibition (1920–1933), “happy hour” or “cocktail hour” became code for pre-dinner gatherings at speakeasies, where Americans would drink illicitly before heading to restaurants that could not serve alcohol. This established the pattern of drinking and socializing before the evening meal.
By the 1950s, bars and restaurants embraced the concept as a commercial strategy, offering discounted drinks and appetizers in the early evening hours to attract customers as work wound down. The phrase “happy hour” thus evolved into the well-known social ritual it represents today.
