Happy hour gets happier with new trends, activities
The after-work cocktail hour may have worked for Mad Men, but in the 2010s it's a bit passé. Bars and restaurants in the nation's biggest cities have adapted their post-5 p.m. scene by pairing sweet deals on drinks with some fun activities.
Austin
Austin is often the place where trends are made, so it's no surprise that the bar trivia fad is taking over the city's bar scene. With team spirit and cash prizes at stake, what may have seemed geeky 10 years ago is now a fun and exciting night out. The Austin brewpub Pinthouse Pizza is home to a Tuesday trivia night hosted by Geeks Who Drink, a national bar trivia company. Don't take the challenge lightly. This is high-stakes quizzing, with questions known for their obscurity. Afterwards, celebrate your win — or take the edge off your loss — at Pinthouse Pizza's Reverse Happy Hour (late-night happy hour, another growing trend) from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
Boston
The Clayroom, located about 4 miles from the heart of Boston, is not an average pottery studio. Every Wednesday night, the studio entices the 21 and older crowd with a Wine and Cheese gathering. Pay $30 to drink wine and eat cheese to your heart's content, all while painting up to $20 worth of pottery (covered by the 30 bucks). Not really into wine, cheese or spending that much cash? Don't worry. The Clayroom always has a BYOB studio with a sitting fee of $8 and pottery pieces averaging about $12 to $15 to buy and paint.
Chicago
Chicagoans love chocolate. That's just a fact. What better way to celebrate the city's cocoa addiction than with a "Valerie's Original" Chicago Chocolate Tour? The walking tour takes you along the Magnificent Mile, making stops to taste and celebrate chocolate in its many forms, from bars and truffles to gelato and cupcakes. The tour costs $40, but with all that walking and massive amounts of chocolate-eating, you're definitely getting your money's worth.
Portland, Ore.
Ciders are taking over the alcoholic drink market, and Portland's Bushwhacker Cider House is hip to the trend. America's first cider pub is known for its vast array of ciders (served on draft and in bottles) and the tribe of "bushwhackers" who frequent it. Native Portlanders are probably over the fizzy, grown-up apple juice by now, but if you're late to the party, start celebrating here. Save some cash by bringing dinner from home and just shell out for a pint.
Washington, D.C.
H Street Country Club, aptly named for its H Street NE address and its country club-adjacent activities, is an indoor mini golf course, Skee-Ball arcade and Mexican restaurant all in one. Nothing about this place is ordinary; especially not the chocolate tamales, which many locals love. It has a delightful Saturday and Sunday brunch to boot, offering a unique Mexican twist on the conventional brunch menu. The $12 bottomless mimosas are an added plus.
