Eat, Drink & Be Merry at the Best Happy Hour Spots in Albany, NY

Wondering where to head for snacks, beer, cocktails, or wine after work or on the weekend? Albany is home to some of the best happy hour spots in the Capital Region. Take a look at the happy hour spots listed below and plan your next trip!

Best Happy Hours for Beer

City Beer Hall

With up to 20 beers on tap from large and small brewers, City Beer Hall is perfect for happy hour with friends and colleagues who all have different tastes. Order your favorite type of beer, and browse the wide array of bar snacks and small plates on the menu.

During the warmer months, you can relax on their spacious patio and celebrate happy hour outdoors. Check out their weekly events listed on their website. Some of their weekly events include half price off burgers Monday, trivia Wednesday, music bingo on Thursday's, martini Friday, and more!

The Olde English Pub & Pantry

Plenty of outdoor seating and a cozy interior that lives up to the olde, the English, and the pub in this restaurant's name, The Olde English Pub is an amazing year-round happy hour spot.

Draft selections include ales, lagers, pales, bitters, stouts, porters, ciders, and wheats. Check out their food menu as well, with some recommended dishes including fish and chips, the black bean burger, the full English breakfast, and the chicken Tikka Masala. 

Wolff's Biergarten

Wolff's Biergarten has multiple locations in the Capital Region, including Albany and Schenectady. They offer the best selection of German beers, and the bar has a fun, laid-back atmosphere.  

Choose from their draft selection or hand-selected list of premium bottled beers, anything you pick will not disappoint. Once you order a drink, order something off the food menu as well. They have everything from sandwiches to mac and cheese. They also offer brunch on weekends from 8 A.M. to noon, featuring waffles, pancakes, and a breakfast burger. 

The Excelsior Pub

Stop by the Excelsior Pub, a restaurant where all the food that is offered was founded in our great state of New York. Come and taste the garbage plate from Rochester, the speedies by Binghamton, or get a side of our very own Saratoga chips.

Enjoy a laid-back hangout featuring New York-sourced beer, wine, spirits, and regional grub. Enjoy their daily "4 for 4 for 4 Happy Hour," where for four hours, they offer four select drafts for $4 each. 

Best Happy Hours for Cocktails

New Scotland Spirits

New Scotland Spirits is one of the newest additions to Lark Street's fantastic food and drink scene, but did you know they are also a top spot for celebrating happy hour in Albany?

Join them inside the cozy tasting room for "Helderberg Hour," which runs Sunday through Wednesday from 4 P.M. to 7 P.M., featuring exclusive drink specials, bottle discounts, and a specially curated menu of delicious small bites.

New Scotland Spirits offers tasting flights of their own rye, wheat, and bourbon "Helderberg Whiskies," as well as their award-winning gin and vodka. Their menu also includes a variety of specialty cocktails, cocktail classics, mocktails, and more.

It's the perfect place to wind down with friends, so plan your visit to the tasting room today!

Savoy Taproom

If you're a fan of classic and creative cocktails, then you need to plan a happy hour at Savoy Taproom. This local favorite on Lark Street is a cocktail bar and restaurant that delivers exquisite handcrafted cocktails, hearty food, and live music events.

Try one of their drink specials, craft beers, or the Mule of the Month. With your drink, order a meal! Recommended dishes include the grilled cheese, the savory smokehouse burger, and the wings.

677 Prime

677 Prime could have made the list for best happy hour bites (their crispy duck wings are out of this world), but we decided their specialty drink specials take the cake. Check out their happy hour menu, with lots of great options sure to satisfy your taste buds. 

This upscale spot offers Belvedere cocktails and martinis for the same price as well cocktails during happy hour, so you're sure to get a better bang for your buck. They also have many different menus for their food, including a vegetarian menu, a vegan menu, a takeout menu, and a desert menu. 

Wellington's Albany

Wellington's is probably Albany's classiest happy hour spot, as they're a fine dining restaurant located in the Renaissance Albany Hotel. With signature cocktails and an inviting but modern interior, Wellington's is a must for anyone who prefers their happy hour on the rocks. 

Wellington's values sustainable practices, with fresh farm to table food and drinks on their menu. Check out their breakfast menu, with many options from pancakes to omelets. 

Best Happy Hours for Wine

288 Lark Wine & Tap

Located at 288 Lark Street in Albany, 288 Lark Wine & Tap is a local Italian restaurant and wine bar that serves wine by the glass, including red, white, sparkling, and dessert wines. They are also a great option for cocktails like the Limoncello Spritz.

Order something off their amazing food menu to go with your delicious drink. One visitor even said that 288 Lark Wine and Tap is "A must-visit for enthusiasts seeking an authentic taste of Italy!"

Umana Yana

Umana brings together flavors - and people - from around the world. Enjoy discovering new types of food and unexpected wine pairings at this Washington Avenue restaurant. You'll love the relaxed atmosphere, unique decor, and wine selection. 

One reviewer said that Umana Yana is an "Extraordinary place. East & West African & Caribbean selections I crave and never would expect in U.S. I had a scrumptious plantain cocktail. Afro-Carib mixology? Brilliant!! I could go back and try something else every night of the week. And Chris & staff could not have been more warm and welcoming. Diversity of diners--black, brown, white--,a testament to multicultural success."

Best Happy Hours for Small Bites

McGeary's Irish Pub

McGeary's Irish Pub touts itself as having "the best happy hour in the Capital District," and if you love Irish-inspired pub fare, you'll probably agree. In addition to their award-winning wings, you should try their sliders, mac & cheese poppers, or the chicken cordon bleu balls.

They have a huge beer list, including twenty six beers on tap, thirty six different types of bottled beers, and twenty eight different types of canned beers. 

Across The Street Pub & Restaurant

For over 40 years, Across The Street Pub & Restaurant has continued to offer quality pub fare right across from SUNY Albany. This casual bar and restaurant can accommodate more than 120 people on any given night, so it is the perfect place to hang out with friends.

If you're looking for small bites for your happy hour, you can expect to find everything from nachos to eggrolls, baked loaded potato skins, fried pickle spears, and more on the menu. Be sure to check out their week-night specials too, which are available after 5pm.

Looking for dinner instead? Check out these great Albany restaurants >>

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