The term happy hour dates back to the late 19th century, when it began as a name for community social clubs, especially those hosted by and for women. However, the modern concept of happy hour has been traced to the U.S. Navy. About 1913 a group of sailors who called themselves the Happy Hour Social started hosting twice-weekly events aboard the battleship USS Arkansas. These events weren’t about drinking alcohol, however. Instead, the focus was on entertainment, such as singing songs, or watching motion pictures or boxing bouts between sailors. Eventually, the event became known as happy hour and the custom was taken up on other navy ships.

It wasn’t until Prohibition (1920–33) that happy hour began to refer primarily to the consumption of alcoholic spirits. The sale and consumption of alcohol was illegal during Prohibition, but that didn’t stop thirsty Americans from going to extreme lengths to get a drink. Over time, the phrase happy hour came to mean both a place where alcohol could be purchased, such as a speakeasy, and a period of socializing with friends over drinks at home or at a speakeasy before going out to dinner. Unlike the late-afternoon or early-evening happy hours of modern times, Prohibition-era happy hours could begin as early as noon. Prohibition ended in 1933, but the concept of happy hour endures.