You could go straight home, or you could sink a few $5 wines, $6 schooners and $10 cocktails first.
What’s better than drinking at one of Geelong’s best bars? Drinking at one of Geelong’s best bars at happy hour prices OFC.
Whether you like beer, wine or a sweet, sweet espresso martini, these Geelong venues have your weekend (or weekday) drinks sorted for even the tightest of wallets.
Here are Geelong’s best happy hours:
Valhalla Brewing & Taproom, 12-14 Union St, Geelong
In case you’re unfamiliar with the epic taproom Valhalla Brewing has put together, it’s a carefully crafted space to showcase their seriously delicious and addictive range of beers that are some of the best local brews we’ve tasted.
Running on Friday from 4pm to 6pm, these guys are slinging $6 schooners on all Valhalla taps.
Keep up to date with their specials via Instagram.
The Barwon Club Hotel, 509 Moorabool Street
An iconic live music venue, the BC is everything you love about a pub. They have long been the go to destination for the traditional pub experience in Geelong since it was first opened in the early ’90s, especially with their ripping weekly happy hours.
Running on Fridays from 4:30pm to 6:30pm, indulge in $4.50 pots, $6.50 schooners and $5 glasses of wine. With gigs back on the cards, why not stick around for some live music after a couple cheeky hours of cheap drinks or sink your teeth into one of their mouth-watering parmis or burgers.
You gotta love the BC baby.
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The Inn, 58 Corio Street
Since successfully restoring the formerly named ‘Bush Inn’ into a place of pride on Corio Street in the heart of central Geelong a few years ago, The Inn Hotel has become a serious weekend hot spot for great food, great drinks and funky music. And what would a place of pride be without a happy hour (or two).
For the cocktail lovers, The Inn have you sorted with their infamous ‘Cocktail Hour’, where they’re slinging delicious concoctions for $10 every Friday between 9pm and 10pm.
If that wasn’t enough, they also do a cheeky two for $20 cocktail special on Sundays – because why the hell not?!
Side note, their sister venue Geelong Hotel also do two for $20 cocktails specials on Thursdays – big yes.
Edge Geelong, 6/8 Eastern Beach Road
With ocean breezes and a super laidback vibe, a stop at this waterfront venue is the perfect way to kick off your night, especially when the happy hour is dedicated to cocktails… and it goes all night.
Kicking off Saturday from 6pm, they’ll have cocktail specials rotating hourly for $12. Each hour the cocktail will change and you’ll be able to order that specific cocktail at $12 for a whole 60 minutes.
For those that prefer to get litty on a Sunday or Monday, Edge also have your standard happy hour from 6pm to 10pm each week. It has something for everyone including $8 basics and house wines, plus $12 ‘spressies and $7 Furphy Lager Schooners… who’s up for a Sunday sesh?
Book via the website.
Keep up with the latest food news via our website.
The Sporting Globe, 175-177 Ryrie Street
Ah the Sporto!
Located at the top end of Geelong’s inner CBD, The Sporting Globe Bar & Grill is Australia’s most loved sports bar and grill synonymous with great food in a casual bar environment and sporting entertainment. One of the best things about them of course is their Seven Day Lineup, boasting a slew of cheeky specials and meal deals.
Speaking in terms of happy hours, these guys do $5 schooners, house spirits and house wines 5-7pm every Friday. But if you’re someone that likes to drink cheaper all night long, they also do $25 cocktail jugs all day Friday; $10 Aperol Spritz and Espresso Martini’s and $20 Bud Buckets on Saturdays; half price pints and house wines on Mondays; half price Little Bull Pints and House Wine on Tuesdays; $8.9 pints and $9.9 Jam Jars on Wednesdays; AND $9.9 Highball Cocktails and $15.9 beer jugs on Thursdays.
If you’re looking to save some coin without sacrificing a good time, this is the place to be.
Murphys, 30 Aberdeen Street
Why crack a beer at home, when you could go and kick back on Murphys Rooftop and take in all those stunning views? One of our favourite watering holes, Murphys has your evening sorted with their Thursday happy hour from 4pm to 6pm slinging $8 pints, $4 pots and $6 wines.
If sitting on the rooftop with an espresso martini in hand is more your vibe, they also run a cocktail happy hour from 4pm to 6pm on Friday nights, pouring them for just $10 a pop.
Not bad Murphs, not bad at all.
Bobby Dre’s, 359 Pakington Street
While not your usual watering hole, this Mexican eatery has a number of happy hour specials to indulge in alongside some of the tastiest tacos in the region – with tortillas made fresh using the best Mexican corn flour.
Treating taco lovers to cheap drinks, Bobby Dre’s run a happy hour between 3pm and pm every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, pouring $6 wine and beers, and $12 cocktails.
If weekends are nacho vibe, then they also have Margarita Mondays where they do $12 margis. There’s also ‘Taco Tuesdays’ while we’re talking cheap.
You can book a table via their website.
Doni Bar, 149 Pakington Street
Located at Sodi (a dog-friendly café that has won many hearts, both people and pooches, since opening their doors back in September 2018), Doni Bar has become a hotspot for a weekend drink once the sun goes down.
With the café transforming into a bar on Friday and Saturday nights, it’s quite just the place to be if you’re hoping to indulge in the likes of mojitos, Aperol Spritz, margaritas, sours, and cosmopolitan, alongside some pretty tasty local and imported beers and wines.
Adding to the excitement of the relatively new endeavour, Doni Bar also run a happy hour from 5:30pm to 6:30pm, where you’ll be able to score $10 cocktails and $20 cocktail jugs, which is something we can definitely get around this summer.
The Valley Inn, 120 Fyans Street
A Geelong institution and favourite with the locals, The Valley has something for everyone – from a state-of-the-art sports bar and alfresco dining, to a chef-designed menu, the freshest Tank Beer on-site and even a cocktail happy hour. Running Friday and Saturday nights from 9:30pm to 11:30pm, the Valley bartenders will be slinging half price selected cocktails.
Check out their website here.
Pompei on Pakington, 321 Pakington Street
If you were expecting to just see pubs on this list, we’re sorry but Geelong has got some great eateries also jumping on the happy hour train. Combining our love of cheap drinks with our passion for carbs, Italian restaurant Pompei on Pakington are running weekly happy hours on Fridays. Between 3pm and 5pm, you can kick back with $6 drinks and cheap nibbles – perfect for those early arvo knockoffs.
Pasta and cheap wine? Say no more.
After a lot of time spent on the phone, it seems a handful of our favourite venues aren’t doing happy hour just yet due to COVID (The Deck, The Nash, The Commo). If you know of any spots that are still slinging cheap drinks and think they should be on the list, please let us know!
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