Happy hour returns to Indiana after 40 years of ban

LAWRENCEBURG, Ind. (WKRC) – Happy hour has returned to Indiana after 40 years.

A bill has been signed into law in the House of Representatives that allows bars and restaurants to offer hourly drink deals.

Happy hour was banned to reduce drunk driving, but the bill’s author said research shows no correlation. Happy hour must end at 9 p.m. and cannot be offered for more than four hours per day. Bars and restaurants also cannot offer drinking games or two-for-one promotions.

Despite all this, state Rep. Jake Teshka, (R)-South Bend, said bringing back cocktail hour will be the boost bars need post-Covid.

Indiana residents are toasting happy hour once again. Hourly drink deals were banned in 1985, but some still remember when they were a thing.

“We’d all get together after work and have quarters, nickel nights, ladies’ nights with penny drinks. It was good. A good time,” said Carl Carlson, who was enjoying happy hour.

Carlson and his friends were having beers at Hoosier Icehouse. The bar’s manager said his staff was already preparing for the law to go into effect.

“We’ve been looking at how many more kegs we’re going to need and things like that for our specialty beers on tap, and we’ll be bringing in a couple more cases because we don’t want to run out of stock,” said Hoosier Icehouse bar manager Dustin Fornicola.

This week they’re going big, offering $3 draft beers and $2 off their martinis. Fornicola said his bartenders will continue to make sure people drink responsibly.

“We’ll start giving out some water and hanging out, and we’ll cut them off or whatever, but this bar is really cool. We haven’t had any issues with that,” Fornicola said.

Just around the corner, The Captain’s Tavern is shaking things up and spreading the word.

“I think times are changing, so it’s about time we got on board. We’ve adapted a little bit more to the times,” said Cecelia Charles, a bartender at The Captain’s Tavern.

Charles said it will also help to make ride-sharing services more accessible in rural areas of the state.

“It’s easier for people to be more responsible and I think that’s probably a benefit of happy hour. It definitely promotes responsibility,” Charles said.

Not only that, but bars are adding karaoke and trivia nights to their happy hours, which is another way to help boost business.

“It’s like it’s a little bit of something together. Like I said, everyone loves a good deal,” Charles said.

Downtown Lawrenceburg features a designated outdoor refreshment area, also known as “DORA.” People can enjoy their happy hour drink to-go in a sealed container. Indiana’s 2023 traffic safety report showed there were 122 alcohol-related fatal crashes. That’s nine fewer than in 2022.