Happy Hour By Any Other Name, Is Still Happy Hour
I wonder what nibbles this cocktail will get me.
I had to chuckle after reading a story in yesterday’s “New York Post”. They were reporting on the newest trend to hit New York bars, they call it aperitivo. Instead of merely serving peanuts and fish crackers with cocktails, bars are now offering Italian type nibbles with olives, cheeses, cured meats, and bruschetta. I’m chuckling because this is merely a relabeling of a custom that’s been around, forever.
Let’s see, a few years ago tapas were the rage. Tapas are a tradition from Spanish bars. Then, the Greeks have their own version that’s called meze, small plate snacks that are served in bars for the cost of a drink. So now the Italians are the snack experts with aperitivo.
To be honest, I don’t know if there were charges for the tapas or meze plates. But these trendy, new, free aperitivo snacks come with a price – cocktails that average $12 to $13. Frankly, take me back to the prehistoric days when I worked in NYC. I often made my dinner at happy hours. There were free rumaki, cheese, crackers, veggies, etc. for the cost of a drink that was less than $5 apiece. I didn’t need them to tell me the snacks were imported from another country. All I needed to know was that my meal for the night was covered by the cost of a cocktail.
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I’ll still go with beer and pretzels.
I’m with you.