Summer is a mixed blessing for drinkers in the city: we have to deal with the heat and humidity, trapped between buildings and reflected off blacktop streets, but an afternoon escape into one of the city’s best bars is easier than ever. Because so many urban dwellers leave town, restaurants roll out some of the best deals of the year (and the bar is less crowded, too). Check out four new happy hour deals that have just popped up around Philadelphia.

Birra
Previously, afternoon weekday deals at this East Passyunk pizza and beer stop were food-only, but summer has brought discounts on drinks as well. From 4–6 PM, Monday–Friday, look for $3 craft drafts, cans and well drinks, $5 Lionshead pounders and a cheese pizza for just a fiver. Beverage director (and chef’s wife) Jessica Fox also introduced a new list of $10 cocktails (including the classic Italian sgroppino – here with Finlandia, lemon, Prosecco), one of which will be on special each day of the week (1700 E. Passyunk Ave., 267-324-3127).

Le Virtu
Dubbed Il Campo, the fantastic garden behind this East Passyunk Italian is the perfect spot for an alfresco sip, and for the warm weather season, a new happy hour has begun. Weekdays from 5–7 PM, stop at the bar or head to the back patio to partake in $3 craft drafts, $4 well drinks, $5 house wines and sangrias and $7 signature cocktails. Bites from chef Joe Cicala include Abruzzi faves like bruschette ($5) and palot cac’ e ove (braised egg and cheese croquettes in tomato sauce; $6). The picnic tables await (1927 E. Passyunk Ave., 215-271-5626).

Pod
Even Stephen Starr is getting in on the summer discount game — West Philly just isn’t the same without the universities students (whether that’s good or bad, we’ll leave to you to decide). The swoopy white-walled pan-Asian has launched a Monday–Friday, 4–6 PM happy hour menu that features a slew of creative $5 “martinis” (orange-ginger-carrot has our mouth watering), as well as $4 drafts, $4 house wines and $5 glasses of bubbly. To go with the sips, pick up $5 maki and $7 dim sum bites (3636 Sansom St., 215-387-1803).

Twisted Tail
Happy hour is making the leap from late-night-only to daytime prominence at this Headhouse Square blues and BBQ joint. Starting Saturday, July 7, specials will run every day from 4:30–7:30 PM (yes, that’s weekends too, and three hours long). In addition to $3 drafts, $4 wines and $4 well drinks, you can order “southern wine coolers” for $5 a glass or $12 a pitcher, and $5 bar snacks like pulled pork sliders, corn fritters and wings. Plus, each day features a different themed special - Saturdays are for $5 mint juleps, for example, and Sundays bring half-priced bottles of Champagne (509 S. 2nd St., 215-558-2471).

Photo: southern cocktails at Twisted Tail, by Danya Henninger