One of Center City’s best happy hours is hidden in plain sight. Cooperage Wine & Whiskey Bar has been serving unflappably elegant lunch, dinner and drinks to Washington Square patrons since 2010, and those in the know have been taking advantage of the convenient location and great prices found inside the wood-filled room.

One reason Cooperage misses many people’s radar is also one of it’s strong points — the bar, which is run by catering expert Joe Volpe (Tendenza, Vie, Cescaphe), is tucked inside the Curtis Center. This historic, column-fronted building takes up the block between Sixth and Seventh, Chestnut to Walnut, and is the former home of Curtis Publications (producer of Ladies Home Journal since 1883!).

The bar entrance is located on the Seventh Street side of the building, and once you duck inside, any thoughts of the 1880s disappears. A quick look at the draft list — with nine local and US crafts that rotate frequently — and the huge roster of whiskey proves it. Those drafts are normal just $6, but at happy hour, they’re all half price.

The happy hours deals run for three hours, 4–7 PM, Monday–Friday, so in addition to $3 craft brews (right now options include Victory Donnybrook Stout and Lefthand Polestar Pils), there are plenty of other ways to spend your post-work hours having fun without making a dent in your wallet. Mixed drinks are just $5, the same price as glasses of house wine. Bar snacks for $5 include mac ‘n’ cheese, chips and guacamole, cheesesteak fries, a BLT, chicken nachos and even more.

If you do end up succumbing to the pull of a happy hour that lasts until 7 PM and want to stay for dinner, there’s plenty to keep you busy. The bartenders are well-versed in traditional cocktails, and there’s a long list of new, signature drinks, too. A solid selection of reds and whites hails from around the world.You can choose to buy a growler of beer for $28, and have it refilled for $18. Food is classic American, and if you haven’t ever tried the Coop’s burger, you’re in for a treat. All in all, this secret is too good to keep hidden for long.