I came into Time on a Wednesday for their happy hour, and chose the Whiskey Bar to begin my excursion. Greeted by a friendly barkeep named Tim, I was quickly given the lowdown on the happy hour specials. I decided to try one of the dollar-off drafts, choosing Flying Dog’s Dogtoberfest after considering the other 20 drafts available. I am a fan of both Flying Dog and Oktoberfest beers, so I thought this would be a slam-dunk. From the tap, the Dogtoberfest yielded a healthy 2-finger head, and the nose and taste confirmed Tim’s earlier assessment that the beer had a good amount of malty sweetness, and possibly a touch too much spice.

While sipping my beer, I was able to overhear the bar manager ordering kegs from his distributor. Tim informed me that they had gotten eight kegs in that week alone, Time’s way of ensuring that there is always something new and fresh available.

Moving on through the happy hour selection, I ordered a $5 Dark & Stormy cocktail. A good combination of Rum and Ginger Beer, possibly better suited for hot summer nights rather than a cool October afternoon, but it was delicious nonetheless. Speaking of delicious, although it’s not officially on the Happy Hour menu, Tim makes a mean Manhattan with Old Overholt Rye. Not too sweet with just the right amount of vermouth, and garnished with cherries that have been soaking in Rye, a steal at $6.

My Manhattan and I made our way over to the Restaurant side just in time to see the band start. This is truly one of my favorite aspects of Time. They have great bands and DJs playing 5 nights a week. Not only that, but they pay most of the bands out of pocket, so there’s usually not even a cover. Other bars with the same (or lower) caliber of musicians are charging at least a $5 cover, so in my mind that means I get a free drink when I go to Time with the money I save from not paying cover!

With an amazing ability to balance diverse crowds and varied tastes, Time is quickly becoming one of Midtown Village’s major hotspots. Stop into their Happy Hour Monday through Friday 5-7pm, or check the events page on their website to learn about the great music happening Tuesday through Saturday!