Happy Hour at the Magician: $2.50 Montepulciano?

If it were any cheaper, they'd be paying you.

There are drink specials and there are drink specials. For some, an $8 martini is a marvelous deal -- by New York cocktailing standards, anyway. For others, it's not happy hour unless you can pay your tip out in quarters. At the Magician, from Monday to Friday, 5-8 p.m., drinks are half-price, which means you get well drinks for $2.50, wine for $2.50, and pints for $3.50. Which makes 50 cents a pretty generous tip.

The scene ...

The black-and-white checkered floor gives this place a 1950s Hollywood diner vibe, while the jukebox gives it a 1990s New Jersey college-bar vibe. Sure, you've got your New Order, your Cure, your Smiths. But there's also Pearl Jam's Ten on there, and if you think some buttoned-down white guy isn't going to play it, you're wrong. Still, it's a small price to pay for drinks that are, well, a small price to pay. Bowls of free trail mix on the bar ensure your drinking stamina, and once the clock strikes 8, your gin and tonic only goes up to five bucks. Besides, where else can you get a glass of Montepulciano for $2.50?

The Magician
18 Rivington Street
212-673-7851
Happy hour: Monday-Friday, 5-8 p.m.

Get more happy hours here.

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