A standout on the Masson strip, this Old Rosemont microbrewery has a hot list of continuously rotating beers that cover the spectrum from bright and fruity to robust and filling stout or stout-esque brews. It also mercifully shies away from the trend of making beer overladen with hoppiness.

La Distillerie has made a name for itself over the years for its creative cocktails; there’s also the original on Ontario E, one on Masson, and a new spot in Longueuil. Get there early for $3 off specialty cocktails.

Popular, party-forward VV Taverna — run by local wine importers Rézin — runs 5 à 8 specials that are tough to beat. On Fridays and Saturdays, expect pints of Boreale for $5, and from Tuesdays to Thursdays, there are reduced prices on bottles of wine. Sundays are even happier here, with reduced price bottles up for grabs until close.

This sister bar to Verdun's Palco is a fresh addition to the Ste-Catherine strip in the Village, with well-rounded booze offerings, and a charming terrasse in summer.

Café by day and bar by night, Darling's regular beer and cider prices feel like happy hour specials; the sprawling, steampunky interior alone is worth checking out, too.

Montreal’s oldest brewpub is now over 30 years old, but it still keeps pace with the numerous young gun imitators that have cropped up to the north and west of its Centre-Sud location.

With some of the city’s top mixology, Le Lab could probably get away without doing happy hour at all, but they go above and beyond, doing a 5 à 8 with historical cocktails at ridiculously low prices.

If any bar in central Montreal can assume the mantle of institution, it may well be Le Sainte-Élisabeth. It’s no frills, and with no particular aesthetic — the side street drinkery is just a bar du peuple. $4 beers are a staple of its 5 à 7.

This tiki-style bar offers some of the most creative cocktails in the city. Pitchers of their innovative libations — think chia fresca and ginseng pisco sour — come at a bargain from 5 to 8 p.m. Beer and shooter combos are also available for cheap.

The newest addition to the Burgundy Lion family, this Old Montreal gastropub does happy hour the way it’s meant to be. That is, with $5 pints of Burgundy Lion Ale, $6 pints of Bishop Special Bitter, and $8 glasses of house red or white wine from Monday to Friday, 5 to 7 p.m. Bonus: it boasts a covered and heated terrace that stays open all through fall.

Some may deride Brutopia due to its Crescent Street location — they should be thanking them for offering some of the only decent beer (and a huge selection, at that) in an otherwise desolate area for good taste.

Head to Tavern on the Square for great deals on natural and biodynamic wine and sparkling options by the glass. The Westmount restaurant also offers upmarket bar fare such as turmeric spiced cauliflower and smoked and roasted chicken wings.

In the warmer months, Knox’s dreamy twinkle-light-laden terrasse is reason enough to trek over to Pointe-Saint-Charles. The fact that Thursdays here feature dollar oysters until 8 p.m. is just a bonus.

Drinkerie's straight-up bar approach filled a void in Little Burgundy with cocktails well-done and free of pretension, and ample other drinks for those who don’t want hard liquor.

Tony Campanelli's mini Saint-Henri fiefdom includes this hip dive-cum-neighbourhood bar with diverse crowds and very loud tunes.

One of the early settlers after Verdun changed its archaic laws on booze, Palco fulfills just about every need for booze, and does it well, accompanied by a neat selection of comfort food.