East Passyunk Avenue Launches Summer Swigs, A Weekly Rotating Happy Hour Series

-Courtesy of Punch Media
photo of Summer Swigs at Stateside by Samantha Schultz

East Passyunk Avenue Business Improvement District (EPABID), home to more than 160 independently-owned shops and restaurants in South Philadelphia, is embracing the summer season with the continuation of its new Summer Swigs, a weekly rotating happy hour featuring various top tier restaurants and bars offering an extra special happy hour, held every Wednesday from 5 – 7pm. Each week, one business will act as “host” for Summer Swigs, and will feature a selection of light bites and discounted libations, available for one-night-only. 

Summer Swigs stems from the impressive line-up of happy hour happenings along East Passyunk Avenue on a weekly basis, with the goal of showcasing one locale per week and offer imbibers and food enthusiasts an exclusive (and affordable) experience. Now through the end of summer, folks can pay a visit to a plethora of businesses for curated bites and cocktails from 5 – 7pm every Wednesday, with an upcoming lineup of Ember & Ash on August 2, Stogie Joe’s Tavern on August 9, Noir on August 23, The Dutch on September 6, and Flannel on September 14 (to name a few). One constant Wednesday-only happy hour is Chef Nicholas Elmi’s Laurel with its menu encompassing $2 Oysters, $6 Wines, $6 Beers, and $12 Cocktails. 

In addition to Summer Swigs, a bevy of local restaurants and bars boast noteworthy happy hours to experience throughout the week, and even some on the weekends, with hotspots and offerings including the following:

• Barcelona Wine Bar (Monday – Friday, 4 – 6pm): 50% off all bottles of sparkling wine, Mini Espresso Martini and Mini Dirty Martini for $7 each, Montadito with Serrano, house-made ricotta ($5.50), and NY Beef Tartare with mustard vinaigrette ($8.50)
• Bing Bing Dim Sum (Sunday – Friday, 4:30 – 6:30pm, Saturday, 3 – 5pm): House Junmai Sake ($8), High Life ($4), Happy Hour Cocktail ($9), House Red or White Wine ($9), Cheesesteak Bao ($5), Scarlet Dumplings ($7), and Sichuan Chicken Wontons (8). 
• Cantina Los Caballitos (Monday – Friday, 4 – 6pm, Sunday – Monday, 10pm – 12am): Classic Margarita ($6), Classic Margarita Pitcher ($20), Red Sangria ($9), $2 off all draft beer, Mexican Hot Dog ($5), and Happy Hour Taquitos ($2). 
• Ember & Ash (Monday – Friday, 5 – 7pm): $1 off all draft beer, $2 off all wine by the glass, Prosecco ($6), Half Dozen Oysters ($10), and rotating food specials. 
• La Scala’s Birra (Tuesday – Friday, 4 – 7pm): Blood Orange Margarita ($6), Seasonal Sangria ($6), House Red or White Wine ($7), Truffle Fries ($8), and Cheese Pie, Red, White or Garlic Oil Pizza ($6). 
• Pistola’s del Sur (Monday – Friday, 5 – 7pm): $1 Buck-a-Shuck Oysters, Tuna and Salmon Belly Tiradito ($5), Weyerbacher Dallas Sucks ($4), Wines ($6), and $10 off Margarita Pitchers. 
• Stateside (Wednesday – Friday, 5 – 7pm): $5 Old Fashioneds & Manhattans, $6 Pinot Grigio Hybrid and Notes Cabernet Sauvignon, and $5 Select Draft Beers. 

This celebration of food and beverage delights along the Avenue will continue throughout each season, and further details on East Passyunk Avenue-wide programming will be made available in the coming weeks. 

IN OTHER EPABID NEWS: East Passyunk Avenue’s extensive host of retailer shops have recently extended hours of operation to accommodate shoppers looking to peruse and browse later in the evening — whether post-work or after dinner and drinks on the Avenue. Now on Wednesdays, retailers including (but not limited to) August Moon Co., Metro Men’s Clothing, Tildie’s Toy Box, Tiny Tildie’s, Occasionette, Latchkey, South Fellini, Frame Fatale, Eastern Pass Tattoo, Amelie’s Bark Shop, and Bird’s of Prey have extended their hours to 7pm. 

On Wednesdays throughout the summer and fall, East Passyunk Avenue hosts its weekly Farmer’s Market from 3 – 7pm in front of the South Philadelphia Older Adult Center (corner of East Passyunk Avenue and Dickinson Street). This al fresco pop-up market is organized by Farm to City and features locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables such as Taste of Puebla, Habitat Coffee Roasters, Fruitwood Farms, Triple Bottom Brewing, and more, as well as a rotating line-up of live entertainment. 

For additional information regarding East Passyunk Avenue Business Improvement District and for a complete list of businesses, go to visiteastpassyunk.com and follow EPABID on Facebook.com/eastpassyunk  |  Twitter: @EPassyunkAve  |  Instagram: @eastpassyunk.