The Meaning of happy hour interpreted by theories of practice in the context of the pandemic

From socialization to self-reward

Abstract

Happy hour is a social practice held in the environments of bars since the beginning of the twentieth century whose typical objects of consumption are drinks and portions. Therefore, this practice has peculiar elements of materiality,  competences and meanings that make its realization difficult to be imagined outside the bars. However, social distancing triggered as a preventive measure to the COVID-19 pandemic was a tipping point that shifted happy hour to the home environment. In this sense, this work aims to understand how the happy hour practice was reconfigured in its elements of materiality, competences and meanings for the domestic context after the social distancing caused by the pandemic. The research results highlight the consumption of new products, such as craft beer, wines and Growlers, and the practitioner’s efforts in developing competences, how to make portions and learn to taste more expensive drinks, as determinants for the maintenance of happy hour practice in the home setting. The reconfiguration of happy hour brought new meanings to this practice through the consumption of products of higher purchasing value. If before the pandemic happy hour meant the socialization of the practitioner, during the pandemic happy hour began to mean their self-reward. With this, the marketing managers of breweries and winemakers have the challenge of establishing a marketing communication capable of stimulating the happy hour practitioner to continue consuming premium beers and wines in this social practice.