Craft Cocktails for less than $5?

  Craft Cocktails for less than $5?

   I Don’t Know About You, But I’m Feeling 492. T-Swifts lyrics are fitting. What an amazing Happy Hour experience I had at 492. I’ve had the pleasure of dining there when they initially opened and have had a drink or two previously at the bar, but this experience was next level.

      When we dined their previously, we sat at the community table. I remember we sat next to a bunch of schoolteachers who were having a Girl’s Night Out. We very much enjoyed their company.

My husband and I are the type who prefer to sit at a bar and have engaging conversation with others, rather than at a table by ourselves. It was no surprise, when I asked him if he wanted to sit at the Chef’s Table this time and he agreed to it.

If you are looking for a laid-back experience, then I highly recommend sitting at the Chef’s Table. From there you could see all the action in the kitchen.

I watched Chef Josh Keeler attend to every aspect of a plate with such passion and care. You could see his love of food come out in the way he cooked. He tended to a piece of cauliflower like he was sending it out to the President.

We started the evening with some cocktails. The first cocktail was the Summer Breeze. It was perfect for the hot summer days that we, Charlestonians, know to be true. The Summer Breeze was very simple and refreshing, and included vodka, Campari, lemon, and basil.

I enjoyed the simplicity of the cocktails. You could taste every single ingredient. Next, we decided on a couple snacks to enjoy with our drinks. We ordered the Focaccia bread paired with the Culatello smoked meat.

The Focaccia bread was seasoned just right and so fluffy. I literally could have eaten just the whole thing of bread myself.

The Culatello was perfectly smoked, not too dry, and not too salty. It paired well with the bread. We also ordered the King Trumpet Mushrooms with Parmesan and the Grilled Shrimp. The mushrooms and red wine sauce were to die for.

I am a lover of mushrooms and up and until this point there was only one other place in Charlestonnm that I thought made a mushroom dish worth ordering.

492 is now on my list. The Grilled Shrimp reminded me of a Charleston-version of the New Orleans BBQ Shrimp favorite. The shrimp were large and the tomato sauce gave them a rich flavor. Four shrimp came on a plate.

We finished off the Happy Hour with another cocktail, the Charleston Reviver. The Charleston Reviver again was very light and refreshing. It featured rum, Blanc Vermouth, and lemon. It was one of their $4.92 happy hour specials.

It amazed me that you can get a hand-crafted cocktail of this quality in downtown Charleston for less than $5. Tuesday nights is Service Industry Night at 492. Food and Bev industry workers enjoy 25% off their meal and drinks all night.

They also feature live music on the patio (weather-permitting) starting at 8pm. 492 should be on your happy hour list! Hand-crafted cocktails, delicious snacks, and a laid back atmosphere, make this a new favorite of mine for happy hour.