Here's What You Should Know About How To Keep Up With Starbucks' Happy Hours

Caffeine is crucial to starting my day off on the right foot. Without it, I'm more apt to be cranky and just generally tired. Coffee is straight up magic in my book. In order to get me through the entire day, I need more than just a cup in the early morning hours. Come the afternoon, I'm ready for a little something to perk me up. That's why I always look forward to Starbucks' Happy Hour events. Lately, it seems the events have been few and far between. It's got me wondering, "What days does Starbucks have Happy Hours?" There's no set answer, but generally speaking, you can expect it to be on one of these two days.

Over the past few years, I've become an avid Starbucks customer. So, you could say that I'm in the know when it comes to Happy Hour events. But, going based on history, Starbucks typically hosts the Happy Hour toward the end of the week. It seems like a good majority of Happy Hour deals take place on Thursdays, but I can definitely recall several instances when there's been a Friday Happy Hour offer.

It's my experience that Starbucks Happy Hour events, at least last year, took place on a fairly regular weekly basis. However, since the start of the year, I've noticed that Happy Hour events have seemed to become less frequent. That hasn't impacted the days that Happy Hour is offered, though. So far this year, each Happy Hour event has taken place on a Thursday or Friday. For example, on Thursday, April 4, Starbucks' Happy Hour included $3 grande-sized espresso-based drinks. On Valentine's Day, which also happened to be a Thursday this year, Starbucks's Happy Hour had buy-one-get-one-free handcrafted espresso drinks.

Starbucks did mix things up the weekend before Christmas last year. Instead of its usual Thursday or Friday Happy Hour, Starbucks gifted customers with a three-day weekend Happy Hour event. This particular Happy Hour included two deals: Buy-one-get-one espresso drinks and hot chocolates. As you can see, Happy Hour doesn't always take place on a Thursday or Friday. For the most part, though, it's a safe bet that it will be one of those two days.

Wondering how you can stay in the know about upcoming Happy Hour deals? Starbucks recently made changes to the program, but it's still easier than ever to gain access to discounted drinks from the popular coffee chain. Starbucks ditched its Happy Hour website in favor of the store's app. (Previously, you could punch in a few quick personal details on Starbucks' Happy Hour website to gain access to that week's specific promotion). So, step one to finding out about Happy Hour deals is to install the Starbucks app on your mobile device. Luckily, it's available for download on iOS and Android devices.

You will need to sign up for a Starbucks Rewards account (it's free) or log in to your account in order to check out the Happy Hour deals. Once you're all set up, any current Starbucks Happy Hour deals will be loaded into your account. To claim the offer, show the barista your barcode and just mention you'd like to redeem the Happy Hour deal when you go to order. So simple.

Last March, Starbucks announced that the company was bringing back its beloved Happy Hour event for customers. Happy Hour started back in 2010 and only included Frappuccinos up until last year, according to a press release from Starbucks. Now, with its current Happy Hour set up, Starbucks offers all sorts of drinks during Happy Hour like espresso-based beverages, a variety of iced teas, Frappuccinos, and more of your favorite caffeinated libations.

When Happy Hours come around, they begin at 3 p.m. local time at select Starbucks locations. So, keep checking the Starbucks app to find out when the next Happy Hour starts. Sometimes, Starbucks will send emails with more details to the address registered with your Rewards account. Usually, though, the app sends push notifications to your phone (as long as you have those turned on), so you never miss a deal. I'll drink to that.