Are you planning a virtual happy hour at work? If you are, check out this guide and comprehensive list of ideas before you put your happy hour plans together!
Virtual happy hours are events you can easily host via your preferred video platforms such as Zoom, FaceTime, Skype, or Google Hangouts. This social event is supposed to be light-hearted and fun, focusing on engagement and relaxation that takes the mind off the barrage of virtual meetings and work deliverables. But some companies like to use these as a team building opportunity as well.
We put together the best zoom happy hour activity list for your team to maximize happy hour fun while being at home. From drink and food tastings to games galore!
Food and Drink Activities
Everyone loves food and drinks, especially to kick off your happy hour! We have listed our favorite drink and food tasting activities that you will want to try as soon as possible with your team members.
1. Cozy Meal: Online Mixology Classes
Calling all aspiring mixologists! The professional mixologist will teach you the master techniques for making your favorite classic cocktails. Your group will learn how to make a killer cocktail and the history behind each drink.
You can choose from various mixology classes to master cocktail recipes, from margaritas to classic rum drinks. Cozy Meal has something for everyone's taste buds. Invite your friends or your remote team and sign-up to your preferred class to kick off your virtual happy hour event.
Check out Cozy Meal: Online Mixology Classes here.
2. Priority Wine Pass: Virtual Wine Tasting
Just because your group is social distancing doesn't mean you can't go wine tasting. Wine tasting is the perfect virtual happy hour idea! It doesn’t matter where you are, but the Priority Wine Pass has brought you the best virtual experience that will make you feel like you are right at a vineyard.
The Priority Wine Pass team will help you choose the perfect winery and wines suited for your happy hour guests, and they will ship you the wine kit straight to your door(s). Schedule a time for the tasting experience, which is led by the winemakers or winery owners.
We can’t forget to mention Priority Wine Pass only supports “small-production wineries, so that means that you're getting truly handcrafted wines ” for your group.
Check out Priority Wine Pass: Virtual Wine Tasting.
3. Common Space Brewery: Virtual Craft Beer Tasting
We didn’t forget about the beer lovers, and Common Space Brewery is a small brewery located in Los Angeles that wants to share its tasty beer through a virtual tasting experience. It is a great way to support small businesses and add a fun activity for your virtual event.
All you need to do is build your customized tasting packaging with the Common Space Brewery team and send them the guest list. They have the rest of the planning handled; they send their hand-crafted beers to your virtual party guests and a Zoom link so your group can kick off the hosted tasting event.
Check out Common Space Brewery: Virtual Craft Beer Tasting here.
4. Straightaway: Virtual Happy Hour and Cocktail Education
Need a little history lesson on your favorite cocktails? Straightaway has created the perfect combination of a virtual happy hour and a history lesson. They tailor the whole event to your preferences, from larger corporations to smaller private groups.
Choose your array of cocktails, let them know the best time and date for your group, and they will take care of the rest. Fully guided over Zoom for an hour of educational drinking fun!
Check out Straightaway: Virtual Happy Hour and Cocktail Education.
5. Cheese Grotto: Cheesemaking Class - Mozzarella & Ricotta
Cheese lovers alike, come join the ultimate cheesemaking class guided by Cheese Grotto. I know we love cheese, so this would be our go-to virtual happy hour activity! It might run a bit longer than an hour, but this class is worth it for any virtual events you are looking to host. Cheese Grotto will provide all the supplies and ship them to your house, and all you need to do is set a time and date for your group. Your virtual happy hour guests will have a supply of fresh mozzarella, burrata, ricotta, and mascarpone.
This activity is educational and hands-on while becoming a professional cheesemaker!
Cheese Grotto also has several other incredible cheese-related virtual tastings and classes that you can look at here.
Check out Cheese Grotto: Cheesemaking Class - Mozzarella & Ricotta.
Virtual Happy Hour Games
We curated the best virtual happy hour games to play when hosting a happy hour event from 5-minute games to full live hosted game night extravaganzas.
6. The Escape Game
Interactive fun with Escape Game offering several escape rooms to play during power hour happy hour!
It is super easy to run “Log onto Zoom (or your preferred video conference service) with your team. Our TEG host will join to get you started and help throughout the game. Your guide’s already in the room with a live camera feed. Work with your virtual team to direct your guide through the adventure. Pick up clues in your digital dashboard to solve puzzles and complete your mission in 60 minutes!”
Check out The Escape Game here.
Need more virtual escape room ideas? We got you covered; check out our 17 Best Online Escape Rooms.
7. Virtual Happy Hour Trivia
Trivia is always a fun way to break the ice when needing to pump up any event, especially when it’s happy hour! The best part about it is that you can do it for smaller groups and large groups too.
A trivia game is an easy set-up, and you choose from hundreds of different theme questions to test your group’s general knowledge. All you need is a master list of trivia questions, which we have already created for you here. Break your group up into teams and get your trivia on! You can have them go into breakout rooms for a few minutes to strategize if they want to before starting the game. Make sure to communicate the time limit before you start.
8. Power Hour Would You Rather
You only have an hour, so why not play the classic game of Would You Rather. It’s quick, easy, and engaging. It also is an excellent kick-off to any virtual happy hour, a great conversation starter, an awesome way to learn new things about your friends or co-workers.
This edition requires keeping score and keeping track of time when answering the “would you rather” quest. Each team member will only have 10 seconds, and if they surpass that time, they lose a point. If people answer on time, they gain a point. The loser of the round will have to buy a winner a drink or send them a gift card. Remember is just light-hearted fun to get to know one another and create bonding memories.
Check out our master list of 100 “Would You Rather Questions”.
9. Appreciation Applause
Taking the time to say thank you and recognize your group of co-workers is the ultimate activity. Appreciation Applause gives everyone a few minutes to appreciate each other and applause the accomplishments. Allow everyone to cheer on one of your attendees on something they have done recently or just let each person say something exciting they are working on or have completed. Make sure to applause every person.
Appreciation Applause is used at the beginning or end of the happy hour and gives everyone a virtual “pat on the back.”
10. Sing That Song
You might not be a singer, but who doesn’t love karaoke and a little music. Bring the karaoke room to you, and it is a great way to bond with your friends and co-workers.
All you need to do is create a song list and make sure to get the lyrics, which you can easily find on Youtube or Lyrics.com.
Grab your headphones with a mic, of course, and take turns singing along over your preferred video conferencing platform. Take the hour to sing, dance, and laugh with your peers!
Bonus Activities
We wanted to be sure you had a variety of happy hour ideas to choose from. So check out our bonus games and activities that will pump up your virtual happy hour!
11. Talent Show Extravaganza
Have you been dying to show off your unique talent! Well, virtual happy hour is the perfect time to do so with a little liquid courage.
Tell your attendees to prepare a small talent or secret skill that they are excited to show off. It doesn’t have to be anything special, and it can be simple as showing off your second language. A great example is putting your leg behind your head (which is my secret talent).
This activity is great for laughs and getting to know your group a little better!
12. Home Tour Highlights
Turn your happy hour into a mini "MTV Cribs" episode. Each participant can showcase a unique or favorite part of their home, sharing anecdotes or stories behind certain items or spaces. It offers a fun, personal glimpse into everyone's life.
13. DIY Craft Night
Choose a simple and fun craft activity for everyone to do together. Whether it's making friendship bracelets, painting, or origami, ensure the required materials are common household items. Crafting can be therapeutic and a fantastic way to bond.
14. Pet Parade
For those with pets, have a segment where they introduce and maybe perform tricks with their furry friends. Not only is this incredibly adorable, but it also provides some lighthearted fun and laughter.
15. Playlist Party
Have each participant contribute a song to a collaborative playlist. As each song plays, the contributor can share why they chose that particular track, sparking conversations about music tastes and memories.
16. Mystery Object Game
Everyone fetches an unusual or mysterious object from their home. Participants take turns showcasing and guessing the use or origin of the object. It's a fun way to get everyone engaging and thinking.
17. Bucket List Sharing
Everyone shares one thing from their bucket list and the story behind why they want to achieve it. This deep dive can lead to meaningful connections and even future plans to achieve some goals together.
18. Guess the Baby Photo
Before the happy hour, collect baby photos from participants. During the event, display them one by one and have everyone guess who they think it is. It's a nostalgic and amusing trip down memory lane.
19. Movie Night
Decide on a movie everyone would love, and watch it together using a synchronized streaming service. Discuss your favorite scenes and characters afterward. It's like being in a virtual cinema together.
20. DIY Mocktail/Cocktail Creation
Encourage everyone to use ingredients they have at home to create a unique drink. Share recipes, show off your concoctions, and maybe even name the drink after the virtual event!
21. Story Dice Game
Use virtual story dice or a similar app to roll dice with images. Participants then make up a quick story based on the images shown. It's a fantastic way to boost creativity and share some laughs.
22. Book Swap Recommendations
Discuss books you've recently read and loved. Offer to swap book recommendations and maybe even start a mini virtual book club. It's an enlightening way to discover new reads.
23. "Two Truths and a Lie" Game
Try out this classic icebreaker game where each participant states two truths and one lie about themselves, and the others have to guess which one's the lie. It’s surprising what you can learn about someone!
24. Theme-Based Discussions
Choose a topic or theme for the evening, like "travel destinations" or "nostalgic childhood memories." Everyone gets to share stories or experiences related to the topic.
25. Virtual Dance-Off
Turn up the tunes and have a virtual dance party. Participants can either freestyle or follow a chosen choreography. It's a lively way to get everyone moving and laughing.
26. Recipe Exchange
Share a beloved recipe with the group, describing its significance or the story behind it. Compile all recipes shared into a virtual cookbook as a memento.
27. Guided Meditation Session
Introduce a short, guided meditation to help everyone relax and de-stress. It's a refreshing pause and helps in rejuvenating the mind.
28. DIY Home Spa
Discuss and demonstrate simple at-home spa treatments, from facemasks to foot soaks. Everyone gets pampered while chatting away.
29. Virtual Bingo
Create a bingo card filled with phrases or actions commonly seen or heard during virtual meetings, like "someone's mic isn't working" or "unexpected background noise." As the happy hour proceeds, mark off squares when they happen. First one to get bingo wins!
30. Dream Vacation Planning
Dream big and plan a hypothetical dream vacation. Share where you'd go, what you'd do, and why. It's a wonderful way to learn about different cultures and destinations while also getting to know each other's travel styles.
Virtual Happy Hour Tips
Please take a look at our top tips when hosting an online happy hour. We want your event to succeed, and utilizing these tips will create a fun and engaging environment.
Get dressed up!
Happy hour events are always a great excuse to put on the new outfit you just bought or just to get a little extra dolled up. Or you can always get your group to choose a theme to dress up as. A perfect virtual happy hour theme is dressing up by decade.
Create food and drink combo happy hour deals.
Most remote happy hours have food and drink combo deals. We believe this is a must-have pro tip to successful virtual hangouts, So get creative with your friends and have a power hour on tequila and chips and salsa, for example. Really anything that gets people engaged and excited for the event. You can also always create a mocktail hour for those who prefer non-alcoholic options.
Send out an event and make sure to have the RSVP option.
Just because it’s a virtual event, RSVPs matters to ensure the right amount of supplies is ready. Depending on the activity, there could be a limit to the number of people who can join.
Vote on the activities.
Make sure everyone is engaged and excited about each activity. The best way to do so is to vote on the activities and see which ones interest your happy hour guests.
Keep it light-hearted.
The whole virtual event doesn’t need to consist of different activities as it is a time for your happy hour guests to learn new things and create bonds. It is a social event that encourages laughter and taking a break from your daily schedule. Be sure not to pressure anyone to drink and welcome alternative non-alcoholic drink ideas if there are any wine, cocktail, or beer tasting activities.
Frequently Asked Questions
We got you covered with any questions you might have regarding a virtual happy hour.
What is a virtual/online happy hour?
Just like any other happy hour, you would attend with your friends and colleagues. However, you will connect through a video conferencing platform. Make sure to use the right platform, which is often the one that you already use in the office for virtual meetings.
It is a time to relax and catch up over a fun game or two with your colleagues and friends.
How long does happy hour last?
The happy hour typically can last from 1 to 2 hours. It really depends on what your group’s preferences are. If you're playing virtual team building activities, they could last a little bit longer.
Who hosts, and how do you host virtual happy hour?
The host can be anyone in your group or multiple people. It is super easy to run, and depending on the activity you choose; you already have a live host included.
Whoever you choose as a host, all they need to do is organize a time, a few activities to enjoy, and select which video chat platform your happy hour will occur on.
Is there a specific activity and game you should play during happy hour?
Not at all, all the activities listed are completely optional, and it is up to you and your group to decide which ones you want to include. Virtual happy hours are social events meant to engage and blow off some steam from your busy lives.
It does help to play a game that everyone is familiar with, though. When in doubt, go for virtual games everyone is familiar with already, like a trivia game or virtual scavenger hunt.
Final Thoughts
Grab your cocktail kits and gather with your virtual happy hour. Make this event a monthly or quarterly activity to wind down and celebrate your accomplishments. Just because you aren’t always in the same room or physically at a bar, happy hour events shouldn’t stop.
The social event is perfect for incorporating with any video chat, and you can have any happy hour at the comfort of your own home. Virtual happy hours have become a staple for social events, and different activities and virtual happy hour ideas will continue to pop up. Let us know which activity your tried and loved!
For more awesome videos or Zoom activities to try out for virtual events, don’t forget to take a quick look at our list of the Best Zoom Activties.
