You should really try to photograph this place when it's filled with beautiful women," Dushan Zaric tells us while surveying Employees Only. He and partner Jason Kosmas opened the popular cocktail restaurant in New York City's West Village last year, and, beautiful or not, people have been packing the place. So what is the Employees Only recipe for success? It's a simple mix, really: a laid-back restaurant with good food and great cocktails.

Taking your girl (or potential girl) to a cocktail bar is a great way to close the deal. They're usually intimate, and the drinks are both strong and tasty. Although we'd normally tell you to stick to drinks that are clear or involve whiskey, the "cocktail" stamp placed on a beverage grants you some leeway to experiment with taste and color. Please note: It's one thing to sip a tasty drink made with fresh berries and liquor at a table in the back of a dimly lit bar, and quite another to slurp a cosmopolitan while being bounced around a club.

In addition to time and finesse, quality cocktails require quality ingredients-premium liquors, fruits, and garnishes. Unless you have the resources and space to mix a proper cocktail, go out. You can experiment when there's nobody to impress. In the meantime, take a look at these recipes courtesy of Employees Only for a little inspiration.

Employees Only is located at 510 Hudson Street, New York, NY, 212-242-3021

Pimm's Cup
The Pimm\'s Cup dates back to London in the 1840\'s. Pimm\'s # 1 is a gin-based liquor, giving the drink its unique taste. A perfect way to start the night.

Ingredients:
2 oz. Pimm's #1
3/4 oz. Cointreau
3/4 oz. fresh lime juice
3 thin slices of cucumber
3 sprigs of mint
4 oz. ginger ale

Directions:
1. Combine Pimm's, Cointreau, and lime juice in a Collins glass or tall highball.
2. Add cucumber, mint, and ice.
3. Shake or stir briefly.
4. Top off with ginger ale.


Mata Hari
Mata Hari was an exotic dancer executed by firing squad for espionage during World War II. Here she comes to life again as a tart and fruity cocktail.

Ingredients:
1 oz. Courvoisier VS
1 oz. chai-infused sweet vermouth
1 oz. fresh pomegranate juice
1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz. simple syrup
3 dried rosebuds, for garnish

Directions:
1. Pour all ingredients into a mixing glass.
2. Add ice and shake vigorously.
3. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with rosebuds.

Greenwhich Sour
The Greenwhich Sour is Employees Only\'s take on the Whiskey Sour. By adding dry red wine and an egg white to the equation, they make it all their own. "An egg white?" you ask. Try it, you\'ll like it.

Ingredients:
2 oz. Wild Turkey Rye Whiskey
3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
1 3/4 oz. simple syrup
1 egg white
3/4 oz. dry red wine
1 orange wedge
1 brandied cherry

Directions:
1. Pour whiskey, lemon juice, simple syrup, and egg white into a mixing glass. Add ice and shake vigorously.
2. Pour all contents into a large tumbler or rocks glass.
3. Float red wine and garnish with orange and cherry. Home // STYLE // PRODUCT GUIDE // LIQUORS // EXOTIC DRINKS // Here for the 'Tail