Nothing strikes more simultaneous fear or joy in my heart than the following two words: happy hour.

The joy: A reason to bag on work a little early? Check.  Trying that new, exotic drink that has things you can’t even pronounce, but you would also never order when at full price?  Check.  A chance to see your co-workers get ever so slightly sauced before they have to go
home to their children and spouses?  Double check.

The fear:  I have absolutely nothing to wear. Not one single thing. In this mass of cotton, silk, spandex, rayon, and cashmere exists not one single article of clothing that will allow me sit around at my desk all day without itching, and also allow me to imbibe in that stylish
half priced cocktail.  Not to mention the shoes.

What do I do?  What any rational woman does, of course.  I pack an entire change of clothes for happy hour.  Oh, you wanted to just roll downstairs and across the street at 5PM?  Sure!  No problem!  Just let me do this phone booth change in the handicap stall while I pray that
none of my accessories precariously perched on that little purse ledge fall into the toilet.

Voila!  Ready for happy hour!  Now that you’ve arrived, after your male counterparts have only loosened their ties, you can sink your taste buds into that deliciously half priced cocktail. Enjoy, friend. You’ve earned this one.

Here is one of my favorite exotic cocktail recipes straight from Thailand.  Give this one a whirl at home, and the only happy hour outfit you’ll need is your jammies.

This is a loose adaptation of a cocktail while I had in Phuket a few years back:

• mix equal parts gin, vodka, chilled black tea, and sweetened condensed milk, shake with ice and strain
• float a shot of mango juice on top, and squeeze some lime juice to taste
• if you are fancy, add a star anise on top prior to serving