America's Backyard

Yeah, it's got a silly name. And the concept makes you think of Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan head bobbing at the end of A Night at the Roxbury. But as the weather gets warmer and the clothes get smaller, a nightclub that models itself after a neighborhood cookout is quite the attraction. America's Backyard, it turns out, is nothing short of a huge pool party where the pool is swimming with bartenders and the deep end overflows with sparkling alcohol. The pool, AKA the main bar, is a tiled fortress of smiles and cocktails, the centerpiece of this open-air shindig. Turn east and find yourself at the beer station and the mercy of the redhead behind the bar. Oh, the redhead. The night is clammier than Madonna's hot pants, but if you play it cool — and skip the usual suspects on tap — you can pick from many bottled beauties from around the globe. Be creative. The beer is an instant conversation starter, an easy way to show her you're a citizen of the world. After she rejects you, shoot upstairs to the deck and tank down tequila shots to regain your dignity (and simultaneously lose your ability to speak without slurring). The attentive and courteous staff is not stingy with the juice. Wednesday is ladies' night, which means ladies drink free after 9 p.m. and at midnight play Pick-A-Purse for a $500 cash prize. It's '90s night on Thursday, so fill up on $3 Long Island iced teas and Real McCoy tunes, but the real party begins when the week ends and the inhibitions are tossed aside with work IDs. That's when alcohol mixes with dance music, rendering otherwise respectable young professionals helpless and desperate to dance on the bar.