Elite NYC bar hosting two-day pop-up event in Houston
Cocktails priced between $25 to $35 aren’t exactly happy hour deals.
But when the drinks are shaken, stirred and served by bartenders of Employees Only, a perennial favorite on the elite World’s 50 Best Bars rankings, they could be worth the price — or at least cheaper than a plane ticket to New York City.
Come March 26-27, the Four Seasons Hotel Houston’s speakeasy-style bar and lounge Bandista, one of the top bars in the city, will host the award-winning Employees Only for a pop-up. It’s a reservations-only affair with 90-minute seatings available between 5 p.m.-midnight.
“We are excited to welcome our friends from Employees Only to H-Town,” said Tom Segesta, the hotel’s general manager, in a prepared statement. “Their talented team will bring our guests a taste of the Empire State’s finest cocktails.”
The Employees Only team slated to come to Houston includes bartender Dimitrios Vasilakis, bar manager Frank Maldonado and general manager Jonathan Yutzy.
There will be five cocktails on the menu:
• Besos Calientes (El Tesoro Blanco tequila shaken with house-made grapefruit cordial, fresh lime juice and dashes of habanero bitters; served over ice)
• Last Leaf (Patrón Anejo tequila with clarified coconut milk, pumpkin, caramel and spiced pear; served over a large ice cube)
• Amelía (Haku vodka and StGermain shaken with pureed blackberries and fresh lemon juice; served up)
• Yankee Nation (Woodford Reserve double-oaked bourbon stirred with Rainwater madeira and dashes of chamomile cordial; served over a large ice cube)
• Sail Away (Roku gin with clarified milk, passion fruit, apricot, Benedectine, hibiscus tea, lemon; served tall)
Part of the proceeds will be donated to Camp H-Town, a sleepaway camp hosted by the Four Seasons Hotel Houston in partnership with the University of Texas MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital for children diagnosed with cancer.
Employees Only — often referred to simply as EO by regulars and industry types — opened in New York City’s West Village in late 2004 and remains one of the Big Apple’s most popular bars. It’s discreetly located in a picturesque neighborhood with tree-lined cobblestone streets. A psychic is often found greeting (and offering readings) to customers at the door.
The bar was part of a small group of establishments in New York City in the early aughts that helped revive speakeasy-style bars serving craft cocktails popular today. EO also has bars in Los Angeles and Singapore.
The Bandista team plans to hold its own New York City popup at Employees Only in early 2025, according to a spokesperson.