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Smart and savvy is the new protocol for prim and proper

Happy hour is the best part of the workweek. Cocktails, snacks and flirting before sunset? It’s a working girl’s dream. Plus, play your cards right and you can have a full night and be in bed by midnight — doesn’t get much happier than that. Here are a few tricks to optimize your happy hour.

Follow the Rules
Happy hour is a great opportunity to get beyond the cubicle with your co-workers. Lively atmospheres and a few cocktails tend to loosen people up and bridge the gap between colleague and friend. All great things — as long as you follow these basic rules. Rule 1: Flirting with co-workers is bad business — it may seem fun in the moment, but odds are you’ll regret it the next day. Rule 2: No gossip after hours. A few drinks and everyone’s ready to trash the boss or debate office romances — listen all you want, but hold your tongue. Rule 3: Keep drinking in check. Nothing is worse than being drunk in front of your boss — nothing.

Dress to Kill (the deal)
Business casual is the best thing to happen to happy hour since the drink special. Leave the suit at home and slide into something with a bit of an edge. Think skinny pants, shorter skirts and flirty dresses – fancy yourself an office Superwoman. Leave the sweater half of your favorite set at your desk, dab on a bit of blush, gloss your lips and leave the office behind. If your office hasn’t embraced the business casual trend, make the most of your suits — leave jackets in the office and opt for shorter skirts (within reason) and higher heels.

Sip Wisely
Like it or not, your drink says a lot about you. Chugging beer in a wine bar? You’re a tough girl with spunk. Sipping wine in a dive bar? You’re a snob with her head in the clouds. Nursing a cosmopolitan anywhere? You’re living in 2000 with Carrie, Miranda and the rest of the Sex and the City gang. Our best advice — consider your surroundings. If you’re in a beer hall, ask for what’s on tap. If you’re in a swanky outpost, go mixed drink or wine.

Pay Up
Happy hour should be financed in one way — rounds. Whether you’re working a new crush, commiserating with co-workers or strategizing with friends, the best way to pay is all at once. Let your crush buy the first round then pony up for the second. Spring for the first round with friends and they’ll follow suit. It’s collaborative, it’s easier and it’ll get you a drink much faster. And make sure to follow the $1/drink tip rule — you’ll impress your dates and your bartenders.

Never Linger
Closing time depends on your locale — and your company. If you’re in a restaurant/bar (think Houston’s) and just met the man of your (short-term) dreams, go ahead and stay for entrees. If you’re in a dive bar and the crowd is thinning, head for the exit. You don’t want to be the last person at happy hour — it’s not a good thing.

Cocktail Party Nutrition
Count your calories while swapping digits at happy hour. Be warned — they add up.
Beer: Most regular beers run around 150 calories, switch to light and save around 40
Wine: A good caloric bet with about 70 calories a glass. Kick the celebration up a notch with a glass of bubbly and you’re still in the clear with 90 calories or so.
Mixed Drinks: Mixed drink calories are all about the mixers — gin, vodka, rum and whiskey each have the same calorie count (60 to 110 depending on proof). Order a rum and Coke or vodka and Red Bull and you’ll be guzzling around 180 calories. Switch to Diet Coke or club soda and you’ll save 50.
Spring Break: Leave the margaritas and pina coladas for the girls gone wild  —no need to slam down 170 to 250 calories. Instead get your tequila in shot form for a mere 100 calories — plus a splash of Vitamin C from the lime.
Martini Madam: The best thing about a martini glass is its size. Small glass = calorie restriction. Calorie counts range from 160 to 400 in those sour-apple, dirty chocolate delights. In general, the more fruity or chocolate-y it sounds, the more calories it’s got. Tragic, but true.