Barcode: Red Sky

Red Sky, neon dreams

One thing you might notice wandering into Red Sky on a Tuesday night, past the DJ set up by the open windows overlooking the low-slung lounge couches, is that the room is filled almost exclusively with young women. They're at the bar and crowded around the plush banquettes tucked in the corners of a dining room that stretches deep and narrow toward an open-air kitchen. They're everywhere. What sort of strange paradise is this?

What it is, in fact, is "Ladies '80s Night," a weekly promotion that offers women a free three-course meal - with a $10 drink minimum. So, in honor of that most fluorescent of decades, we ordered drinks perfectly suited to the scenery. The Funky Monkey (SV Silk vodka, banana liquor, OJ, grenadine, Galliano float, $10) served in a stemless martini glass, was a saccharine explosion of neon pink typical of Red Sky's cocktail menu. "That's like a space drink," our friend said. "I thought it would be bright, but that's some Technicolor action."

"This tastes like a million bucks," he continued, "but it's not sophisticated at all." No, but perhaps it doesn't need to be. A quick glance around the room found groups of women wielding the cocktails like boozy, glowing light sabers.

The Melo Grand Martini (New Amsterdam gin, midori, pomegranate, lime juice, Sprite, $10) and the Key Lime (Triple 8 Vodka, Triple Sec, lime juice, sour, star fruit garnish, $10) were a bit more complex. It still wasn't high-end mixology, nor was it particularly well suited for pairing with food, but after a few of them a strange thing started happening. Between the colorful, sugary drinks and the irresistible '80s songs, everything coalesced into hazy fun. A group of girls behind us started singing along to "Total Eclipse of the Heart," and we let ourselves, just this once, get a little carried away.

Red Sky Restaurant & Lounge, 16-18 North St., Boston. 617-742-3333. redskyboston.com