In Search of the Perfect Summer Drink

It's 90 degrees outside, the humidity is so thick it feels like you're walking through soup and your beleaguered AC unit never seems to keep your home or apartment quite cool enough.

There's no doubt that the dog days of summer have hit. So how do you beat the heat? Local bartenders and bar owners have a few tasty suggestions.

• Carlos Cocktail
  Suggested By: Mark Reese, co-owner of B-52 Burgers and Brew
  How to Make: 1.25 oz. of Jose Cuervo Silver Tradicional mixed with .75 oz. of Triple Sec, with agave nectar and pineapple juice. Top it off with a lime and cucumber slice.
  What Makes it a Perfect Summer Drink: Don't let the cucumber slice scare you away from this crisp cocktail, Reese said. "It's something we keep on the menu because it's different," Reese said. "This is the [drink] that we get the most comments on about being a very refreshing cocktail."

• "Get Kinky"
  Suggested By: Chris Nelson, manager of Drac's Pub.
  How to Make: The suggestively-titled Get Kinky is named for its main ingredient, Kinky liqueur, a blend of mango, blood orange and passion fruit flavors with vodka. Add Sierra Mist to complete this cocktail.
  What Makes it a Perfect Summer Drink: "It's something real fruity and refreshing, but it's not real heavy," Nelson said. The mixture is a recent—and popular—addition to the inventory at Drac's Pub, according to Nelson. In the short time the drink has been available, the pub has gone through a case of Kinky liqueur.

• Frozen Banana Split
  Suggested By: Bill Ashton, owner of Jersey's Bar and Grill
  How to Make: 20 oz. of 99 Bananas liqueur with ice cream, strawberry purée, pineapple juice, whipped cream and chocolate syrup.
  What Makes it a Perfect Summer Drink: "It literally tastes like the dessert, it's delicious," Jersey's employee Angie Seleski said. Ashton's explanation was simple: "It's frozen," he said.

• Electric Lemonade
  Suggested By: Billy Ruiz, owner of Drifter's Bar and Grill.
  How to Make: Mix 1.5 oz. of UV Blue with .5 oz. of Triple Sec, a dash of lime juice, 1 oz. of 7-Up and 1 oz. of Sweet and Sour.
  What Makes it a Perfect Summer Drink: Electric Lemonade is a specialty that Ruiz concocted earlier this summer.  "The delicious blend of lemonade and raspberry flavors complement each other so well, you can forget about the sweltering heat," Ruiz said.