These 6 cocktails are perfect for summer sipping at Phoenix bars and restaurants

Now that the heat is on again, it’s time to find refreshing beverages that help you chill out in more ways than one. Luckily, the Valley’s bars and restaurants have a superb selection of summer sippers on the roster, from light yet crazily complex gin-and-tonics to icy concoctions with fruity overtones. Here are six to explore.

The Cuban Link at Coabana

1 E. Washington St., #124
602-529-2630 The decor at Coabana harkens to old Havana, with tropical plants, a black-and-white checkerboard floor and pops of green and salmon-pink tile. The Cuban Link ($13) echoes the vibe and the color scheme. Don Q Cristal and Coconut rums conjure that island flavor, and passion fruit puree and lime are layered lovingly through the crushed ice so that the color gradates from pale green on the bottom to vibrant pinkish-orange on top. Demerara sugar makes it sweet but not cloying, and the festive sip is garnished with dried lime and an edible orchid.

Christiaan’s G&T at Fat Ox

6316 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale
480-307-6900 Christiaan’s G&T is an ideal afternoon aperitif created by star bartender Christiaan Röllich, who joined the sleek Fat Ox (and sister restaurants The Mission and Zinc Bistro) in March. The drink starts with a compound gin made with vodka, juniper, rose, coriander, lemon and cucumber slices. The cocktail also boasts a mind-boggling list of botanicals including cloves, juniper, star anise and bay leaf along. Even the tonic syrup is made in-house and requires the zest of three grapefruits, 18 lemons and nine limes as well as chopped lemongrass, dried cinchona bark root, dried wormwood, sugar, water and citric acid. Whew. Like all of Röllich’s culinarily inspired concoctions, it’s part mad scientist and part world-class cocktail master. The exact recipe for this drink and more are in his book, appropriately titled “Bar Chef.”

Spa Day at Hundred Mile Brewing Co.

690 N. Scottsdale Road, Tempe
480-256-1623 Hundred Mile Brewing Co.‘s breezy, indoor-outdoor ambiance, earthy yet modern feel and charming, repurposed brick building isn’t quite the same as a poolside retreat with whirlpools and massages. But its Spa Day cocktail ($12) is possibly just as fun, especially because there’s also a dog-friendly patio with games like cornhole and giant Connect Four. The drink includes Tito’s Vodka shaken with agave syrup, lime juice, cucumbers and fresh mint, topped with Fee Brothers Fee Foam bitters and garnished with cucumber slices and mint leaves. The bitters foam up when shaken to mimic frothy egg whites, providing a creamy topping for a sweet yet clean-tasting blend of vegetal and herbal flavors. Not many small breweries have a full bar, let alone this decent of a cocktail scene, so Hundred Mile is a great stop for groups with a mix of tastes.

Turquoise Margarita at Manuel’s Mexican Restaurant

8 Valley locations Manuel’s is not where you go for the latest in creative cocktails. But it has a friendly, family-eatery atmosphere and a decent lineup of traditional and slightly offbeat margaritas made with a nicely balanced house mix. The Turquoise Margarita ($12) features a smooth Tres Generaciones Plata organic tequila with a dose of sweet pineapple juice. Sugar from added blue curacao gives it a slightly sticky factor, but also lends that stunning color that gives the drink its name. The Turquoise Margarita conjures images of an exotic lagoon, so take a sip, dream about taking a dip, and ask for a double if you really want to forget the heat (and possibly everything else).

Polar Puppy at The Cave at Quartz

341 W. Van Buren St., Suite B
602-385-0299 The eye-popping mirrored inner sanctum of The Cave inside Quartz, a brand new downtown Phoenix double-concept bar, sets the stage for Instagram-friendly cocktails. With its rope lights, pink-and-tan booths and video screens, the bar serves drinks based on deserts of the world from Antarctica to Egypt to Mongolia. The icy Polar Puppy ($18) comes served in a barrel mug and is made with rhubarb-infused Spirit of Hven Summer Spirit aquavit – appropriate for a summer sipper – and crushed ice to give it that slushy factor. It also has ginger syrup, elderflower liqueur blended with cloudberries, soured pineapple juice and a float of Wren House Valley Beer. It’s garnished with Mörk, a Scandinavian dark brown sugar syrup, a Mörk “pawprint” candy and a sprig of dill. Despite the disparate-sounding ingredients list, it’s cohesive, complex and slightly sweet with subtle herbal and fruity notes.

Men Come, Mango at So Far So Good

901 N. First St. Roosevelt Row’s popular hangout The Churchill features a wide open interior ringed by a perimeter of funky local businesses, including the bar So Far So Good. Belly up for a Men Come, Mango ($15) and grab some tacos from Provecho across the way for the perfect flavor combo. The drink starts with a base of tequila infused with cinnamon and tropical fruit and is rounded out with blanc vermouth, elote liqueur, agave, chamoy and muddled cucumbers. It’s topped with soda and garnished with a lime and a wrapped Pica Gomas mango candy. The flavor isn’t overtly mango heavy – more of a clean fruit punch with some tartness and hint of sweetness from the elote and agave – and the soda gives it a fizzy finish.