Quarter's Monangahela Mule   (Photo: Hannah Whitaker)

The Red and the Black
Back Forty
(190 Ave. B, nr. 12th St.; 212-388-1990; $5 at the bar only, Monday through Thursday 6 to 8 p.m. Friday 6 to 7 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 4 to 7 p.m.)
Tequila and muddled Berried Treasures strawberries make a fruity cocktail that isn’t sickly sweet. Housemade black-pepper syrup— in the drink and along the rim, with sugar and salt—adds a little kick.

Cuzco
Clover Club
(210 Smith St., nr. Butler St., Carroll Gardens; 718-855-7939; $6, Monday through Friday 5 to 7 p.m.)
The result of Julie Reiner’s Peruvian education in pisco is a complex, citrusy affair thanks to Aperol, grapefruit juice, and a rinse of Kirschwasser.

Jalisco Trail
Allen & Delancey
(115 Allen St., at Delancey St.; 212-253-5400; $6, Tuesday in the bar only)
Savor this honey-sweet combination of blanco tequila, acacia honey, Angostura bitters, and lime juice in a glass rinsed with Luxardo bitters at the weekly happy hour. Arrive very early or very late; otherwise it’s tough getting near the bar.

Kentucky Maid
White Star
(21 Essex St., nr. Hester St.; 212-995-5464; $7, before 9 p.m.)
For a breezier alternative to the mint julep, ask one of Sasha Petraske’s bartenders to make you this bourbon concoction lightened up with mint, lime juice, and sliced cucumber.

White Wine Punch
The JakeWalk
(282 Smith St., at Sackett St., Carroll Gardens; 347-599-0294; $7)
Lemon juice is key in marrying dry, crisp Schloss Mühlenhof and newly trendy Batavia Arrack (a centuries-old cachaça-like spirit made from sugarcane sap).

The Black Pearl
Elettaria
(33 W. 8th St., nr. Macdougal St.; 212-677-3833; $6, 5 to 8 p.m.)
After he shook it up, the mix of Old Forester bourbon, Cruzan Black Strap rum, demerara sugar, and bitters reminded proprietor Joe Swifka of Captain Jack Sparrow’s beloved ship— hence the name.

Muddy Puddle
Joe Doe
(45 E. 1st St., nr. Second Ave; 212-780-0262; $5.50, Monday through Friday 5 to 7 p.m.)
A rich, sweet combination of Sierra Nevada stout, bourbon, and iced espresso, with a rim of ground peanuts.

Monangahela Mule
Quarter
(676 Fifth Ave., nr. 20th St.; Greenwood Heights; 718-788-0989; $7)
This simple blend of ginger beer, lime juice, and rye whiskey may just replace the Dark and Stormy in your heart. Go on the weekend, when backyard grilling means free food beyond just the candied-ginger garnish.

Related:

• Archive: “Features”
• Articles by Daniel Maurer
• Table of Contents: Jul 20, 2009 issue of New York | Subscribe!