Sweet sips of summer

Sangria is a perennial favorite. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Who can resist a light, refreshing, perhaps fruity cocktail while dining al fresco?

Sangria is a perennial favorite, and pitchers of red wine mixed with soda and fresh citrus slices can be found sweating on sidewalk cafe tables everywhere now.

"The secret is to soak the fruit for at least six hours," says restaurant manager Rick Font at Agua, the popular Spanish restaurant at Beijing's Nali Patio, where sangria flows like water at the restaurant's weekend brunch. "Besides the popular version with red wine, we also make sangria with white wine."

Another popular summer cocktail is the pisco sour, which you might see being enjoyed on television this week while Premier Li Keqiang is visiting Latin America. This cocktail, which uses pisco as the base liquor, is claimed by both Peru and Chile: In Lima it's made with Peruvian pisco, key lime juice, syrup, ice, egg white and Angostura bitters. (Chile's version is similar, but uses Chilean pisco and Pica lime, and doesn't include the bitters and egg white.) We've found a nice version in Beijing at Centro in the Kerry Hotel－where we once saw Peruvian ambassador Juan Carlos Capunay giving the bar staff a quick how-to lesson during a Peru food festival there. This weekend, we also found the drink offered as a summer special at the hutong bar Mao Mao Chong.

The shandy, beer mixed with a soft drink, carbonated lemonade, ginger beer, ginger ale, or apple juice or orange juice, is another hip choice, with ginger-beer versions offered by many brew-pubs around the country.

Finally, there are few drinks more refreshing than an icy mojito. An oddity not so long ago in Beijing, mojito stands have popped up all over in the capital's bar streets and hutong, where fresh mint, sugar and rum get mashed together for as little as 10 yuan in a plastic cup for sidewalk strollers. Fancier versions can be found at the best restaurants and bars.