Spring drinks that can lift your spirits

May 5, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

By John Austin

McClatchy Newspapers

During these precious spring days, before the summer scorch begins, our thoughts turn to the patio and to cooler, more effervescent cocktails than the hot concoctions that got us through winter.

We’ve rounded up six recipes for refreshing libations to stir your spirits. Each recipe makes one drink.

Caipirinha

A distilled liquor called cachaca (pronounced “ka-sha-sa”) is the base of Brazil’s national cocktail, the caipirinha.

Make it:

One lime

Dash simple syrup

11/4 ounces cachaca

Dash soda water

Slice the lime into eighths and muddle with simple syrup. Add ice and top with a dash of soda water. Garnish with the lime you used.

Nutritional analysis per serving: 103 calories, trace fat, 7 grams carbohydrates, trace protein, no cholesterol, 2 milligrams sodium, trace dietary fiber, 1 percent of calories from fat.

Acai Sour Warhead

Lead bartender Rob Cacurak at the Glass Cactus in Grapevine, Texas, invented this one. It uses the new acai berry-infused Veev liqueur.

Make it:

11/4 ounces of Veev acai liqueur

11/4 ounces of Apple Pucker schnapps

1 ounce of sweet and sour

Dash of blue Curacao

Rim half the glass with sugar. Shake ingredients with ice, strain into a martini glass and garnish with a maraschino cherry and mint sprig.

Nutritional analysis per serving: 166 calories, no fat, trace carbohydrates, no protein, no cholesterol, 7 milligrams sodium, no dietary fiber, 0 percent of calories from fat.