Create a stir

In the Triangle, the cocktail scene is shakin'

As the weather warms up, nothing beats cooling off with a cocktail, preferably while sitting outside people-watching, pitying those not doing the same.

It's not just spring's pleasant temperatures that make this prime season for cocktail sipping. The Triangle's cocktail scene is experiencing a season of rebirth itself. Blossoming now is the trend toward creative alcoholic drinks that highlight the taste of the liquors rather than mask them, a la the Cosmo craze of the early 2000s. What we discovered while scouring the Triangle for summertime sipping is some inspired mixology. Many bartenders, aka mixologists, are bringing the eat-local fervor to their cocktail menus by using local fruits and vegetables or offering creative twists on familiar favorites, such as a Polish mojito or a bourbon margarita. And you Carrie Bradshaw fans can relax -- plenty of candy-coated vodka drinks are still out there as well.

Here are our sip-in-the-sun suggestions, organized by whim:

Sophisticated setting

In downtown Raleigh, The Mint (1 Exchange Plaza) is serving a drink called the Saint of Circumstance, using the elderflower liqueur St. Germain. Legend -- or a savvy marketer -- holds that elderly bohemian men gather the flowers used to make this ethereal liqueur, transporting blossoms from the Alps to the distillery in burlap bags strapped on their bicycles. Regardless of how they collect the flowers, the resulting liqueur has an intoxicating floral aroma. The Mint's bartenders pair it with Sauvignon Blanc, lemon-lime soda and lime juice and serve it on the rocks. It goes down almost too quickly at $11 per glass.

Serious mixology

Meet Chuck Babcock at J. Betski's in Raleigh and Mike Robb at Crook's Corner in Chapel Hill. Both Robb and Babcock love Campari, a bitter orange Italian aperitif. Babcock is partial to the Negroni, a mix of Campari, vermouth and gin for $7, while Robb serves a drink called a Monte Carlo Sunrise, $7, which is Galiano and Campari mixed with fresh orange juice.

Babcock also serves a twist on a mojito called a Polhito, $7.50, using Luksusowa vodka, fresh mint, ginger and lemon. If you go to J. Betski's (10 W. Franklin St. Suite 120), be sure to order a homemade pretzel plate served with chicken liver mousse, Liptauer cheese and a few gerkins. Meanwhile at Crook's Corner (610 W. Franklin St.), Shannon Healy, a manager who oversees the cocktail menu, has preserved two stalwarts of their cocktail menu: Crook's Frozen Mint Julep, a mint sorbet topped with bourbon, and a Chapel Hill, which is bourbon, triple sec and fresh juice.

Girl's night out

Venture to North Raleigh, where Margaux's (8111 Creedmoor Road) is serving The Watermelon Twist, $10, with watermelon vodka, sour mix and cranberry juice. Ordered with a splash of cranberry juice, it is like drinking a watermelon Jolly Rancher. Meanwhile in Durham, City Beverage (4810 Hope Valley Road) has 28 concoctions on its martini, margarita and cocktail menu. The restaurant serves an option that scares us but might please a bachelorette party: three cocktails, whose ingredients are either too numerous to mention or secret, available in a 32-ounce or 48-ounce bowl for $15 or $18. (Obviously, your entourage should include a designated driver.) On Glenwood South, Red Room (510 Glenwood Ave.) is offering a brand new sangria menu. Among the eight offerings, one stands out: Blueberry Lemon, a refreshing take on the traditional Spanish wine-and-juice staple. If you go on a Thursday night, glasses of sangria are half price from $4 to $4.75, just right if you're working up the nerve to salsa dance -- on Thursdays, Red Room also offers salsa lessons. (On a recent Thursday, you may have been overcharged for sangrias as I was. The restaurant's management reimbursed me and blamed the overcharging -- 25 cents to 75 cents per drink -- on a computer glitch, which has been corrected.)

Tucked-away settings

At Lantern in Chapel Hill (423 W. Franklin St.), you can sip a summery cocktail in the rock garden patio outside the bar's entrance. Your options, while strawberries are in season, include The Red Geisha, which is muddled fresh organic strawberries with lime, ginger and vodka. Or try a Windy Village, a concoction of Meyer lemon and cucumber gin made with fresh lemon juice. Floating cucumber slices offer a heady scent as a prelude to a crisp sip. Both drinks cost $8.50. At Jujube (1201-L Raleigh Road) in Chapel Hill a $7 cocktail called "You're Unbelievable" caught our fancy. Avinyo Cava, a sparkling Spanish wine, is paired with lemon juice and a pear-cinnamon syrup. It is an effervescent cocktail with a cinnamon finish, perfect for drinking on the patio.