5 to Try: Summer Drinks in LA

BLOOD ORANGE DIABLO: Straying from the typical martini and cosmo, this unassuming bar is a hidden find when it comes to cocktails that pack an unexpected punch. After a day out on the sand, try the Blood Orange Diablo. Whipped up with Chinaco silver tequila, D'Aristi honey-anisette liqueur and blood orange juice with an orange twist, it's a prime example of the bar's unique cocktail menu.

ALVARADO STREET COCKTAIL: Take a ride down Alvarado Street by way of Dominick's in WeHo. This sweet and sour concoction bursts with a melding of tangelos, cinnamon-infused agave syrup, El Jimador silver tequila, lemon and lime for $11. Rather than sit indoors, head to the restaurant's outdoor patio and sip it at sunset.

DEEP CLEANSE COCKTAIL: After a stressful day at work, head here for happy hour and a Deep Cleanse. (No, not at the spa.) A mix of aloe vera juice, Hendrick's gin, fresh-squeezed lime juice and muddled English cucumber, this is relaxation in a glass. The soothing koi pond isn't so bad, either.

LEMONADE: Not everyone wants to kick back with a cocktail. (We know it's crazy, but it's true.) If you'd actually rather quench your thirst than engage in alcohol-induced dehydration, stop by this Abbot Kinney cafe (or its other locations) for one of the namesake drinks offered in flavors like watermelon rosemary, blueberry mint and ginger peach. Best of all, the $2.96 drink is a whole lot cheaper than the 21+ stuff.

PRUDE'S DEMISE: Just in time for summer, this Hollywood-bordering supper club, famed for its artisan cocktails, is pouring Prude's Demise. The island-themed drink, which debuted in Spring 2010, offers a rather potent and unusual mix of ingredients--Jamaican over-proof rum, lime juice, Velvet Falernum, kaffir lime, pepper syrup and soda. But the finishing touch is what really puts this cocktail over the top: kumquats, freshly picked from the front of the restaurant.