9 best spring cocktails in Cleveland

new orleans soho by gus chan pd.JPG

(Gus Chan/ The Plain Dealer)

It's officially "spring" here in Northeast Ohio.

The calendar says so, but the snowflakes that fall as these computer keys clack suggests otherwise...

Of course, anyone who has lived here for more than one cycle of the seasons, knows that spring is a relative terms in these parts. When we want to hurry the warmer weather along, some of us are thinking spring cocktails.

Finding a few good ones is a great way to shake off those winter blues.

So, what makes a spring cocktail? Light, lilting flavors? Floral and citrus notes? Summer fruit? Perhaps a little bubbly?

In a couple of instances here, it's all of the above. We even point to a wicked take on the lemonade-iced tea mixer. If this sounds good to you, read on.

Did we miss a good "think spring"-style cocktail? Let us know in the comments section below. Just promise that you'll have a couple of these before you do:

SOHO Kitchen and Bar (1889 W. 25th St., Cleveland; 216-298-9090; www.sohocleveland.com). New Orleans (and more specifically Mardi Gras) gets a couple nods on the list. The New Orleans cocktail at SOHO straddles the traditional whiskey sour and rattlesnake, but without the egg whites. Uniting rye and absinthe with pickled cherry, blood orange and Peychaud's bitters? Perfect. This one gets mentioned in our recent "50 Things to Eat and Drink in Greater Cleveland" and for good reason: this is downhome Southern comfort, every bit as attractive to look at as it is to savor.

Luxe Kitchen and Lounge (6605 Detroit Ave., Cleveland; 216-920-0600, www.luxecleveland.com). Last year, our Cle.com pal Kristel Hartshorn got the quick-and-dirty on how make Luxe's Violet Cocktail, but there's nothing like getting one poured for you. The recipe includes blackcurrant puree and Creme de Violette, which gives it a very royal purple color, along with cranberry juice and sparkling lemonade. You may not like fancy, Nancy, but this is a cocktail that you can't miss with. Tangy, floral, and with a hint of bitter, this is spring in a glass.

Fairmount Martini and Wine Bar (2448 Fairmount Blvd., Cleveland Heights; 216-229-9463, www.thefairmount.net). We mentioned The John Daly cocktail in a recent "National Martini Day" column on Cleveland.com, but if you've been itching to hit the links all winter long, this is a must. Like a Bizarro version of an Arnold Palmer (see how we worked in Superman and his odd doppelganger there?) this martini named for a golf iconoclast features house-infused black tea vodka and homemade lemonade. A couple of these and you're definitely a "Cinderella Story, kid from nowhere!" Looks like a nine-iron.

Society Lounge (2063 E. 4th St., Cleveland; 216-781-9050, www.societycleveland.com). Everyone is drinking Moscow Mules these days, but if you're looking for something just a shade different, the Pyrus here is worth imbibing. Society builds their signature cocktail with Citadelle London dry gin, then fortifies it with pear and lemon juices, house allspice (a.k.a. pimento) dram, and a handcrafted ginger beer syrup. One could say this has autumnal notes, and one would be correct, but that sweet-and-spicy combo is a refreshing eye-opener. Bonus: they cater-in some great food.

The Black Pig (2801 Bridge Ave., Cleveland; 216-862-7551, www.theblackpigcleveland.com). Citadelle London dry gin is also the basis for The Black Pig's Flower Sour, which also features St. Germain elderflower liqueur, lemon and grapefruit juice with a sparkling wine float. It's floral, citrusy, zesty and you're surprised when a flapper girl from the "roaring twenties" doesn't bring it out to you. The Black Pig moved recently, into the old Light Bistro spot, and their cozy new confines and the impending spring (hurry up already!) beg for a couple of these delightful cocktails.

Speakeasy (1948 W. 25th St., Cleveland; 216-274-1010, www.speakeasy216.com). Have a crack at a Miss Lonelyhearts here, surely named for Nathaneal West's postmodern literary work about the disillusionment and angst of a newspaper advice columnist. The irony is that this lilting combo of Tito's Vodka, blackberry syrup, lemon juice and Prosecco is anything but depressing. As a spring primer or summer cooler, it is every bit as perfect as is its neighbor on the menu, the Hemingway Daiquiri (which unites Bacardi, Luxardo, lime and grapefruit juice). Can a Jonathan Lethem Amnesia Moon cocktail be next?

South Side (2207 W. 11th St., Cleveland; 216-937-2288, www.southsidecleveland.com). Four Words: Rock and Roll Monster. It describes a lot of Clevelanders and makes a cool Ed Sullivan-Muppets nod to boot.  This refreshing martini-glass libation has Three Olives Pomegranate Vodka, sour mix and lemonade. It basically sings summertime... Truth be told, we've always been fans of their Bloodbuzz Ohio (a sorta Tequila Sunrise named for The National song of the same name). It's absent from the current menu, but if you ask nicely, their bartenders will whip one up for you.

Prosperity Social Club (1109 Starkweather Ave., Cleveland; 216-937-1938, www.prosperitysocialclub.com). I have a good friend who is a photographer and she pours a mean French 75. But it's getting to be wedding season for her, and I can't count on her a good home-pour from April to Thanksgiving. So absent her cocktail mastery, my personal go-to is at Prosperity. Why? You can get a solid French 75 at a lot of places in Cleveland, but having a kitchen full of delicious ethnic- and tavern feasting choices without having to leave the premises? That pretty well seals the deal.

Bourbon Street Barrel Room (2393 Professor Ave., Cleveland; 216-298-4400, www.bourbonstreetbarrelroom.com). Didn't get down to NOLA for Mardi Gras? The King Cake Cocktail at Bourbon Street makes up for it. We end with this Big Easy nod (also in our recent "50 Things to Eat and Drink in Greater Cleveland"). It is a bit dessert-like, with praline-infused Portside white rum, cinnamon syrup and chicory pecan bitters that round out the cocktail. And yes, there's a King Cake Baby floating in the ice. They also make a sharp "Category 5 Hurricane," if you're not into having the "Baby Jesus" in your glass staring back. Ummm, guilt much?

Chakerian is a freelance writer in Bay Village

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