What I’m drinking

Rum, lime, mint -- all the refreshing ingredients are there. But the Mojito is so ‘90s. For those looking for a cool-down cocktail this summer, here are three classics.

Caipirinha

Asia de Cuba, 8440 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. $11.

In Rio de Janeiro, where the ferocious sun makes our summers seem timid, the locals sip caipirinhas. The heart of the drink is cachaca, the national liquor of Brazil. Related to rum, it’s produced from sugar cane but typically tastes stronger and more rustic. Bartenders at the Asian-Latin hybrid restaurant Asia de Cuba mix fresh lime juice with sugar cane juice, eschewing the tradition of muddling limes with sugar, then pour in Pitu, a common brand of cachaca. It all goes in a lowball glass dusted with lime-flavored sugar and finally it gets a stick of sugar cane and a wedge of lime as garnish.

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Mai Tai

Trader Vic’s, 9876 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills. $9.95.

Though actually created in Oakland, the mai tai has become synonymous with the Pacific Islands. Victor Bergeron III, better known as Trader Vic, was looking for subtle accompaniments for a bottle of 17-year-old Jamaican rum. So he poured in fresh lime juice, orange Curacao, rock candy syrup and a dash of orgeat, an almond-flavored syrup. He offered the new concoction to friends visiting from Tahiti, and they dubbed it “Mai tai -- roa ae,” or “out of this world -- the best.” The recipe has changed over the years as long-aged rum became scarce and wildly expensive, but the refreshing tropical flavors remain the same.

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Pisco Sour

Ciudad, 445 S. Figueroa St., downtown. $7.50.

Both Peru and Chile lay claim to pisco, a grappa-like liquor produced from the muscat grape. That works for the pan-Latin restaurant Ciudad, which stocks piscos from both countries and combines the potent spirit with lime juice and a dash of sweet and sour. Meringue powder gives the drink a foamy top (and is safer than raw egg whites). Fairly sweet on first sip, the sour has a tart citrus kick on the finish.