The straphanger cocktail at Blue Owl

Q Where can I try drinks made with seasonal ingredients?—Dan Piatkowski, Lower East Side

A For some, spring’s long-awaited blossoming signals the beginning of seasonally fresh drinking. If you prefer tart and savory to sweet, pass through the phone booth inside Crif Dogs to PDT and sip a tequila-fueled Rhubarbarita—rhubarb puree, Grand Marnier, lemon juice ($12)—or a Rite of Spring, which blends gin and dry vermouth with brine from freshly pickled ramps (cured by the Momofuku Ssäm crew, no less). Order it now: When the brine supply runs dry, so does the cocktail. In the subterranean Blue Owl, sample the Straphanger ($13; $6 until midnight on Wednesdays), a fruity concoction of gin, prosecco, muddled fresh strawberries (locally grown whenever possible) and Pimm’s No. 1 Cup. Continue warm-weather sipping at Employees Only, and peruse a list of classically prepared potions like the peachy Bellini ($13) and the Pisco Sour ($13), before settling on the of-the-moment Amelia ($13): vodka, St. Germain Elderflower liqueur, fresh lemon juice and pureed blackberries—often locally sourced—agitated to frothy perfection.

—Joshua M. Bernstein

See previous Barhop