Sot in the City: It's time to hit the bottle — not the beach!

For a twist, sip flavored mojitos at Urban Cocktail Lounge (3216 South Grand Boulevard; 314-772-3308); they come in coconut, lychee and lemongrass varieties ($7). Brandt's Café (6525 Delmar Boulevard, University City; 314-727-3663) has blueberry, raspberry and strawberry versions ($7.50), and Atomic Cowboy (4140 Manchester Avenue; 314-775-0775) offers a special blackberry mix ($8).

When mid-August arrives, not even the fruity and minty can save you anymore. Hallucinations have already settled in ("The Cards won the World Series again!?"), which means you've already downed some absinthe. The enigmatic elixir that once rivaled wine as France's most popular drink was banned in the United States for nearly 100 years. Now the marquee outside Flamingo Bowl (1117 Washington Avenue; 314-436-6666) proclaims in neon-green flashing letters: "Absinthe Is Back." And how!

There, this choice drink of legendary writers and artists is $9 a shot. Bartender Lindsay Patan serves it Frenchy-style by pouring Lucid Absinthe Supérieure into a handblown glass and allowing ice water to drip over a sugar cube that's propped over the spirit with a slotted silver spoon. This creates the cloudy and potent potion famous for tasting like crap — unless black licorice is your thing. A palatable variant can be found at Hammerstone's (2028 South Ninth Street; 314-773-5565), where absinthe is simple syrup, water and ice combined for a sinfully sweeter sip into oblivion ($9).

Upon realizing that absinthe no longer causes hallucinations, change things up by ordering a savory, salty margarita. Its sunshine color will help you relive Cinco de Mayo's tepid weather and free tortilla chips. So will recent Washington Avenue addition Beso (1130 Washington Avenue; 314-588-7864). The festive, south-of-the-border atmosphere is where you can find $3 margaritas all day, every day. Not good enough? The eatery's margarita menu features fifteen others (including the $25 Millionaire Margarita) along with a build-your-own section.

Continue the marg madness at Agave (4198 Manchester Avenue; 314-652-4283) with the Agave Margarita ($9) made with El Mayor, Gran Gala, Cointreau, freshly squeezed lime juice and agave organic nectar. Or get one arriba-style in a 16-ounce Styrofoam cup at Nachomama's (9643 Manchester Road, Rock Hill; 314-961-9110) drive-through window.