Lime

Sometimes a cocktail is as good as a meal. That's certainly the case with a big, bold summer drink called the Horchata Colada. Created by Paul Sofsky for the new Mexican restaurant El Corazon de Costa Mesa at the Triangle in Costa Mesa, the concoction serves up gooey pineapple chunks in a creamy base of smooth coconut rum, tangy lime and spiced horchata rice milk. The rim of the glass is an experiment in layering with crushed pretzels clinging to a sticky layer of sweet caramel sauce.

A.O.C., the small-plates restaurant concept by Suzanne Goin and Caroline Styne, recently moved to a lovely spot on 3rd Street in what was formerly Il Covo. The restaurant has long been known for its impeccable wine list, but it now has a full bar with cocktails by talented barman Christiaan Rollich. Rollich, who could easily be called a bar chef, is devoted to using the freshest farmers market ingredients in his drinks, often heading to the kitchen to weave in ever more culinary aspects to their execution.

Cinco de Mayo, a Mexican national holiday, is celebrated with parades, festivals and dances. The holiday recognizes the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla, May 5, 1862, in which Mexican troops defeated the invading French forces of Napoleon III. Serve a luscious dessert based on Mexican ingredients, Margarita Pie, as part of this festive occasion. Margaritas are one of the most well-known Mexican drinks--a tasty contrast of sweet and salty.

DEAR SOS: Ciudad, the Two Hot Tamales' restaurant in downtown Los Angeles, serves an amazingly refreshing drink with mint and lime. Do you think they'd share the recipe? KELLY KRIEBS Hermosa Beach DEAR KELLY: This is a great tasting drink sans alcohol that the gals--Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger--call Minty Lime Cooler. Add a shot of rum and you have a mojito, just in time for el Ano Nuevo. Minty Lime Cooler Active Work and Total Preparation Time: 5 minutes 1/2 cup lime juice 1/3 cup sugar 1/2 cup mint leaves 1 (12-ounce)

Saturday is National Absinthe Day. Don't ask who decides these things (Tuesday was apparently National Pancake Day, for example), but these faux foodie holidays do provide a fun excuse to indulge in a particular food or drink. In this case, you can get jiggy with the Green Fairy (as absinthe is sometimes called), which became legal in the United States nearly four years ago, after being banned in 1912. A debate has long raged over the possible hallucinogenic effects of wormwood ?