PITTSBURGH -- Summer entertaining comes with some definite perks.

Menus are more relaxed because we’re often cooking simple foods like burgers or chicken on the grill, and with farmers markets in full swing, there are so many seasonal fruits and vegetables available that virtually any recipe is easy to source.

Being in vacation mode also ushers in a more carefree attitude because there’s something magical about summer activities like catching lightning bugs and watching the blazing oranges and pinks of a setting sun dip below the horizon.

So it bears asking: If living is so famously easy in summertime, shouldn’t the cocktails we whip up on a sultry evening be just as effortless, with just one question to be answered: shaken or stirred? (A common rule of thumb is shake if there's citrus or mixer, stir if there's not. )

The answer to surefire success, says Fred Siggins, author of “Equal Parts Cocktails: The Simple Ratio for Spectacular Drinks” (Ten Speed Press, $22), may lie in the time-tested formula of making cocktails that are built on an identical 1:1:1 ratio of ingredients.

“If the idea of making good cocktails at home sounds daunting, don’t worry, it’s a lot easier than it seems,” he writes in the introduction.

He makes a negroni with 1 ounce each of gin, campari and sweet vermouth, and a tropical mai tai with ¾ ounce each of Jamaican rum, orange liqueur, lime juice and amaretto.

“Strip away all the fancy tools and techniques professional bartenders use, and all you’re doing is putting a couple different liquids in a glass,” Siggins says.

Local bartenders agree that’s a smart approach when entertaining.

“For me, it’s all about the balance of a three-component cocktail, from boozy sips to low-ABV options,” said Aaron Trentadue, beverage director at F&F Pizzeria in Mt. Lebanon.

He loves a mezcal bijou, a smoky, agave-forward take on the pre-Prohibition cocktail made with gin, sweet vermouth and green chartreuse.

Elva Li, a bartender at Okane Sushi, Downtown, is another who favors drinks that have only a few seasonal ingredients but still pack a punch with amazing flavor. Sours, which are traditionally built with a base spirit, a sweetener and a citrus element, are especially big right now, she says.

“I love the balance they bring — they are so refreshing!” she said. One prime example is the pistachio sour she shook together in a stainless-steel cocktail shaker on a recent Thursday using Japanese Toki whisky, lemon juice, egg white and pistachio simple syrup.

Though some customers order the same popular cocktails time after time, tastes can change along with the availability of fresh ingredients, she said. “So I always create seasonal cocktails” that match the weather and keep choices fresh and exciting.

One trend that’s proved massive no matter the weather is agave spirits, said John Hess, who leads the bar at The Commoner in Downtown.

“The agave train keeps rolling!” he said. “Now, more than ever, people are into tequila, whether it’s in an espresso martini or a unique riff on a classic agave cocktail” like a margarita or paloma.

That rise in popularity is also feeding the trend of tropical and spicy flavors.

“People want everything spicier and more juicy than years before,” Hess said. “Bartenders all over the country are fermenting fresh fruits and peppers to create unique, funky flavor profiles.”

The Commoner currently has on the menu a house-made ramp kimchi dirty martini derived from the bartender’s many years of foraging for the stinky, wild leeks in the Ohio River Valley.

“I’m always looking for fresh, fun ingredients” to add to his mostly chef-driven cocktail recipes, he said.

Both Li and Hess agree that spirit-free and low-alcohol cocktails remain strong, as both professional and home bartenders create thoughtfully crafted zero-proof cocktails for guests to enjoy. Trentadue has also noticed more people asking for nonalcoholic and low-ABV drinks.

“It’s moved way past a fad,” he said. “Even if you’re a cocktail enthusiast, sometimes you just want a killer house-made soda or low-ABV spin on a classic, and we get that.”

F&F’s Royal Mule, a house-curated soda with a ginger flavor, is a standout example. Bright and herbaceous, the patio sipper is made with mint, lime, ginger, simple syrup and ginger beer, a highly carbonated sweet beverage known for its spicy kick. “It’s way better than a standard ginger ale,” Trentadue said.

If you’re new to cocktails or simply want to get better at making them, Siggins’ book includes a chapter on getting started with proper tools of the trade, including a breakdown of glassware, and tips on how to stock a home bar (with thoughts on which spirits and flavor makers are “critical”). Its 50 recipes range from all-time classics everyone knows (margarita, martini) to party favorites (cosmopolitan, espresso martini) to modern classics born out of the cocktail renaissance that began in the 1990s (whiskey-based paper plane, rum- and Campari-forward jungle bird).

Or, hit your cocktail spot with one of the following local recipes. They may break Siggins’ rule by including more than three ingredients, but only slightly — and they’re all fairly simple to stir or shake together. That makes them perfect for your Independence Day cookout or any other time you gather with family or friends this summer.

Cheers!

Pistachio Sour

Elvi Li, a bartender at Okane Sushi, Downtown, uses blended Suntory Toki Whisky as a base spirit in this Japanese twist on a whiskey sour that trades pistachio simple syrup for standard simple syrup.

You can find pistachio simple syrup at coffee shops, specialty grocers and online. For homemade, combine ¾ cup sugar, ¾ cup water, ½ cup shelled and toasted pistachios and a pinch of salt in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, then remove from heat, cover and let sit for 20-30 minutes to cool slightly. Transfer syrup to a blender, process until very smooth and pour blended syrup through a fine mesh sieve.

2 ounces Suntory Toki Whisky

1 ounce lemon juice

¾ ounce pistachio simple syrup

1 ounce egg white

Pistachio cream and crushed pistachio, for garnish

Combine whisky, lemon juice, pistachio simple syrup and egg white in a cocktail shaker.

Seal tightly without ice and shake vigorously for 10-15 seconds.

Using a standard Hawthorne strainer and a fine-mesh sieve, strain into a chilled coupe or rocks glass.

Garnish the side of the glass with pistachio cream and crushed pistachios if you desire.

Makes 1 cocktail.

— Elva Li, Okane Sushi

El Diablo Verde

This drink leans into the sweet and spicy “swicy” trend with a vibrant, herby twist, says Aaron Trentadue, beverage director at F&F Pizzeria in Mt. Lebanon. The Reposado tequila gives it warmth while the verdita — a fresh blend of pineapple, cilatro, mint and jalapeno — is the go-to summer flavor bomb.

To make verdita, combine a handful each of mint and cilantro, 3 deseeded jalapenos and 48 ounces of fresh pineapple. Blend on high and strain through a fine mesh sieve.

2 ounces Reposado tequila

1½ ounces verdita juice

½ ounce fresh lime juice

¼ ounce agave nectar

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.

Shake vigorously for 8-10 seconds.

Double strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube.

Garnish with a mint sprig.

Makes 1 cocktail.

— Aaron Trentadue, F&F Pizzeria

Royal Mule

“Way better” than ginger ale, according to F&F Pizzeria bartender Aaron Trentadue. This spirit-free homemade soda is super easy to throw together for a crowd. Or just enjoy it as a single patio sipper.

To make simple syrup from scratch, combine 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously just until the sugar is completely dissolved and the liquid is clear, 1-2 minutes. (Do not let it boil.) Remove from the heat and let it cool completely before using.

3 or 4 pieces of mint

2 or 3 lime wedges

½ ounce fresh lime juice

½ ounce ginger syrup

½ ounce simple syrup

Ginger beer, to top

Sparkling water, to top

In a beer glass or highball, lightly muddle mint leaves and lime wedges.

Add lime juice, ginger syrup and simple syrup.

Fill the glass with ice.

Top off with 1-2 ounces of ginger beer and 2 ounces of sparkling water.

Give a quick stir and garnish with mint.

Serves 1.

— Aaron Trentadue, F&F Pizzeria

Bianco Negroni

This modern riff on the classic Negroni has a lighter look and bright, floral-driven flavor. Bartender Aaron Trentadue recommends a London dry gin like Beefeater.

1½ ounces gin

1 ounce white vermouth

½ ounce Cocchi Americano or Lillet blanc

Lemon twist, for garnish

Combine gin, white vermouth and Cocchi Americano in a mixing glass filled with ice.

Stir with a bar spoon until well chilled.

Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Add a lemon twist as garnish and serve.

— Aaron Trentadue, F&F Pizzeria beverage director

Batanga

Served in a glass with a salted rim, a Batanga is a popular Mexican cocktail made with tequila, lime juice and cola. Mexican Coke is often preferred.

2 ounces tequila

¼ ounce agave syrup

½ ounce lime juice

4 ounces cola

Lime wedge, for garnish

Pour tequila, agave syrup and lime juice into a highball glass rimmed with salt.

Fill glass with ice, top with cola and garnish with a lime wedge. Serve.

Makes 1 cocktail.

— John Hess, The Commoner

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