Beyond the mimosa

Pepino el pyu at Mercadito
The cumin salt rimming this cucumber-laced tequila drink will smack any hangover to the curb. Though it’s the hoja santa, or “sacred leaf,” that’s the stuff of legend, says Tad Carducci, part of the New York duo that crafted Mercadito’s cocktail list: According to Mexican lore, Mary dried Jesus’s diapers on the plant. Here, bartenders make it into a syrup to add an herbal finish to each sip. $11.50.—Marissa Conrad

Negroni di Aquila at Longman & Eagle
Longman doesn’t so much twist as tug this classic cocktail into something that’s better suited for the early hours, subbing mellow Aperol for Campari, introducing effervescence with prosecco and shoving gin out of the picture. $8.—Julia Kramer

Mexican Holiday at 2Sparrows
As a woman who hates coffee, it should be testament enough that I’m borderline obsessed with a drink that lists espresso as its second ingredient. But here, all parts—cocoa tequila, espresso liqueur, cinnamon and Cholula—balance perfectly, with the coffee adding depth, not bitterness. $10.—Marissa Conrad