Temperatures have officially risen, and you know what that means: Summer menus are popping about, enticing you with grilled meats and creative uses of summer fruits and veggies. Read on for wine and cheese events, new openings and closings and where you can get a bite of that delicious-looking strawberry macaron.

Ah, gin. You’re my go-to liquor at every bar, whether you’re lurking in dirty martinis or gin and tonics. Something about your musky flavor, that clean bitterness and dry aftertaste has me hooked. That – and you don’t give me hangovers.

So it felt like fate that Beefeater 24 was the designated subject of Spirit It! chief Bob Louison’s April cocktail-making class. A bartending consultant by trade, French expat Louison has concocted drinks at some of the poshest bars in London, New York and Paris, and now earns his living demystifying mixology for the public.

Maison Boulud’s bar has been around since the restaurant’s opening, but while award-winning cuisine remains Boulud’s priority, Fresco has at least been pushed closer to the spotlight in recent months.

The old White Rabbit space is now home to three separate venues. Basement level two presents you with a choice of two doors. On the left is Salon Bubble. This place sounds like a hairdresser, and isn’t far removed from the type of Beijing barber shop routinely staffed by scantily clad women. Avoid. Instead, take the door to your right, where you’ll find Maiden Voyage, an appealing closet of a whiskey bar.

Jazz fans will enjoy flicking through the CD collection and choosing what gets played on possibly the largest speakers ever seen in a bar of this size. The choice of whiskey (average RMB 60) isn’t bad, and the cocktails (average RMB 60-80) are fine, but with strong competition on Lucky Street, Maiden Voyage’s greatest asset is the novelty of its subterranean setting.

“Mr. Darwin, you look in good cheer, if a little giddy. Now, having concluded your observations of Beijing’s bar life, what, pray tell, have you discovered?”

Beijing winters are a mess of bad choices. If the Siberian winds are not howling around your head, you choke on smog. If your heating is actually working, then you’re probably sweating up a storm reading this. Whether you need to cool down or heat up, Beijing’s got some sweet options to see you through the rest of the winter.

Shaken or stirred, nothing warms the blood like a perfectly mixed cocktail. Dedicated to keeping your blood from freezing, Agenda scoured the town and came up with a list of the capital’s best cocktails.

From Old Fashioneds to new innovations, these are some of Beijing’s best cocktails.

The duo behind this impressive cocktail and whiskey bar first opened the underrated er. They’re also among the partners at Apothecary. Although Twilight lacks the favorable Sanlitun address, it is wrought from the same creativity and craftsmanship.

The festive feeling comes much easier after a few glasses of holiday spirits. These bars are offering drinks to warm your cockles as 2009 plays out.