Souper Salad boosts check averages with fruity spins on a summer favorite.

For operators in need of ideas that are a bit more bottom-line-friendly and a lot less time- and labor-intensive, a host of cooling concoctions covers all the bases.

Consider the Bellini, one of several classic cocktails enjoying a big comeback. At Scoozi in Chicago, updated versions of the traditional recipe (peach nectar and champagne) sell briskly in summertime, says Rob Lehner, manager of wine and spirits.

“They’re fruity, they’re light and they’re great sippers,” he says. “They’re also not too high in alcohol, which is a plus. When it’s warm outside and you get a sudden rush of alcohol, you get hotter.”

Instead of using fresh fruit, the restaurant relies on purées for consistency in recipes such as the Strawberry Bellini, mixed with prosecco, the Italian sparkling wine.

Fruity flavors also take center stage in Scoozi’s new wine-based cocktails. La Miele offers a blend of Riesling and apple liqueur shaken and served over ice and garnished with an apple twist, while La Breza marries Italian rosé with pineapple, sweetened lime and cranberry juices.

Lehner recommends selecting crisp varietals with high acidity when using wine as a mixer. Pinot grigio, dry Rieslings and Gewürztraminers and Italian Chardonnay all make good choices, he says.

Sometimes the simplest ideas yield the biggest payoffs. Italian sodas that combine flavored syrups with soda water straight from the beverage gun are a hit with customers at the ’82 Grill, a pizzeria at Williams College in Williamstown, Mass., says Carol Luscier, associate operations manager.

Targeted to teenagers and young adults, blended coffee drinks offer Carvel customers a more-portable way than ice cream to cool off—and add incremental business.

“None of the restaurants around here offers Italian sodas, so the students know they’re getting something different and special,” Luscier says.

An unusual approach to specialty lemonades boosts check averages at Souper Salad, a single-price buffet chain based in San Antonio. After experimenting with various flavoring agents and bottled products, the company realized that the best results came from a product already on-hand in the restaurants: smoothie mix. The fruit concentrates—available in mango, strawberry and raspberry—are blended with lemonade to order.

Atlanta-based chain Carvel recently introduced two new lines of frozen blended drinks targeted at teenagers and young adults. Although the new selections are available year-round, they’re particularly well-positioned for summer sales.

PDT refreshes customers with beer-based drinks.

“The world seems to be focused on liquids right now, and we saw an opportunity to do something special that would really bring in incremental business,” says Stan Dorsey, Carvel’s vice president of research and development.

Back on the cocktail end, mixologist Jim Meehan of PDT in New York City offers this simple advice for creating summer recipes: Consider the spectrum of light to heavy varieties in the different families of spirits. Choose blanco or reposado rather than añejo tequilas, younger versus longer-aged bourbons, and milder gins instead of richer, fuller brands. Presentation is a factor, too, he says, adding that tall glasses are a good bet for warm-weather pours.

“In summer, people start drinking earlier, so lowering the proof of drinks and serving them in a refreshing, longer format is a good idea,” Meehan says. “People want drinks as refreshments, not just intoxicants.”

Contact writer at aperlik@reedbusiness.com