A toast to the end of summer, cool nights on patios

I can't seem to shake the joy that comes with evenings below 89 degrees.

I just keep fantasizing about all the temperate nights to come, spent on patios all over the Valley, cocktail in one hand, the other, clutching a wrap around my shoulders because there's a chill: it's only 83.

With that in mind, here's a toast to the end of summer with a look at some of Scottsdale's best cocktails, all at places with patios perfect for enjoying the cooler nights ahead.

French 75 at the Estate House
The Magic: Frapin Cognac, fresh lemon juice, rock syrup, shaken, topped with champagne in a flute, $14.

The French 75 radiates sophistication. Tart, bubbly and oh so satisfying, kindly grasp the stem of the champagne flute as you hobnob with a classy-chic crowd at the Estate House's elegant champagne bar, the kind of place that serves a caviar and lobster parfait. The French 75 was originally created during World War I by an American army officer who had the taste for champagne and an abundance of cognac. Voila! The French 75, named after 75-millimeter guns, was born. The drink has since found its way into upper-crust bars around America, and the Estate House makes the best of them.

Hello Kitty at Geisha A Go Go
The Magic: Calpico, strawberry-infused shochu, Sangaria strawberry soda and Smirnoff Citrus vodka, shaken, garnished with a strawberry, $8.

The Hello Kitty martini starts with the non-carbonated, milky Japanese Calpico poured from a bottle decorated with pictures of Hello Kitty cuddling a little strawberry. Strawberry-infused shochu, Sangaria Japanese strawberry soda and Smirnoff Citrus vodka are added and shaken. It's the girliest drink in the city, tasting like the best Bath & Bodyworks lotion smells. In a good way. The cocktail menu features lots of clever, can't-find-anywhere-else drinks, though, and the décor is just as singular.

OG Margarita at Cafe ZuZu at Hotel Valley Ho
The Magic: Partida Silver tequila, Partida Agave Nectar and one lime, shaken, on the rocks, garnished with a generous lime wedge, $10.

There are only three ingredients in this drink. No sweet and sour mix—all natural flavors with enough subtle sweetness to cut the lime's bite, but without the candy, syrupy heaviness of so many other margaritas. A former employee of the retro-chic resort gave the drink its "Original Gangster" name because it's all back to basics with this one. Presumably, it is not a reference to West Coast hip-hop supremacy.

Espresso Martini at AZ88
The Magic: One shot of fresh Starbucks' espresso, Bailey's Irish Cream, Van Gogh Double Espresso Vodka and vanilla crème de cacao, garnished with three espresso beans, $14.50.

Precariously balanced on a silver tray, the generous, brimming cocktail is couriered to your table by a ginger-stepping, white-shirted, black tie-wearing waiter who barely breathes as he nears you. Slowly, slowly draping a cocktail napkin on your table, he then lifts the drink. He lowers the glass at a glacial pace. You stopped breathing a minute and a half ago. The drink finally rests on the napkin. You tip your head down, like a child, like a prayerful pilgrim, to drink, fearful of risking a spill yourself, unwilling to disrespect the balancing act just performed in your, and the drink's, honor.