Summer always makes me feel like a kid again. Since I can't go back to sleep-away camp and relive the thrill of sneaking into the boys' cabins (sigh), I'm celebrating my childhood L.A. style. When I'm in the mood for a little nature, I head to The Woods and stare up at the electric stars; when I'm craving campfire songs, I go to Winston's on Saturday nights, when DJ Pesce gets everyone to sing along to classics like Don McLean's "American Pie;" and when I want to quench my thirst with an insanely sugary drink, I order a kiddie cocktail.

The refreshing snow cones at blue on blue don’t come in a paper cup, but they are sweet 'n icy like the original. My fave is the Raspberry Colada, made with Stoli Razz, Malibu Rum, Coco Lopez and raspberry puree. If you have more of a tart tooth, however, I'd order the Sublime snow cone, made with Hangar One Kaffir Lime vodka and lime juice.

The bartenders at Bar Nineteen12 go one step further at indulging your inner kid with their Cereal Milk martinis, which is made with Chambord, hazelnut liqueur Frangelico, half and half and garnished with Lucky Charms—yes, I realize the irony in referring to Lucky Charms as garnish. A few too many of these would be tragically delicious. The bar also serves a high-end interpretiations of the classic JELL-O shot. Order the mojitio "jelly."

Remember how fun it was to eat fruit for dessert during the summer before you learned it was healthy? The Paradise Punch at The Dive has the same charm with its frothy mixture of fruit (strawberries, blueberries), juice (cranberry, pineapple), and light and dark rums.

Ketchup has also capitalized on the kiddie cocktail trend. Their waitresses roll around a cocktail cart like an adult version of the lemonade stand. They sell spiked KOOL-AID (gross), Sunny Delight mimosas (good) and Yoo-hoo cocktails (amazing). Order the Chocolate Hooville made with Ketel One vodka, amaretto liqueur and Yoo-hoo.

And of course there’s Lola’s, creator of the green apple martini. Almost all of the cocktails here are a throwback to childhood, but the Caramel Apple Martini, made of vodka, Sour Apple Pucker and caramel liqueur, is sweeter than bobbing for apples.

Actually, maybe it’s more fun being an adult. You get to drink as many as you want. 

Alexandra Le Tellier is Bars & Clubs editor for Metromix Los Angeles.

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