Mixed, Fixed & Fresh:Seasonal Cocktails

They comb farmers markets and organic-food stores in search of the freshest fruits, vegetables and herbs. Only produce with the most vibrant color at the peak of ripeness will do, they insist.

Are they executive chefs at top dining establishments? Not exactly. They are the bartenders.

"The preferred term now is 'bar chef,' " says Ria Freydberg, who runs the bar at Restaurant 3 in Arlington, Va. "It means, literally, you are the chef of the bar. Or 'mixologist' — that's acceptable."

The organic-food craze that has swept through restaurant kitchens has spilled into the bar. Increasingly, bar managers with picky palates aren't satisfied with the pre-mixed syrups and bottled juices that traditionally fill bar wells. They want the flavor they say can come only from freshly farmed strawberries and non-preserved peaches.

"Bars are really just falling in line behind their kitchens," says Michael Mindel, marketing vice president for Il Fornaio, an Italian restaurant with 20 U.S. locations.

Customers are taking notice, says Mindel, who reports that his restaurants' Bellini sales doubled after they started pouring organic white peach juice into the Prosecco cocktail. Six more organic fruit drinks have been added, and sales are soaring.