The egg creams (soda water mixed with chocolate or vanilla syrup and milk) and cherry-lime rickeys (lime juice and maraschino cherries mixed with lemon-lime soda) are not to be missed here.

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Sierra Mist, a new caffeine-free lemon-lime soda that competes with Coca-Cola's Sprite and Cadbury Schweppes' 7up, doesn't exactly make soda into a nutritional beverage, but it blunts one long-standing criticism of Mountain Dew and cola drinks: that they use caffeine as a hook.

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For brunch, avoid the knishes, redolent of the refrigerator, and stick with eggs, smoked fish, and a homemade celery soda or a freshly mashed cherry-lime rickey.

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To sate post-dancing thirst, order up a cocktail such as the Watermelon Mojito (rum, watermelon juice, mint and club soda) and Jalapeno Margarita (tequila, triple sec, jalapeno and lime) from one of the two bars framing the scene.

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The list has something for everyone, with experimental favourites like the Smokey Robinson -- a savoury-sweet mixture of blanco tequila, smoked salt, honey and scotch with fresh celery and lime juice --and perfected classics like the whiskey ginger, made with house-made ginger soda for a fresh take on an old faithful.

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