Sidecar Cocktail Recipe

1 Min Read
Sidecar-Cocktail-Recipe The Bottle Club

Some of the greatest drinks in the mixological canon are deceptive in their simplicity. Consider the Old Fashioned, the Daiquiri, the gin Martini—preparing a cup of coffee in the morning is more complicated than making these drinks. But through the basic combination of two or three ingredients, with some ice thrown in for excitement, a perfect match of flavors can be achieved.

Add another drink to this list: the Sidecar. As with most cocktails, the origins of the drink are hazy (be suspicious of those who state with certainty when or where the Sidecar was first mixed), but this entrancing mixture of brandy, lemon juice, and orange liqueur started making the rounds in the most fashionable watering holes in London and Paris during the 1920s. Very simple in structure, the Sidecar is complex enough in flavor to satisfy even the most jaded palates, but not so over-the-top with mixological gewgaws as to frighten away the casual tippler.

Two quick things to consider when mixing a Sidecar: first, quality matters. Use a cheap mass-market brandy or a cut-rate triple sec, and your Sidecar's gonna suck.

Prep time: 5 Minutes

Nutrition: 221 Calories

Servings: 1

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces VSOP Cognac
  • 1 ounce Cointreau
  • 3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
  • Superfine sugar, for garnish (optional)
  • Orange or lemon twist, for garnish (optional)

Method

  1. Prepare cocktail glass by making a slit in a lemon wedge and running the cut edge around the rim of the glass; then dip the rim in a saucer of superfine sugar to create a thin crust. Chill the glass until needed.
  2. Combine brandy, Cointreau, and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker and fill with ice. Shake well until chilled, about 10 seconds. Strain into prepared glass; garnish with a twist of orange or lemon peel, if the urge comes across.

Category: Drinks | Cuisine: Cocktails

Shop the recipe

Shop the Recipe sidecar cocktail
£63.47

Elevate Your Mixology Game