Sidecar Recipe
A brandy sour with a pedigree: the Sidecar balances warm cognac against bright lemon and orange liqueur in a sugar-rimmed coupe. Three ingredients, one shaker, and a century of Parisian bar history in every sip.
Ingredients
- 2 ozcognac
- 0.75 ozorange liqueur (triple sec or Cointreau style)
- 0.75 ozfreshly squeezed lemon juice
- 0.25 ozsimple syrup (optional, to taste)
Garnish
- Granulated sugar rim
- Lemon twist or expressed lemon peel
Equipment: Coupe glass, cocktail shaker, jigger, citrus juicer, fine-mesh strainer, paring knife
Method
- Chill the coupe in the freezer or fill it with ice water while you build the drink.
- Run a lemon wedge around half the rim of the chilled coupe and dip it in granulated sugar for a light, even crust.
- Combine the cognac, orange liqueur, fresh lemon juice and optional simple syrup in a shaker filled two-thirds with ice.
- Shake hard for 10 to 12 seconds until the tin frosts over, then double strain into the prepared coupe.
- Express a lemon peel over the surface, drop it in or rest it on the rim, and serve immediately.
About the Sidecar
The Sidecar is generally traced to Paris just after World War I, with the Ritz and Harry’s Bar among the bars credited for it. The name is usually explained as a nod to the motorcycle sidecar in which a captain was chauffeured, or simply to the drink riding alongside its brandy base. What is not disputed is the formula: a base spirit, orange liqueur and lemon juice in the same family as the Margarita and the Daiquiri, but built on cognac instead of tequila or rum.
The one variable worth arguing about is sweetness. Early recipes leaned equal parts cognac, orange liqueur and lemon, which reads sharp and boozy today. The modern bar standard pulls the orange liqueur back to three quarters of an ounce and adds a splash of simple syrup only if your lemon is especially tart. Use a VS or VSOP cognac with some fruit and spice, shake it cold and hard, and double strain so no ice shards water down the finish.
- Taste your lemon first: if it is very sour, add the quarter ounce of simple syrup; if it is mellow, skip it.
- A half sugar rim keeps the drink from turning cloying. Rim only one side so guests can choose.
- Double strain through a fine-mesh sieve to catch pulp and ice chips for a silky texture.
- Keep the coupe in the freezer; a warm glass flattens the aromatics within a minute.
Get the bottles delivered
Order online for same-day or next-day Long Island delivery, free curbside pickup in Commack, or wine shipping where it is legal (spirits are local delivery and in-store pickup only). You must be 21 or older.
