Sidecar Cocktail Recipe

Before you start

The Sidecar is the brandy branch of the sour family: cognac, an orange liqueur and lemon juice, shaken and served up. Its origin is claimed by more than one city and bar, and none of the stories can be settled, so the useful part is the drink itself. With no added syrup, all the sweetness comes from the liqueur, which makes the choice of bottle and ratio decisive.

Old recipes use equal parts, which tastes sharp and thin to most people now. A 2:1:1 build (two parts cognac to one each of orange liqueur and lemon) lets the brandy lead while keeping the drink bright. A VS or VSOP cognac is the right weight; very old cognac gets lost behind the citrus. The sugared rim is optional. If you use one, coat only half the glass so each sip can be sweet or dry.

Ingredients

• 45 ml (1½ oz) cognac — VS or VSOP
• 22 ml (¾ oz) orange liqueur — a triple sec such as Cointreau, about 40% ABV
• 22 ml (¾ oz) fresh lemon juice — strained
• 1 tsp (5 ml) simple syrup (1:1) — optional, only if your lemons are very sharp
• 1 tbsp superfine sugar — for an optional half rim
• 1 cup (about 150 g) ice cubes — for shaking
• 1 strip orange peel — for garnish

Method

1. If you want a sugar rim, run a lemon wedge around the outside edge of half the coupe, then roll that edge in superfine sugar on a plate. Tap off the loose crystals and chill the glass.
2. Pour the cognac, orange liqueur and lemon juice into the shaker. Taste a drop; if the lemon dominates sharply, add the teaspoon of syrup.
3. Add ice until the shaker is about two-thirds full, seal it, and shake hard for 10 to 12 seconds, until the tin is too cold to hold comfortably.
4. Double-strain into the chilled coupe, pouring into the center so you do not wash sugar off the rim.
5. Twist the orange peel over the surface, skin side down, to spray its oils, then rest it on the rim or drop it in.

Tips for success

• Keep sugar on the outside of the rim only. Sugar inside the glass falls into the drink and makes it sweeter with every sip.
• Orange liqueurs differ in sweetness and proof. A drier, higher-proof triple sec keeps the Sidecar crisp; a sweet, low-proof one may need extra lemon.
• Measure the lemon precisely. Because there is no syrup to adjust, a few milliliters of juice swing the whole balance.

Substitutions

Cognac

Armagnac gives a rustic, drier drink with more grip. A good American brandy works and is often cheaper, though it can read sweeter.

Triple sec

A brandy-based orange curaçao, such as Grand Marnier, makes a rounder, richer drink with less citrus snap. Cut the amount to 15 ml if it tastes heavy.

Lemon juice

Do not use lime here; it fights the brandy. If lemons are poor, add a few drops of saline instead of more juice to sharpen the flavor.

Variations

Equal-parts Sidecar

Use 30 ml each of cognac, triple sec and lemon for the older, tarter style. Skip the syrup and keep the sugar rim to soften it.

Apple brandy Sidecar

Swap the cognac for a bonded apple brandy and garnish with a thin apple slice.

Troubleshooting

It tastes sharp and hot

Equal parts or an under-shaken drink both cause this. Use the 2:1:1 ratio and shake until the tin is frosted so dilution softens the alcohol.

The sugar rim is clumpy or melting

Too much juice on the rim. Wipe the glass, apply only a thin film of lemon, and chill the glass after rimming so the sugar sets.

It tastes flat and boozy

The liqueur may be low in orange character or the lemon is old. Use same-day juice and express the orange peel generously over the top.

Storage

Serve immediately. You can mix cognac and orange liqueur ahead and keep the bottle sealed at room temperature; add lemon squeezed the same day and shake to order.

Safety notes

One Sidecar has about 1.5 U.S. standard drinks, mostly from the cognac and the 40% orange liqueur (one standard drink holds about 14 g of pure alcohol). For adults of legal drinking age. Arrange a ride if you have been drinking.