Sidecar
INGREDIENTS
- Lemon wedge
- Superfine sugar
- 1½ oz Cognac (or brandy)
- ¾ oz Cointreau (or triple sec)
- ¾ oz fresh lemon juice
- Garnish: Lemon twist
INSTRUCTIONS
Rub the rim of a chilled cocktail glass with the lemon wedge and rim with sugar. Shake the liquid ingredients vigorously with ice. Strain into the prepared cocktail glass. Twist the lemon peel over the top of the drink, and drop it in.
VARIATIONS: For a Mango Sidecar, add 1 oz mango purée.
For a Tuaca Sidecar, substitute Tuaca for the Cointreau and add ½ oz fresh orange juice and ½ oz fresh lime juice.
For a Boston Sidecar, reduce the brandy to 1 oz, add 1 oz light rum, and substitute fresh lime juice for the lemon juice.
For a Polish Sidecar, add ¾ oz blackberry brandy and garnish with a few fresh blackberries.
VIDEO HOW-TO
NOTES
This classic Parisian cocktail originated around the early 1900s, and although much speculation surrounds the conception of this gem, Harry Cipriani at Harry's New York Bar in Paris is attributed with the great honor. The cocktail was named for a favored patron, a Frenchman whose particular choice of transportation to and from the bar was a chauffeur-driven motorcycle sidecar. With the perfect balance of strong, sweet, and sour elements, the Sidecar is thought to be the original inspiration behind the Margarita and the Daiquiri. The sugar-coated rim and lemon twist are optional, but a well-chilled glass is highly recommended.
