Grand Marnier Sidecar

By Steve Kilcullen Jump to Recipe

A rich and citrus-kissed cocktail, the Grand Marnier Sidecar is a wonderful sipper on a quiet evening.

Tonight, the cocktail we’ll be looking at and sipping on is quite the Daisy. And I don’t mean this is a flowery or floral-flavored way, but instead that word refers to the category of drink the Grand Marnier Sidecar is in. Take a Sour cocktail, for example, which is a base spirit, a citrus element like lemon or lime juice, sometimes orange, and a sweetener like simple syrup. Egg whites are often included for a frothy top, but optional, with one of the more popular versions being a Whiskey Sour.

A Daisy libation is similar in build, but varies in ingredients a tad. A Daisy still uses a spirit base and citrus juice, but instead of using simple syrup or sugar as the sweetener, it utilizes a liqueur. The Grand Marnier Sidecar is called as such because of its specific use of the cognac-blended orange liqueur, Grand Marnier. Mixed with lemon juice and a cognac foundation, this version of the iconic cocktail brings a slightly more complex flavor to every sip, with subtle hints of oak and vanilla.

The original Sidecar became popular in Europe after the end of World War I, during the 1920s. Named for the motorcycle attachment, the classic mixture went on to inspire other similar concoctions, and it remains today as a stalwart sipper, along with being a tasty and tart link to our cocktail drinking past.

What is the best alcohol to use in a Grand Marnier Sidecar?

Apart from the aforementioned Grand Marnier, a cognac-mixed orange liqueur, we’ll want to build this legendary drink with a nice, robust cognac itself. Hennessy and Rémy Martin are easy to find and cost-effective enough to mix any cocktail you’d want with them. They are also smooth and warm enough on the finish that you can pour a few fingers and sip neat, if you wish. Both brands are a fine place to begin exploring cognac if you’re unfamiliar with the alcohol.

What glassware and garnish are used?

Chill a coupe in your freezer or by filling it with ice as you prepare and shake your cocktail up. Remove the ice, pour the cocktail in, and garnish the rim with a zesty lemon twist.

Can you use brandy instead of cognac?

You can, and many Sidecar recipes will suggest using either or. Cognac is a brandy, but from a specific region in France and distilled from the grapes grown there, whereas brandy can be produced anywhere in the world from a variety of fruits.

Other cocktails similar to the Grand Marnier Sidecar

If you have some of your favorite spirits handy at your home bar, along with fresh citrus juice and your choice of liqueurs—and hey, who doesn’t—then you can whip up any number of Daisy cocktails for you and your friends at the drop of a hat. Just don’t forget to pick up the hat.

• Hennessy Sidecar – Take the stress out of choosing your cognac with this mixture.
• Bourbon Sidecar – This Sidecar hails from Kentucky, or at least the bourbon does.
• Champs-Élysées – More Parisian vibes are flowing in this beautiful concoction.
• Cable Car – A rum and curaçao-based take on the Sidecar.