Sidecar Cocktail

By Steve Kilcullen Jump to Recipe

Smooth, sweet, and with notes of lemons and oranges, the Sidecar is the ideal after-dinner dram.

Some drinks just fill me with notions of romance and adventure. When I first heard of tonight’s cocktail, the Sidecar, I had a dream filled with images of rumpled expatriate novelists, strolling down the Champs-Elysée at midnight during the Roaring Twenties. I was there among them, trying to find inspiration for a book I wished I could write, but had no ideas for. These artists and scribes were all veterans of World War I, and had seen some of the worst humanity could offer. Still young they were, yet weary and aged beyond oceans of time. And myself, a comfortable figment of temporal travel… well, I knew nothing of the trenches.

I’d then be lost, staring up at the Eiffel Tower, a little dizzy from its height dwarfing me. And then a mysterious woman in a Colleen Moore haircut would pull up, all screeching tires and smirks behind the handlebars of a motorcycle, hooked to an empty sidecar. Presumably for me. I continued to dream that under this late-night Parisian sky, the stunning biker that beckoned me would bring me somewhere memorable, for something unforgettable.

After speeding through the streets at breakneck speed, with my driver joyfully laughing all the way, we burst into the lobby of The Ritz Hotel, skidding to a stop in front of a smattering of well-dressed and rightfully shocked guests. But she didn’t care, so neither did I. And because dreams are what they are, she suddenly handed me a frosty coupe, filled with a golden liquid… brandy, triple sec, lemon juice.

“A Sidecar in a sidecar, sweetheart”, she cooed at me. I raised the glass to my lips. And as the drink reached them-

-I woke up.

What is the Difference Between Brandy & Cognac?

Think of the difference between champagne and other sparkling wines. Champagne must come from the Champagne region of France. And if your brandy comes from Cognac, then you have cognac.

As for those letters on a bottle of cognac, they describe how old the liquor is (i.e., how long it has been stored in the barrels). ‘VS’ (Very Special) is at least two years old; ‘VSOP’ (Very Special/Superior Old Pale) is four to six years old; while a ‘XO’ (Extra Old) label means the cognac is at least six years old. The older the cognac, the finer and more expensive it will be. Spend the money. You only live once.

What Is The Best Alcohol To Use In A Sidecar?

Hennessy or Pierre Ferrand are two of the more well-known and easy-to-find brands of cognac. James Bond name-checks Hennessy in a movie, so I tend to go with that one. Hine H Cognac is another that comes highly recommended. Each of them have their own subtly distinct taste, so if you can, try a few out to see which one you prefer. If you like any served neat, then you’ll like it as part of this cocktail.

What glass and garnish should I use?

Chill a long-stemmed coupe or cocktail glass for around thirty minutes in your freezer. Before pouring your cocktail in, rub the rim with a lemon wedge and sugar it before placing that same wedge on it for garnish.

Can I use a mix of cognac and brandy as the base of my Sidecar?

The short answer is yes. The long answer is yes, absolutely.

Similar Cocktails to the sidecar

Brandy and cognac carry a “fancier” shadow with them, shall we say. And every drink that’s made using either spirit is elevated into something that feels and tastes a bit more elegant than what most of us are used to. If you’re getting curious about what kind of drinks you can make using them, Twist & Toast has a few recipes for you to take a gander at.

• Brandy Old Fashioned – A suave and sophisticated take on the classic cocktail.
• Wisconsin Old Fashioned – A versatile brandy-based riff on the smoky favorite.
• Vieux Carré – A complex and balanced cocktail from the Big Easy.
• Brandy Alexander – Smooth and rich, this frothy brandy-based tipple is a treat.