Sidecar

Recipe from “Strong, Sweet and Bitter” by Cara Devine who writes, “The Sidecar’s exact birthplace is debated, but it’s safe to say it gained notoriety after World War I at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris and was inducted into the cocktail hall of fame with its inclusion in the seminal bartending book by the same Harry: Harry’s ABC of Mixing Cocktails. The name of the cocktail is also disputed–some say it was named after an army captain who used to arrive at the bar in a motorcycle sidecar; others say it comes from the bartending practice of pouring any excess cocktail from the shaker into a little shot glass to the side once the cocktail glass was full.”

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Sidecar

  • Total time: 5 Minutes
  • Servings: 1 Drink

Ingredients

  • 1 2/3 oz Brandy
  • 2/3 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
  • 2/3 oz Curacao or Other Orange Liqueur
  • Sugar, for garnish
  • Lemon Zest Twist, for garnish

Directions

  • 1)

    Run a lemon wedge around the outside of half of the glass and dab in sugar, shaking off any excess.

  • 2)

    Add all ingredients (other than the garnish) to your shaker tin, add as much ice as will fit and shake hard.

  • 3)

    Double-strain into your chilled and rimmed glass.

  • 4)

    Fold your lemon twist over the top to expel the oils, then discard.

Notes

From the book: “The Brandy Crusta was one of the first ‘fancy’ drinks, differentiated by their over-the-top garnishes, including a sugar rim. The original Sidecar recipe doesn’t include one but it is often expected nowadays. I see it as the love child of the Brandy Crusta and a classic Sour, so I like to include a half rim and let people decide for themselves!”

Source: “Strong, Sweet and Bitter” by Cara Devine, pg. 128.