Sidecar
Cognac, orange liqueur and lemon in 2:1:1. A sharp, elegant sour from the 1920s.
- Time
- 5 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Glass
- Coupe
- Strength
- 3 UK units
How to make a Sidecar
- Chill the coupe. Fill a coupe with ice and water. If you want a sugar rim, wet half the rim with a lemon wedge, dip it in caster sugar and leave it to set.
- Shake. Add the Cognac, Cointreau and lemon juice to a shaker full of ice. Shake hard for 12 seconds, until the tin is too cold to hold for long.
- Strain. Tip out the ice water and strain the drink into the coupe. It should be clear, golden and very cold.
- Add the twist. Squeeze an orange peel over the top, skin side down, and drop it in or run it round the rim.
- Glass
- CoupeNo coupe? A small wine glass.
- Ice
- No ice
- Garnish
- Orange twist, with an optional half sugar rimOr: A lemon twist.
What you need to make a Sidecar
Kit
JiggerA double-ended measure, usually 25 ml and 50 ml.
Cocktail shakerA two-piece Boston tin is the easiest to use and clean.
StrainerA Hawthorne strainer fits over the tin or glass.
Citrus squeezerFresh juice makes the biggest difference of anything.
Vegetable peelerFor wide strips of peel with little pith.
Bottles we'd use
- Cognac VS or VSOPHennessy VS or Courvoisier VS are widely available and sturdy enough for a sour.Find it on Amazon
- CointreauIts clean orange flavour is the benchmark for a Sidecar.Find it on Amazon
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The Sidecar story
The Sidecar appeared around the time of the First World War, and its birthplace is disputed. Accounts point to the Ritz in Paris, Harry's New York Bar, and Buck's Club in London, and they cannot all be right. A story says the drink was named after the motorcycle sidecar that carried a customer to the bar.
It is a sour with the brandy in front: Cognac, orange liqueur and lemon in a 2:1:1 ratio. The balance is easy to move. More lemon makes it brisk and dry, more orange liqueur makes it rounder. A sugar rim is traditional, though many modern bartenders skip it or only rim half the glass.
Sidecar: your questions answered
What is in a Sidecar?
A Sidecar is made with 50 ml Cognac, 25 ml Cointreau and 25 ml fresh lemon juice. Garnish: orange twist, with an optional half sugar rim.
Is a Sidecar shaken or stirred?
A Sidecar is shaken, not stirred. Shaking hard with ice chills it quickly and helps mix the juice in properly, which stirring cannot do. Shake until the outside of the shaker feels very cold.
How strong is a Sidecar?
Made to this recipe, a Sidecar contains about 3 UK units of alcohol per drink. That is worked out from typical bottle strengths, so it changes with the bottles you use. UK guidelines advise not regularly drinking more than 14 units a week.
What glass do you serve a Sidecar in?
Serve a Sidecar in a coupe. No coupe? A small wine glass.
