Sidecar Cocktail

More About This Recipe

• I first encountered the Sidecar Cocktail while doing research for an upcoming book on gelatin renditions of classic cocktails. The Sidecar is a classic mixed drink dating back to the 1920’s. It was originally concocted for a patron of a Paris bar, who was often driven about in a motorcycle sidecar. I must confess an initial reluctance to try the Sidecar, however. I thought I wasn’t really a “brandy person”). But after just one sip, I had to admit that I was wrong. It’s hard not to fall the Sidecar’s citrus-y, tangy, mildly sweet spell! Perhaps I am a brandy person, after all? While some prefer a Sidecar on the rocks, for me, the perfect Sidecar is shaken with ice and served “up” in a martini glass with a sugared rim. When serving Sidecars at home, I like to take it one step further and rim the glasses with a mix of granulated or large crystal sugar (3 tbsp) and chopped orange zest (1 tbsp). Moistening the rim of the glass with a piece of cut orange, rather than plain water, adds an extra kick of citrus. For a crowd, make a pitcher of Sidecars with the recipe proportions (1:1:3/4, with brandy, Cointreau and lemon juice, respectively) and whatever measures make sense for your gathering. At party time, shake and pour each cocktail individually. The martini glasses can be rimmed ahead of time and set aside until cocktail hour. Try serving Sidecars with a spicy mixed nut mix.