Sidecar

The Sidecar, like all classics of the 20th century, has a wealth of legend surrounding it. It is probably the most famous of all classic cognac drinks, featuring cognac, orange liqueur and fresh lemon juice, plus an optional sugared rim. The Sidecar appeared in two seminal cocktail-making books in 1922: “Harry’s ABC of Mixing Cocktails” by Harry MacElhone and “Cocktails and How to Mix Them” by Robert Vermeire. Although both books listed the recipe with equal parts cognac, Cointreau and lemon juice, subsequent versions followed traditional sour ratios - two parts cognac, one part Cointreau and one part lemon.

The moniker of the drink usually is used to refer to the sidecar of a motorcycle - a few bars claim that it was named after a customer who regularly ordered the drink having arrived to the bar in a sidecar. However, some experts say the drink’s name references the mixture that’s left in the shaker after straining. Traditionally, this leftover is called a sidecar and is poured and served in a shot glass on the side of the cocktail. While not necessary for the drink, it is a cute and refreshing way to serve it.

Now onto semantics - although this cocktail is technically a variation of the brandy sour, the use of liqueur rather than syrup became quite popular with sour variants over time. This has led to a subclass of sour known as Daisies. Some Daisies are topped with seltzer or club soda, but many like the Margarita and Cosmo are not. The sugared rim is optional when making a Sidecar, but considering that this cocktail is quite dry, a few sugar granules with each sip provide a welcome treat.