BevX Cocktails

The Classic Sidecar

As is the case with so many classic cocktails, no one knows for sure when and where it was invented. We can be pretty comfortable in saying that it was first created at the end of WWI. However, the city of origin is hotly disputed while some historians insist that London was the Sidecar's city of birth while others swear it's Paris. Either way, the cocktail was a raging success in Europe and post Prohibition USA. The first recipes for the Sidecar appeared in 1922, in Harry MacElhone's Harry's ABC of Mixing Cocktails and Robert Vermeire's Cocktails and How to Mix Them.

Ingredients

2 oz. Quality Cognac (Your favorite VSOP is a great choice)
3/4 oz. Quality Orange Liqueur
3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice

Occasion

I have been known to sip this classic cocktail on any occasion and any season. The combination of tart lemon and rich Cognac are always welcomed.

Method

Place all of the ingredients in a shaker with a handful of ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a cocktail glass half rimmed with sugar.

Variations

Many variations of this classic can be found. Some choose to totally eliminate the sugar rim adjusting sweetness of the drink instead. I have always liked this drink to be quite tart and I prefer the method of rimming half of the rim with sugar for presentation sake.

Source: BevX - Classic