Ingredients
- 1.5 oz Cognac brandy
- 1 oz Triple Sec
- 0.75 oz Lemon juice (fresh)
- 0.3 oz Chilled water
Method
Method
- Combine all ingredients in a shaker.
- Shake hard (for 5-6 seconds) to combine, then fine-strain into a coupe glass.
- Coat the rim of the glass in superfine sugar.*
- Garnish with lemon twist and serve.
*Editor’s Note:Â If including this step, avoid using typical granulated sugar.
A recipe invented at The Ritz Paris towards the end of WWI (reportedly, for the world’s first cocktail-loving motorbike passenger) the Sidecar isn’t a beverage you see ordered frequently — even in many of the better cocktail bars in Australia.
That’s a damned shame, and one we aim to do our part to correct since the Sidecar massages many of the same pleasure points modern drinkers attribute to the much better-known Margarita.
Similarly a member of the ‘sour’ cocktail family, the Sidecar offers a drinking experience that’s big on contrasts. Boozy but refreshing, citric yet spicy: this packs in a lot of complexity for a recipe that, pared back to its most essential, consists of three ingredients.
RELATED: The 8 Best Cognac Brands In 2024
With only orange liqueur, lemon juice, and a foundational brandy (i.e. Cognac) to worry about, it pays when preparing your Sidecar cocktail not to skimp out on quality.
Most bartenders, such as California-based Jason O’Bryan, will tell you that your choice of orange liqueur should be “top-quality”: especially since the Sidecar departs from a lot of classic cocktail recipes of the 20th century, by forgoing a sugar element entirely (the rim of one’s glass excepted).
At 40% ABV, with a balance of bitter and sweet orange peel flavours, Cointreau triple sec is the most popular option in the category — widely available for around $60. If you’re a bit of a rugged individualist, there are now also quite a few high-proof orange liqueurs made in Australia: Manly Spirits Co’s version, laden with mandarin notes is a good substitute.
For this recipe, that just leaves the Cognac element to consider. Our advice? Don’t fuss with the +$300 ‘extra-old’ (XO) stuff: a backbar staple, like Hennessy V.S.O.P, will just as capably get the job done.
That said, several notable Cognac houses have started offering expressions that are blended for the express purpose of making cocktails: Rémy Martin’s 1738 Royal Accord being the most recent example.
So long as your chosen bottle exhibits sufficient levels of oak, vanilla, and stone fruit — all notes that play well with lemon juice and orange liqueur — you’ll be good to go.
Who knows: a few Sidecars later, you might find yourself reaching for a neat pour of Cognac…
If you’ve mastered the Sidecar, and are looking for a few more cocktails to try your hand at, consider some of our most popular cocktail recipes below:
