The Sidecar Cocktail

The deliciously tart World War I-era sidecar is one of the best classic cocktails you can mix up at home or order at a bar. The mixture of brandy, orange liqueur, and lemon juice is as popular today as it was a century ago when it was popularized, and it's a brilliant introduction to the allure of well-balanced sour drinks. Plus, it's really easy to make—you just shake the three ingredients over ice until well chilled, pour them into a cocktail glass with a sugared rim, and garnish with a lemon or orange twist.

The Best Brandy and Other Key Ingredients for a Great Sidecar

As with any simple cocktail, for the best sidecar, choose the best ingredients. Here's what you'll need.

• Brandy or other liquor: The original sidecar recipe was made with either cognac or Armagnac, which are both types of French brandy. Either will create one of the most enjoyable brandy cocktails you can mix up. In the modern bar, bourbon is often poured instead of brandy—making it technically a bourbon sidecar—and some drinkers enjoy it with premium cherry brandy. We recommend starting with cognac to get the true sidecar experience. Choose a cognac with a balanced flavor, such as Hennessy, Pierre Ferrand, Camus, H By Hine, or Rémy Martin.
• Orange liqueur: The second of the three key components of a sidecar is an orange liqueur such as triple sec. Many cocktail enthusiasts insist on Cointreau (a brand of triple sec), but feel free to experiment with other top-shelf triple secs or homemade orange liqueur.
• Lemon juice: The final component of a classic sidecar is lemon juice. For the best sidecar, freshly squeezed lemon juice is a must. A single lemon should yield about 1 3/4 ounces, more than enough for two drinks. If you plan on adding a twist to garnish your cocktail—a great idea—make the lemon twist before you juice the lemon.
  

How (and When) to Serve a Sidecar

The sidecar is great as a before- or after-dinner drink, so serve it anytime you want. The cocktail is typically served in a chilled cocktail glass. A popular embellishment first mentioned in recipes from the early 1930s, a sugar-rimmed glass, adds a sweet contrast to the sour drink. You can rim the entire glass with sugar for a little sweetness in every sip or just rim half the glass if you prefer a more tart drink. A lemon or orange twist is also usually added to garnish the cocktail.

The Murky History of the Sidecar

As most cocktail origin tales go, there are a few stories about who mixed up the first sidecar and where it was made. One common story is found in The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks (1948) by David Embury. It says that the drink was developed in a Parisian bistro—likely Harry's New York Bar—during World War I. Another claim attributes the drink to Frank Meier, who worked at the Paris Ritz Hotel around the same time.

The next story credits the drink to Pat MacGarry of the Buck's Club in London (also the supposed home of the French 75). In his 1922 book, Harry's ABC of Mixing Cocktails, Harry MacElhone—the owner of Harry's New York Bar in Paris—credits the drink to MacGarry, one of the great bartenders of the day. This was backed up in Robert Vermeire's 1922 Cocktails and How to Mix Them.

It is important to note that MacElhone owned Harry's New York Bar and that he also credits Buck's Club for the French 75 in his book. While he was a popular bartender of the day, he was also (apparently) honest and did not take credit for many of the drinks that are often attributed to him.

While which story is correct will no doubt remain a matter of debate, there's no question that the sidecar is a classic sour drink. Sours were popular during the golden age of cocktails in the early 1900s. Other great sour drinks were created at the same time, including the brandy daisy, whiskey sour, and margarita.

Why's the Drink Called a Sidecar?

Just like the history of the sidecar, how the drink got its name is a matter of some debate. One story goes that the drink was first served to an army captain who rode up to a bar in a motorcycle sidecar. Others say the sidecar is named after the little extra bit of a drink leftover in a shaker that a bartender will pour into a shot glass alongside a cocktail.

Tips for a Great Sidecar

• Seek balance: Whichever base liquor you choose for your sidecar, be careful with the cocktail's other ingredients. It is very important to find the balance between sweet and sour, and too much lemon or liqueur can quickly destroy the intended flavor.
  
• Serve it cold: A well-made sidecar should be very cold. Chill the cocktail glass and shake the drink over ice until the outside of the shaker feels cold.
• Take notes: As you experiment with different types of brandy and orange liqueur, as well as different ratios of the three core ingredients, write down how you made each drink so you can dial in the recipe for your perfect sidecar.
  

What You'll Need to Make This Sidecar Cocktail Recipe

A Great Cocktail Jigger

A Handy Dandy Citrus Juicer

A Sleek Cocktail Shaker