Ingredients
- Sugar
- 1.5 oz VS or VSOP Cognac
- .75 oz Cointreau
- .75 oz Fresh lemon juice
Garnish: Orange peel
Glass: Cocktail
Preparation
Coat the rim of a cocktail glass with sugar and set aside. (Do this a few minutes ahead of time so the sugar can dry and adhere well to the glass.) Add the remaining ingredients to a shaker and fill with ice. Shake, and strain into the prepared glass. Garnish with an orange peel.
I would love a good recommendation for brandy or Cognac for the Sidecar. I don’t have a grand liquor budget and don’t keep Cognac on hand, but I might if I knew what was a good value — or even a solid brandy.
I was surprised to hear that a local restaurant that takes pride in it’s cocktails used Christian Brothers brandy for their sidecar. Still, when I make it at home it doesn’t taste as good — I do use fresh lemon juice and Cointreau.
Of course, the ratios I’ve been using seem too “simple” to have been well-honed (two parts brandy/Cognac to one part each fresh lemon juice and Cointreau)…
So if anyone has more finely-tune ratios, I’d love to hear them!
A.
I use 2.5oz. Brandy, 1oz triple sec or cointreu, and lemon juice from a bottle. I use Christian Bros brandy. but I shake it over ice and pour entire contents into a low ball.
I bought a bottle of Cointreau a while ago for some recipe or another that my wife was making and they a small orange plastic shaker attached to the top. The shaker had markings for the correct proportions for a Sidecar, a margarita, etc. Just fill to the proper level for each ingredient. Simple and convenient.
I had never had a Sidecar before and now I must say it is becoming one of my favorite cocktails. The proportions are the same as in the above recipe.
I have had trouble with the Sidecar too. It is a bar favorite for me, but to get the best drink at home, I find I need add to the traditional recipe: 1.5 oz. Remy Martin VSOP cognac, 1 oz lemon juice, .75 oz Cointreau and .25 oz. simple syrup in a sugar-frosted cocktail glass. This one, like most cocktails needs a real good stir to get enough water into the mix. J.