With a sugared rim and orange peel twist, this drink is sure to be a show-stopper for your next cocktail hour. Cognac or your favorite brandy ground this drink with a sweet, fruity, and slightly bitter flavor. The taste of freshly squeezed lemon juice is unparalleled when paired with the brandy and sweet orange liqueur. Just combine the ingredients and ice in a cocktail shaker and serve in your favorite glass- it’s that easy! For more cocktail recipes, try my whiskey sour recipe, old fashioned cocktail, or kir royale.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Cognac – I make this classic sidecar recipe with Cognac, which is brandy distilled from white wine from Cognac, France, but you can use your favorite type of brandy, such as Rémy Martin, for this sidecar drink. Orange liqueur – this classic drink is smooth and velvety when made with Cointreau or Grand Marnier. You can also use triple sec, but it is sweeter, and the lemon juice flavor won’t be as prominent. Lemon juice – freshly squeezed lemon juice is the best for cocktails. In fact, I love keeping an extra lemon or two on hand to use as a garnish on the sugar rim. The freshly squeezed juice has more zip and fuller flavor than bottled juice. Orange peel and fine sugar – a sugared rim and twist of citrus peel give this drink a visual appearance that matches its sweet and sour notes. While optional, garnishing a glass will elevate this drink, especially for parties.
How to Make a Sidecar
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the Cognac, orange liqueur, and fresh lemon juice.
- If desired, place superfine sugar on a small plate. Dip the rim of a coupe glass in water and then in the sugar to coat the rim with sugar.
- Fill the cocktail shaker with ice. Shake the cocktail shaker until well chilled, about 10 to 20 seconds. Strain into the coupe glass.
- Garnish the glass with an orange twist and serve.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
Mix sidecar cocktail ingredients with ice cubes, not crushed ice. Crushed ice begins melting quickly and will water down your drink, so add larger cubes to your cocktail shaker. No cocktail shaker, no problem. While a shaker is a nice addition to a bar setup, you can make shaken cocktails using any jar with a tight-fitting lid and then strain the drink with a mesh strainer to remove the ice. As long as you can shake the jar to combine the mixture of brandy, liquor, and lemon juice, it will work! Use your beautiful barware. I love using my favorite cocktail glasses to show off a colorful drink like this one. Coupe glasses are a great go-to for this drink, but you can also use a small martini glass, or another style of cocktail glass that has a rim that is good for sugaring. Tips for getting the best sugared rim. Use superfine sugar that’s intended for cocktails, as it will stick to the rim the best. Dip the top of the glass in water or add a pop of citrus flavor by running an orange or lemon wedge over the rim before dipping in the sugar. Place the sugar in a flat plate or dish with edges that are larger than the rim of the glass. Aim to keep the sugar on the outside of the glass to add sweetness as you sip and prevent it from falling into the drink. Make orange twists with a vegetable peeler. The easiest way to get a thin piece of orange peel for the garnish is to use a vegetable peeler or channel zester. Twist the thin peel and add to the rim of the glass. You can make a lemon twist in stead of orange, if preferred. Sweeter sidecar variation with sugar syrup. For a sweeter drink, ideal for sipping after a meal, add a dash of simple syrup or a generous pinch of the superfine sugar into the cocktail shaker before adding the ice.
If you’ve tried this sidecar recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
