Classic Cocktail How To: The Sidecar

There’s no clever, charming story to detail the history of the Sidecar – no one really knows where it was invented, or by whom, though the Ritz hotel in Paris claims it was invented there in the late 1910s.

Regardless, this is a fun one that’ll make you feel like you’re back in the post-prohibition swing days. It’s usually served up, in a chilled martini glass with a sugared rim, but might also be served in a rocks glass with ice. 

The Sidecar

• 1 1/4 oz brandy
• 1 oz Cointreau or Grand Marnier
• 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
• Lemon zest wedge or orange zest wedge for garnish

1. Mix the spirits and the lemon juice in a shaker with ice and shake.

2. Meanwhile, wipe a small wedge of lemon around the outside of a chilled martini glass, and roll it in course sugar to coat the rim generously.

3. Strain the cocktail into the sugared glass, and float the lemon or orange zest atop.

Cheers!