Someone who walks up to a bar and orders a Sidecar is likely to want something quite specific—a known quantity. The customer ordering that drink by name without consulting the list is probably not interested in what someone added just to be different any more than a Rum and Coke customer wants Pepsi. (Sorry if this all seems pedantic but lately I’ve been served some pretty nasty things.)
The Sidecar is a three-ingredient classic cocktail than anyone can make and every professional should know. The proportions are a matter of taste, but the ingredients are brandy, Cointreau and lemon juice. Lime is a reasonable substitution without changing the basic personality of the drink. Some people like to add things to the formula, which are sometimes very nice, but the Sidecar cannot be improved upon. And if you substitute an ingredient, it is no longer a Sidecar but something else, and also not an improvement, however tasty it might be.
Some unsuitable things that have turned up in my glass when I ordered a Sidecar:
- Orange juice
- Muddled orange slices
- Bourbon
- Simple syrup
- Sweet and sour mix
- Soda
- Some unidentified substance smelling of bowl freshener
It seems to me that the easiest way to deal with the problem of making a drink you don’t know is to ask how it’s made.
Sidecar- 1 1/2 – 2 oz brandy
- 3/4 oz Cointreau
- 1/2 oz lemon juice
Shake with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
The proportions above are what I happen to prefer, pouring a little on the strong side. Like so many of the best things in life, Sidecars are best rich and boozy. Gautier VSOP cognac makes a great Sidecar, as does Courvoisier VS. A good drink reveals the spirit. To those who have served me bad Sidecars, I simply say fear not the booze. Let it be your friend.
