| Type | Cocktail |
|---|---|
| Primary alcohol by volume | |
| Served | shaken |
| Standard garnish |
Sugared glass, lemon rind |
| Standard drinkware | Cocktail glass |
| Commonly used ingredients | |
| Preparation | Mix the ingredients in a shaker half full of ice. Strain and serve in a sugar-rimmed glass. Garnish with a strip of lemon rind |
The Sidecar is a classic cocktail traditionally made with cognac, orange liqueur (Cointreau, Grand Marnier or another triple sec), and lemon juice. In its ingredients, the drink is perhaps most closely related to the older Brandy Daisy, which differs both in presentation and in proportions of its components.
Contents |
The exact origin of the Sidecar is unclear, but it is thought to have been invented around the end of World War I in either London or Paris. The Ritz Hotel in Paris claims origin of the drink. The first recipes for the Sidecar appear in 1922, in Harry MacElhone's Harry's ABC of Mixing Cocktails and Robert Vermeire's Cocktails and How to Mix Them. It is one of six basic drinks listed in David A. Embury's The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks (1948).
In early editions of MacElhone's book, he cites the inventor as Pat MacGarry, "the Popular bar-tender at Buck's Club, London," but in later editions he cites himself. Vermiere states, "This cocktail is very popular in France. It was first introduced in London by MacGarry, the celebrated bar-tender of Buck's Club." Embury credits the invention of the drink to an American Army captain in Paris during World War I "and named after the motorcycle sidecar in which the good captain was driven to and from the little bistro where the drink was born and christened". Apparently the Sidecar became famous in Harry’s Bar in Paris.[1]
Because of the nature of the ingredients, there is some validity to the Army captain story. A chilly ride in a sidecar would indeed merit a drink capable of warming up the passenger; but most spirits capable of warming are not consumed before dinner (brandy, whisky, etc.). Adding a citrus Cointreau and lemon places the drink back in the apéritif family, therefore making it a perfect mix for a warming cocktail before a meal.
Both MacElhone and Vermiere state the recipe as equal parts cognac, Cointreau, and lemon juice, now known as "the French school". Later, an "English school" of Sidecars emerged, as found in the Savoy Cocktail Book (1930), which call for two parts cognac and one part each of Cointreau and lemon juice.
According to Embury, the original Sidecar had several more ingredients, which were "refined away." Embury also states the drink is simply a Daiquiri with brandy as its base rather than rum, and with Cointreau as the sweetening agent rather than sugar syrup. He recommends the same proportions (8:2:1) for both, making a much less sweet Sidecar.
The earliest mention of sugaring the rim on a Sidecar glass is 1934, in three different books: Burke's Complete Cocktail & Drinking Recipes, Gordon's Cocktail & Food Recipes, Drinks As They Are Mixed (a revised reprint of Paul E. Lowe's 1904 book).