Sidecar
Easy
Fruity & Fresh
1 Minute
Highball Glass
Ingredients
The Sidecar is a classic cocktail and popular citrus-forward drink made with brandy.
In fact, the Sidecar is one of our collective favorite non-vodka drinks here at Absolut. So, if you love citrusy cocktails, this might just become one of your favorites too.
You’d be surprised that for all its elegant and complex flavors, the Sidecar is an easy to make cocktail with just three ingredients. Now, what’s not to love about that?
How To Make a SIDECAR cocktail
Bar tools you’ll need
Jigger
Boston Shaker
Citrus Elbow
Knife
Peeler
How to Mix
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Fill your Boston shaker with ice cubes.
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Use a jigger to measure and pour Cognac into the smaller tin of your Boston shaker.
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Measure and pour Triple Sec into the shaker.
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Use a paring knife to cut a lemon in half.
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Use a citrus elbow or citrus press to juice the lemon, then measure and pour the juice into the shaker.
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Seal the shaker and shake vigorously until chilled.
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Position your Hawthorne strainer over the larger tin of the Boston shaker and pour the cocktail into a chilled coupe glass.
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Use a peeler to carefully peel a thin strip of lemon rind, avoiding the white pith, then twist it and place it into your glass.
Watch how to make a Sidecar cocktail:
ALL ABOUT THE SIDECAR COCKTAIL
The Sidecar is a bright, citrus-forward cocktail made with cognac, triple sec and lemon juice and dates back more than a century.
Some people have said a Sidecar is like a Margarita made with cognac instead of tequila and lemon juice instead of lime. But that’s overly simplifying things and underestimating just how much character the cognac adds.
The Sidecar is a well-balanced mix of sweet and sour, where the cognac offers a rich, smooth, and subtly warming touch, while the lemon juice brings a tangy, citrusy brightness, and the triple sec adds a sweet, fruity accent. It’s a perfect drink.
As with so many classic cocktails, the history of the Sidecar is shrouded in mystery. A book printed in the late 1940s tells the popular story of the drink being invented in a bar in Paris during World War I, named after the motorcycle sidecar where an American captain was driven to and from the bar where the drink was allegedly invented by the bartender based on the captain’s preference for brandy.
However, an earlier book from the 1920s suggests a London bartender created it. The first printed recipe for the Sidecar is thought to date back to 1922.
- Chill your glass
A chilled glass is always a good idea, especially when drinking or serving slow sipping cocktails like the Sidecar. It gives your whole drink experience another layer or dimension. - Sugarcoat your glass
Though it’s not essential to the drink, you can add a touch of elegance by rimming your coupe glass with sugar. Just moisten the rim with the juiced lemon half, then dip it into sugar.The sugar-coated rim works wonderfully with the citrus flavors from the lemon juice and triple sec.
- Double strain your Sidecar
For that little extra detail, we recommend double straining your drink. It’ll prevent any ice chards getting into your glass, resulting in an even smoother drink.To do this, place your Hawthorne strainer over the top of the larger tin of your Boston shaker and then pour the cocktail through a fine mesh strainer into glass. Learn how to double strain your cocktail.
- Spiced Sidecar
This spiced version of a classic Sidecar halves the cognac from the original to accommodate an equal measure of spiced rum.
Rich and warming, the spiced rum introduces an additional layer of complexity to an already intricate drink. - Havana Sidecar
Not so much a variation of a Sidecar but a complete turnaround. The Havana Sidecar uses Havana rum instead of cognac and lime juice instead of lemon juice giving this drink a Cuban feel and drinking very much like a Daiquiri.
We recommend serving the Sidecar cocktail in a chilled coupe glass and garnishing the drink with a lemon twist placed directly in the glass. That’s tradition and perfection in one.
Sidecar cocktail FAQ
We recommend using a V.S.O.P. Cognac for a Sidecar cocktail. V.S.O.P. Cognacs are “very Superior Old Pale” cognacs that have been aged for at least four years in oak casks.
As mentioned in our drink history section, the tale goes that the Sidecar was named after the motorcycle sidecar in which an American army captain was chauffeured to and from the bar during World War I. This bar is where the drink was supposedly invented, inspired by the captain’s fondness for brandy. Whether this story is true remains a mystery.
