A Sidecar is a classic cocktail that is velvety smooth to sip and made with just three ingredients. The cocktail is thought to take its name from an American army captain who had a motorcycle sidecar, as the duo of sweetness and zesty sour citrus complement each other in a similar fashion. The result is a popular drink that’s been enjoyed for over a century.
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
1. In a cocktail shaker, combine the Cognac, orange liqueur, and fresh lemon juice.
2. 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.
3. Fill the cocktail shaker with ice. Shake the cocktail shaker until well chilled, about 10 to 20 seconds. Strain into the coupe glass.
4. 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are two origin stories for the Sidecar. One claims the iconic Cognac cocktail was created around World War I in Harry’s Bar in New York and was named after an American army captain who rode a motorcycle with a motorcycle sidecar. Others say that a bartender at Buck’s Club in London, Pat MacGarry, invented it.
Triple Sec is a type of orange-flavored liqueur, and Cointreau is a brand of Triple Sec. Cointreau is a higher-quality Triple Sec and can have a different flavor than bottom-shelf or lower-quality Triple Sec. Other reputable brands are Combier and Grand Marnier. In general, the higher-quality brands will have smoother and stronger flavors, so I recommend opting for the higher-quality options when making sidecars, margaritas, and cosmopolitans when possible. You’ll taste the difference!
A Hennessy sidecar is made with Hennessy brand Cognac. When the name of the drink includes a brand name it typically refers to that cocktail that utilizes that brand ingredient. You can easily make this recipe with Hennessy, or your favorite brand of brandy.
There are many variations that you can make to this classic original recipe based on your preferences or what’s in your liquor cabinet. Make a Bourbon Sidecar by swapping a good-quality bourbon for the Cognac or a Chelsea Sidecar by using gin. Another variation is adding a splash of white rum to the classic recipe for a Between the Sheets cocktail.
Once you have a few key ingredients in your bar, you can shake, stir, or blend up a variety of cocktails. If you enjoy the citrus notes from orange liqueur in this drink, try a Long Island Iced Tea or margarita. For another drink that uses brandy, try my Brandy Alexander or rosé sangria.
If you love this recipe try these out!
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!
Sidecar
Equipment
- Old-fashioned or rocks glass
- cocktail shaker
- Cocktail strainer
Ingredients
- 2 ounces cognac
- 1 ounce orange liqueur such as Cointreau
- 1 ounce lemon juice
For Garnish
- orange twist
- superfine sugar for rim optional
Instructions
- If desired, place the superfine sugar on a small plate. Dip the rim of a coupe glass in water and then in the sugar to coat.
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the cognac, orange liqueur, and lemon juice. Fill with ice.
- Shake until well chilled, about 10 to 20 seconds. Strain into the coupe glass. Garnish with an orange twist.
Notes
- 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.
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