The classic sidecar cocktail is made with cognac or brandy, orange liqueur, and lemon juice.
Its appearance here was inspired by two things: a bottle of Remy Martin that was gifted to me, and a recent re-read of Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella – wherein a girl from the 20s haunts her niece, hilariously forcing her to wear flapper dresses and order sidecars.
I feel like Sophie and I are old gal pals. I’ve devoured all of her chick-lit books since the first Shopaholic when I was sixteen. Now before you judge me on literature choice, I do know that they’re Kit Kats, not fine chocolates, but she makes me actually laugh out loud, which I love.
Who am I kidding, I know you wouldn’t have judged me anyway. Â We’re friends. <3
This cocktail is orangey, and not too sweet, which I like – it’s more on the sour side.  The sugar-rimmed glass takes the edge off the tartness. Plus it’s super sparkly and pretty.
P.S. Cocktails are a whole area of excitement and deliciousness that I feel we should really explore more here. Should we have Free-Pour Fridays? Should we?? I think we should. Let’s do it.
Citrus Sidecar Cocktail
Ingredients
- sugar for rimming glass
- ice
- 3 oz cognac or brandy
- 1 ½ oz triple sec or cointreau
- 1 ½ oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
- orange peel for garnish
Instructions
- Wet a clean cloth with water and run it around the rim of two cocktail glasses. Immediately turn glasses upside-down in a shallow dish of sugar and twist until the rims are coated.
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Â Add cognac, triple sec and lemon juice; shake vigorously until the outside of the shaker is frosty.
