The Sidecar recipe
for your table
Want a sugar rim? Run a lemon wedge around the rim of the glass and dip it in fine sugar.
Shake cognac, Cointreau and lemon juice with plenty of ice for 12 seconds.
Double strain into a chilled coupe.
Squeeze a zest over the glass and hang it on the rim.
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The story
Paris, shortly after the First World War. At Harry's New York Bar - or was it the Ritz? - an American army captain who invariably arrived in the sidecar of a motorcycle asked for a warming drink. The bartender mixed cognac with Cointreau and lemon, and named the result after his customer's means of transport: the Sidecar. The story is probably too good to be entirely true, but the cocktail became the emblem of the Paris cocktail scene during the Roaring Twenties and belongs to the absolute canon.
The right glass
The Sidecar belongs in a coupe: the low, wide-stemmed champagne glass that was the cocktail glass of choice in the 1920s. Its shape perfectly complements the art deco character of this drink and gives the citrus aroma plenty of room. Choose a coupe of 20 to 30 cl; a sugar rim completes the presentation. A set of stylish coupes is an investment that will pay for itself across dozens of classics. If you would rather serve it in a smaller glass with less risk of spilling, take a look at our Nick & Nora glasses.
Lehmann Paris Champagne Glass / Coupe 20 cl (6 pieces)
Luigi Bormioli Meravigliosi Champagne Glass / Coupe 30 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 102,90.
The right tools
For a Sidecar, besides the glass, you use a shaker, a jigger for precise measuring, a fine strainer for double straining, a citrus squeezer and a glass rimmer. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find them all in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 5 bar tools together € 142,70.
Variations & twists
With bourbon instead of cognac, it is called a Bourbon Sidecar; with calvados, an Apple Car. The ratio is an eternal debate: the 'French school' pours equal parts, while the 'English school' gives the cognac the starring role. Taste both and choose your side. The sugared rim softens either result. The Brandy Crusta from New Orleans is considered a precursor to the Sidecar. Looking for more inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
The classic ratio is 2:1:1, but taste and adjust: a young VS cognac calls for slightly less lemon than a rounded VSOP. Serve as a digestif after a good dinner.
Good to know
The ratio: French or English school
Two schools, two outcomes. The English school uses 2:1:1, here 5 cl of cognac to 2 cl of Cointreau and 2 cl of lemon juice, and puts the cognac first. The French school pours equal parts, about 3 cl of each, making the cocktail sweeter, rounder and much more approachable. Both are defensible; what does not work is wavering between them without measuring. Use a jigger, because half a centilitre of extra lemon is immediately noticeable in nine centilitres of liquid. In the glass, you end up at about 25 percent.
Sidecar or White Lady: the same template
Put the two side by side and you see the same formula with a different base. The Sidecar uses 5 cl of cognac, the White Lady 4 cl of gin, and both are topped up with Cointreau and fresh lemon juice. Cognac makes the whole drink warm, rounded and fruity; gin makes it drier and more herbal. Replace the base with light rum and you have the Between the Sheets. Three classics from one template, then, and the quickest way to taste that is to make all three in one evening.
Which cognac do you choose: VS or VSOP
Nothing is hidden in a cocktail with three ingredients. A VS has spent at least two years aging in wood and is fresh, sharp and direct; a VSOP ages for at least four years and is rounder, fuller and woodier. For a Sidecar, a VSOP costing around thirty euros works best, because it can stand up to the lemon without disappearing. An XO would be a waste: shaking destroys those nuances. If you do choose a young VS, half a centiliter less lemon juice is enough to restore the balance.
The sugar rim step by step
You don't make a sugar rim by dipping the glass into a dish. Run a lemon wedge along the outside of the rim, over approximately half the circumference, then roll that side through fine granulated sugar on a flat plate. This keeps the inside clean and lets your guest choose whether to drink through the sugar. Do this before shaking and chill the glass for a few minutes so the sugar adheres better. Powdered sugar clumps; fine granulated sugar gives the neatest rim.
Frequently asked questions
What is in a Sidecar?
A Sidecar consists of 5 cl cognac, 2 cl Cointreau and 2 cl fresh lemon juice, shaken with plenty of ice and double-strained into a chilled coupe. Optionally, give the glass a sugar rim and finish with a squeezed orange or lemon zest on the rim.
What is the right ratio for a Sidecar?
The classic ratio is 2:1:1, meaning two parts cognac, one part Cointreau and one part lemon juice. The French school uses equal parts, making it sweeter and rounder, while the English school gives the cognac the leading role. Taste and adjust: a young VS calls for slightly less lemon than a VSOP.
Which cognac do you use for a Sidecar?
Choose a cognac you would also drink neat, because in a cocktail with three ingredients, you taste everything. A VS is fresh and sharp, while a VSOP is rounder and fuller-flavored. More expensive does not automatically mean better, but a bottle from the lowest price range immediately gives itself away here.
Which glass do you use for a Sidecar?
A 20 to 30 cl coupe: the low, wide-stemmed glass that was the quintessential cocktail glass in the 1920s. Its shape gives the citrus aroma plenty of room and makes the sugar rim stand out beautifully; preferably choose a model with a thin rim, see our champagne coupe glasses.
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