Sidecar (Difford's recipe)
-
Sidecar (Difford's recipe)
Glass:
Photographed in a Speakeasy Coupe 8.5oz
| 1 1⁄2 oz | Cognac (brandy) |
| 1⁄2 oz | Cointreau triple sec liqueur |
| 1⁄2 oz | Pineau des Charentes blanc chilled |
| 1⁄2 oz | Lemon juice (freshly squeezed) |
| 3 drop | Saline solution (20g sea salt to 80g water) or merest pinch of s |
Prepare:
- Select and pre-chill a COUPE GLASS.
- Prepare garnish of orange zest twist (a lemon zest twist is more classic). There have been periods when it has been fashionable to coat the rim of the glass in which this cocktail is served with sugar. The earliest written reference to this is in 1934. Thankfully, sugar rims are now out of vogue, and, as Embury writes in his book, "A twist of lemon may be used if desired and the peel dropped into the glass. Otherwise no decoration.".
How to make:
- SHAKE all ingredients with ice.
- FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.
Garnish:
- EXPRESS orange zest twist over the cocktail and use as garnish.
Strength & taste guide:
No alcohol
Medium
Boozy
Sweet
Medium
Dry/sour
Review:
For added complexity, I've replaced the splash of sugar syrup most find necessary to balance a Sidecar with a splash Pineau des Charentes blanc.
Variant:
classic Sidecar 3:2:1 recipe
Sidecar Royale - a Sidecare charged with sparkling wine/champagne
Apple Cart - a clavados-based Sidecar
Biblical Sidecar - a spicy Christmassy sidecar
Biggles Sidecar - with ginger liqueur
Chelsea Sidecar - gin-based
Chocolate Sidecar - with crème de cacao and port
Eastern Raspberry Sidecar - with sake and fresh raspberries
Gennaros Sidecar - with limoncello
Grand Sidecar - Difford's two-ingredient Sidecar
Lady's Sidecar - with orange and lemon juice
Champs-Elysees
Marignay
History:
Created by yours truly and much revisited and amended between July 2021 and December 2025.
Nutrition:
One serving of Sidecar (Difford's recipe) contains 148 calories
Alcohol content:
- 1.4 standard drinks
- 21.67% alc./vol. (43.34° proof)
- 19.5 grams of pure alcohol
- More Aperitivo/aperitif cocktails
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- More Sours (citrus) cocktails
Difford’s Guide remains free-to-use thanks to the support of the brands in green above. Values stated for alcohol and calorie content, and number of drinks an ingredient makes should be considered approximate.
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Whilst this was less complex the balance really won me over.
Both will be regulars on the rotation.