Name: Simon's Sidecar
Total time: 4 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 45 ml Cognac (brandy); 15 ml Orange Curaçao; 15 ml Pineau des Charentes; 15 ml Lemon juice; 5 ml Sugar syrup (2:1); 2 drop Saline solution 4:1

Simon's Sidecar
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Glass:

Photographed in an Urban Bar Retro Optic Coupette 15cl

Ingredients:
1 ¹⁄₂ fl oz	Cognac (brandy)
¹⁄₂ fl oz	Ferrand Dry Curaçao
¹⁄₂ fl oz	Ferrand Pineau des Charentes chilled
¹⁄₂ fl oz	Lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
¹⁄₆ fl oz	Sugar syrup 'rich' (2 sugar to 1 water, 65.0°Brix)
2 drop	Saline solution (20g sea salt to 80g water) or merest pinch of s

Read about cocktail measures and measuring

Prepare:

Select and pre-chill a COUPE GLASS.
Prepare garnish of orange zest twist.

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

More cocktails with similar strength and taste profile

Review:

Unusually for a Sidecar, my recipe leans heavily on orange curaçao and pineau des charentes, each adding layers of flavour to this finely balanced sour.

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History:

Created in March 2026 by yours truly.

More cocktails by Simon Difford

Nutrition:

One serving of Simon's Sidecar contains 179 calories

Alcohol content:

1.5 standard drinks
20.54% alc./vol. (41.09° proof)
20.9 grams of pure alcohol

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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Simon Sedgley

11th April at 11:07

We came back to this using Calvados for the cognac. We found that this sacrificed a bit of depth for a slightly broader flavour profile, and added a faintly sharp note. Perhaps a more rustic version of our good host's suave original.

Simon Sedgley

9th April at 13:01

Finely balanced indeed. And very tasty. But at the same time, for us, appealingly austere. Is there such a thing as a dry sour? We found that the harmony and integration blossomed as the warmth crept in, so maybe don't rush it.

Simon Sedgley

9th April at 13:37

btw we went posh on the Pineau with Grosperrin MMC3 1979. We thought that the recipe warranted it.

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