Name: Sidecar (Difford's recipe)
Total time: 4 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 45 ml Cognac (brandy); 15 ml Triple sec; 15 ml Pineau des Charentes; 15 ml Lemon juice; 3 drop Saline solution 4:1

Ingredients

1 1/2 fl oz

Cognac (brandy)

1/2 fl oz

Cointreau L'Unique triple sec liqueur

1/2 fl oz

Ferrand Pineau des Charentes (chilled)

1/2 fl oz

Lemon juice (freshly squeezed)

3 drop

Saline solution (20g sea salt to 80g water) or merest pinch of s

How to make

Glass

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.".

Method

SHAKE all ingredients with ice.

FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.

Garnish

EXPRESS orange zest twist over the cocktail and use as garnish.

Flavour Profile

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

Health & Nutrition

Nutrition:

One serving of Sidecar (Difford's recipe) contains 148 calories

Alcohol content:

1.5 standard drinks
21.67% alc./vol. (43.34° proof)
20.9 grams of pure alcohol

Allergens:

Recipe contains the following allergens:

Pineau des Charentes blanc — Sulphur Dioxide/Sulphites

Gallery

Sidecar (Difford's recipe) lifestyle image

Comments & Discussion

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Tuber Magnatum 9 months ago

Tried this with the Pineau des Charentes as suggested. I appreciate the added complexity, but while still an excellent cocktaiI, I found the drink a tad too sour without the simple syrup. I will try again with a little less lemon juice.

Simon Sedgley 10 months ago

To be honest, we think that substituting 5ml sugar syrup for 7.5ml triple sec, and then having to introduce salt, is a sidestep. For us, the original is perfect. If a fully sugared rim seems a bit much, maybe just sugar 1/4 or 1/2 of the rim...it does look so pretty.

Egg McKenzie 1 year ago

when you're in the mood for a cognac cocktail you needn't look much further.

Terry Wattley 1 year ago

Yesterday I tried the Champs Elyssey and today this, straying from the cognac with both and using a Torres 10 Year Double Barrel.

Whilst this was less complex the balance really won me over.

Both will be regulars on the rotation.

John Taylor 1 year ago

Lemon twist for me - no oranges and a surplus of home grown lemons (so no wax!) I might've added a little more saline by accident but it doesn't seem to have affected anything - tasty!

John CARR 1 year ago

More than the sum of its parts, a drink that evokes a whole era and conception of brilliance, clarity, vitality and warmth. Sublime sweet sour savoury and you are of Now.

Chris Charman 1 year ago

Delicious - fresh orange and lemon and the salt is a winner

Morten Carlsbaek 1 year ago

I never got to enjoy a Sidecar, neither Difford's nor the traditional. I dont want to rate it, I just dont get it. I wish I did. But I immensely enjoy a Champ-Élysées, maybe a link to that cocktail could be usefull for us needing more that cognac and cointreau ;-O

Robert Spain 1 year ago

Delicious. I particularly enjoy the battle between the lemon and the orange. Salt is also a winner. I just sugar coated half of the rim and alternated which side to sip from.

Bert Schouterden 2 years ago

Wow. Sidecars were already one of my favorites, but with the Pineau de Charentes and a little saline, this goes from a classic to a masterpiece ! Splendid !