Sidecar - Cocktail
Welcome to Drink with Chu.
Let’s start with some boring forewords:
I’ve always felt so spoiled by modern drinking culture and its ability to keep adapting, providing us with tons of opportunities to enjoy a good cocktail anywhere, anytime. Now, especially after the pandemic, we’ve all had to adapt once again and learn new ways of drinking and making cocktails!
I find it fascinating to watch people bringing creativity to the art of flavour, and at the same time cocktails are simple enough for any one to duplicate and remake at home or in their own bar.
There are thousands of cocktail recipes and manuals online and so many different trends inside the cocktail world, and most of the time, we follow them blindly.
So why don’t we trace back some of this history and reassemble some forgotten classic cocktails together? Don’t worry, cocktails aren't all mixology or rocket science, it’s all about fun and joy!
Let’s start with one of the most underrated cocktail ever: Sidecar cocktail
In my opinion, this drink also has seen one of the greatest improvements due to the modern cocktail culture. The origin of the Sidecar has provided us with a lot of insight into how citrus became involved in cocktails. It’s also pretty simple to duplicate in any bar and restaurant.
So, what is a Sidecar?
OOFT!
No! Not that kind of sidecar!
A Sidecar is a combination of brandy, orange liqueur and lemon juice, shaken together and served without ice. A classic cocktail that's bright, fresh, tangy, dry and rich, with a sort of sweet-sour backbone.
One of the earliest records of Sidecar appeared in Robert Vermeire's book - Cocktails 1922*. Vermeire mentions it as being popular among London's bars and includes his recipe - the Vermeire's Sidecar which calls for equal parts of Cointreau, brandy and lemon juice YUM!
*This book is also the first record of Bennett cocktail, a refreshing gin based citrus cocktail, in Chu’s top three cocktail choices!
Did you know the early written history of a Sidecar is profoundly connected to Brandy Crusta?
Side-Car and another great book.
What's the difference between Crusta and Sidecar?
Let's take a quick look at the history of these two drinks. A Sidecar is well believed to be originally modified from Brandy Crusta (another classic). The earliest written record of Brandy Crusta came from Jerry Thomas' book Bartender's Guide (1876).
A Crusta is technically a fancy brandy cocktail with a dash of lemon juice, garnished with a sugar rim and long lemon peel. But what do you mean by fancy? And how did we come to use lemon peel and a sugar rim?
Imagine how difficult to source a lump of ice in 1876..
Fancy
"Fancy-style" is a vast and often ignored topic in the world of cocktails. We could chat about it for hours, and I may get into it in more depth in another blog but, long story short, "fancy" means adding ingredients with extra flavourings, such as maraschino liqueur or curaçao, into the cocktail. So in the case of a Brandy Custa, we’re adding curaçao into a brandy cocktail and a dash of citrus.
Lemon Peel and Sugar Rim
Great Drink indeed.
The idea of using lemon peel began as an aroma enhancer. By exposing and releasing the oil inside the pith, you can dramatically increase your experience. Try it!
However, there is some disagreement about whether adding the sugar rim would be an extra addition on a Sidecar.
A sugar rim does add an extra layer of sweetness, but I would suggest adding sugar syrup instead, as it provides a better balance with citrus. While we do care about making it look good for the ‘gram, the most important thing should be taste!
A Sidecar might sometimes be labelled as off-trend or a beverage of the past, but it shouldn't be. Indeed, it’s a great fundamental of the cocktail world. Who doesn't like a well-balanced tangy, dark spirit cocktail?
Chu's Favourite Brandy Sidecar Recipe:
45ml Martell V.S. cognac brandy
25ml lemon Juice
15ml Cointreau
5ml sugar syrup
Shake with block ice,
Strain over a cocktail coupe and add a twist.
Pro Tip: If you want to mix things up and brighten it a little, try swapping the brandy out for gin, and then shake with some egg white, you’ll have a gorgeous White Lady Cocktail! Equally as good!
Overall, I highly recommend ordering a Sidecar next time you’re out or you simply follow Chu's recipe instead!
Chu's Favourite Brandy Crusta Recipe:
55ml Remy Martin V.S. cognac brandy
10ml Pierre Ferrand dry curaçao
7.5ml sugar syrup
7.5ml lemon juice
Stir over ice
Strain over a sugar-rimmed goblet, with a long lemon peel in the drink.
That's the Chu way, so what do you say? Give it a try!
#DRINKWITHCHU
