I was never interested in hard alcohol and don’t have a taste for it. My brother worked at a wine shop growing up and introduced my to the world of wine. That was it, no need for the hard stuff. But for the Sidecar, I make room.

Several years ago, our friends Jennifer and Bradley had us over. Bradley was making drinks and asked if I'd like a Sidecar. Sure! I didn't really pay attention to the name but remembered it was good.

Fast forward to one July in Vancouver, BC at The Raincity Grill on the West End. My husband drinks gin martinis and I wanted to join him before we partook in BC’s own Okanagan Valley wine. The bartender suggested a Sidecar. It went like this:

2 ounces Cognac
1 ounce Cointreau
¾ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ ounce simple syrup
A sugared rim
Shaken with ice
Stained into a martini glass

Refreshing, uplifting, tasty. So tasty, I took note.

I usually make this cocktail at home as not many bartenders know about Sidecars. When I ask whether a bartender knows how to make one, the response I get 99% of the time is “Isn’t that made with….ah…”, or “No but I can look it up and make you one.” There are several variations of this wonderful cocktail but there are two keys to a great Sidecar and I’ve never found a cocktail book that knows!

1) addition of the simple syrup, and
2) it should really have a sugared rim to offset it’s slightly sour tanginess. (I like to run a freshly cut piece of lemon around the rim, then dip the glass in superfine sugar.)

I’ve tried them with out either and the drink is just not the same. You can use an Armagnac or Brandy, and you can use Triple sec, that’s OK. But the two keys, ya gotta have em!

So if this sounds appealing, try one. If you’re already a Sidecar fan, we’d love to hear about your preferred version!