Why a Sidecar has no single recipe: four proportions and a balance builder

The Sidecar is a Cognac sour: spirit, orange liqueur, lemon juice, shaken cold and served up. It looks simple, yet two bartenders can both say "classic Sidecar" and hand you very different drinks, one sharp and dry, the other soft and sweet. The reason is a century-old disagreement about proportions, and you can taste it for yourself below.

The spec

Method: shake all three hard with plenty of ice for about 12 seconds, then fine-strain into a chilled coupe or cocktail glass. Garnish: a twist of orange or lemon peel, squeezed over the glass so the oils land on the surface. If you like a sugar rim, wet only the outside edge of the glass so the sugar never falls into the drink.

Where it comes from

Nobody knows for certain. The Sidecar appeared in print in 1922 in two bar books, Harry MacElhone's ABC of Cocktails and Robert Vermeire's Cocktails: How to Mix Them. Both credit Pat MacGarry of Buck's Club in London, though MacElhone's later editions seem to claim it for himself. The Ritz in Paris claims it too, and the American writer David Embury told a story of a captain in Paris during the First World War, with the name coming from a motorcycle sidecar. Treat the stories as stories: all you can say safely is that it dates from around the end of the First World War.

What is firmly on record is the argument over ratio. The 1922 books give equal parts of brandy, orange liqueur and lemon. The 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book uses two parts brandy to one each of liqueur and lemon. Embury, in 1948, wanted eight parts brandy to two of liqueur and one of lemon, the same shape as a Daiquiri, and he thought equal parts far too sweet. Difford's Guide calls Embury's version overly dry and suggests landing somewhere between the 1930 shape and a softer 3:2:2.

Build it your way

The numbers explain the argument. Orange liqueur is sweet, lemon is sour, and brandy has some natural fruitiness but little sugar. Equal parts leaves the sweet and sour parts large compared with the spirit, so the drink drinks soft and a little sticky. Embury's version shrinks them until the Cognac dominates, and the lemon bites. The English-school shape sits in the middle, and it is what most bars start from.

Why it works

Every sour is a balancing act between three things: strength, sweetness and acid. In a Sidecar the Cognac gives strength and a dried-fruit, vanilla-and-oak roundness. The liqueur gives sweetness and an orange aroma that lifts it. The lemon gives acid that stops the sweetness feeling heavy and makes you want a second sip. Shaking adds cold and a little water, which softens the alcohol and ties the three together. The result should taste of all three at once, with none shouting.

The sugar rim is a seasoning, not decoration. Each sip can bring a little sugar to your lips, which tames a very tart drink, while a very sweet one is best left bare. Because published specs vary, trust your own taste: if it makes you wince, add a little syrup or reduce the lemon, and if it is syrupy, add lemon in small amounts.

Variations, including a no-alcohol one

• Apple brandy Sidecar: swap the Cognac for a good apple brandy. It is lighter and more autumnal, and it likes a little less liqueur.
• Lower-alcohol version: keep the lemon and liqueur, drop the Cognac to 30 ml and top with 40 ml of chilled soda in a tall glass over ice. It is no longer a Sidecar, but it keeps the flavour with less alcohol.
• Alcohol-free idea: shake 40 ml of cold, strong black tea, 20 ml of orange juice, 15 ml of lemon juice and 10 ml of 2:1 sugar syrup with ice, then strain into a chilled coupe. The tea supplies the tannin and body a spirit would. It is a suggestion, not a clone.

What to look for

You do not need to buy anything special, but a few things matter. Fresh lemon juice, squeezed the same day, makes a bigger difference than the brandy. A decent orange liqueur at a mid-range price is better than a very sweet cheap one. Shake with plenty of cold, hard ice and strain through a fine strainer so you do not get ice chips. Chill the glass first. Finally, a Sidecar is a strong drink, so keep to measures, pour it small and take your time, and have a glass of water alongside.