Cognac cocktails | Brio Smart Life

The Sidecar: A Classic Prohibition Era Cocktail

It’s a speakeasy favorite cocktail

Simple. Elegant. Delicious. Three words that pretty much sum up this fantastic, simple Prohibition Era Sidecar cocktail recipe.

Classic and simple. That’s how we describe the Sidecar cocktail. With only three ingredients and a sweet garnish, it’s not surprising that this classic cocktail was a speakeasy favorite.

The Sidecar is one of the most iconic cocktails of the Prohibition era, and is probably one of the most simple. It didn’t require any fancy ingredients that were hard to find or acquire; all it needed was Cognac, Cointreau, and lemon juice. The cocktail was strong, simple, and delicious, and we can continue to sip on them today.

If you are new to the world of Cognac cocktails here’s a bit of a heads up: Cognac has a very strong taste. It’s a liquor you are meant to sip, not shoot back, and the good stuff comes with a price tag.

Cognac can easily overpower [and overwhelm] a cocktail if done incorrectly, but this Sidecar recipe gets the blend just right. The citrus of Cointreau and fresh lemon juice help to mellow out the strong alcohol taste of the Cognac. The sugar on the rim is also an added bonus.

With a cocktail this elegant looking, it’s important to keep your glassware in mind. For the Sidecar cocktail, most bartenders will use either a coupe or cocktail glass. I have a preference using the coupe, because I love its shape and sophistication, but a sugar rimmed cocktail glass is always a classic option.

This is how you make this classic Sidecar cocktail!

Sidecar Cocktail

Yields: 1 Serving

Ingredients You’ll Need:

2 Ounces Cognac
1 Ounce Cointreau
¾ Ounce Fresh Lemon Juice
Sugar Rim for Garnish

Glassware and Items You’ll Need:

Coupe or Cocktail Glass
Cocktail Shaker
Small Plate

Preparation

Sugar Rims: Fill a small plate with superfine sugar, making sure the sugar on the plate is thick enough to cover the rim of your glass. Run a lemon or lime wedge along the rim of the glass. Dip rim into the sugar to evenly coat. Shake off excess and set aside.

Sidecar Cocktail: Add Cognac, Cointreau, and lemon juice to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake until chilled, about 20 to 30 seconds. Then, strain into a chilled sugar rimmed coupe or cocktail glass. Enjoy!

Nutritional Content

1 serving approximately contains: Calories (kcal) 282 Fat (g) 0 Saturated Fat (g) 0 Potassium (mg) 29.8 Carbohydrates (g) 4.1 Dietary Fiber (g) 0.4 Total Sugars (g) 2.7 Protein (g) 0 Sodium (mg) 2

About the Author

Kellie – Head of Content Creation

Creative Director | Web Designer | Blogger | Sake Enthusiast | Resident Ginger

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Original New Orleans Style Sazerac

The Big Easy knows how to make cocktails!

This Big Easy Nightcap is a true American classic. Try this original Sazerac recipe that’ll make you feel that New Orleans hospitality.

Drink of the week: Original New Orleans Style Sazerac

The history behind this classic American cocktail is rather interesting. Invented by Creole pharmacist and inventor of Peychaud’s bitters, Antoine Peychaud, the original Sazerac was a combination of rye whiskey, Absinthe, rich simple syrup, and Peychaud’s Bitters. This Pre-Prohibition era cocktail wouldn’t let the US ban of Absinthe pull it off the cocktail menu. The Sazerac Company got clever and began to use Herbsaint, an anise-flavored liquor, as a substitute for Absinthe.

The Sazerac recipe often juggles back and forth between Cognac and Rye Whiskey. Every bartender I have ever ordered this cocktail from uses the Cognac version of the recipe. They call it the old New Orleans way to make this cocktail, hence why I decided to call this the New Orleans Style Sazerac. Cognac is an acquired taste. It can overpower pretty much everything else in this cocktail, so, for me, the [cognac] Sazerac is one of those sipping cocktails I could nurse all evening.

A proper sazerac is served neat in a rocks/old fashioned glass. So I’ll leave it up to you to decide if you want to make this sazerac with cognac or rye whiskey. You can’t really go wrong either way.

Now let’s show you how you make a Sazerac!