THE SIDECAR EXTENDED FAMILY

Champs-Élysées

CLASSIC

In the classic Champs-Élysées, green Chartreuse replaces the Cointreau in a Sidecar. Because Chartreuse is high proof (110% ABV) and intensely herbaceous, the formula must be adjusted accordingly. As you can see, the amount of liqueur is dialed back. In addition, the amount of Cognac is increased slightly, and simple syrup is added to help push the cocktail back into balance.

2 ounces Cognac

½ ounce green Chartreuse

¾ ounce fresh lemon juice

½ ounce simple syrup (this page)

1 dash Angostura bitters

Garnish: 1 lemon twist

Shake all the ingredients with ice, then strain into a chilled coupe. Express the lemon twist over the drink, then set it on the edge of the glass.

Four to the Floor

DEVON TARBY, 2014

When a liqueur drives the flavor of the cocktail, this usually requires some changes to the citrus. In the Four to the Floor, a variation on the Corpse Reviver #2 (this page), the base is a beautiful marriage of pisco and grapefruit liqueur, so we opt to replace the more acidic citrus juice, which would overshadow those flavors, with verjus. Technique comes into play here, with the finished cocktail having a smooth, silky texture because it’s stirred, whereas shaking would introduce air bubbles.

1½ ounces Campo de Encanto Grand and Noble pisco

¾ ounce Giffard Crème de Pamplemousse

½ ounce Dolin blanc vermouth

¾ ounce Fusion Napa Valley verjus blanc

Garnish: 1 green grape on a skewer

Stir all the ingredients over ice, then strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with the grape.

VERJUS

Verjus is French for “green juice.” It’s made by pressing wine grapes before they’ve ripened, then bottling the unfermented liquid. This vibrant nonalcoholic juice is fragile, and once a bottle is opened, it must be used within a few days, even if sealed and refrigerated. Producers bottle both white and red versions. We favor the more versatile white verjus for cocktails.

Verjus can be purchased bottled. Note the date of production: if it’s more than two years old, it will lack vibrancy. Originally used in cooking, verjus adds both acidity and flavor to cocktails. On occasion, we use a fairly large proportion of verjus to create a bright acidic backbone, especially in stirred sour drinks. This results in a clear cocktail, like a Martini, with an unexpected flavor profile that’s exceptionally refreshing.

La Valencia

ALEX DAY, 2008

This riff on the Champs-Élysées (see this page) has a split base of dry and salty manzanilla sherry and a chamomile-infused rye. The honeyed and herbal flavor of yellow Chartreuse is perfect for drawing out the chamomile in the infused rye.

1 ounce Chamomile-Infused Rye Whiskey (this page)

1½ ounces La Gitana manzanilla sherry

½ ounce yellow Chartreuse

¾ ounce fresh lemon juice

½ ounce simple syrup (this page)

1 dash Angostura bitters

Shake all the ingredients with ice, then strain into a chilled coupe. No garnish.

Corpse Reviver #2

CLASSIC

The Sidecar’s extended family includes many cocktails that contain a lot of booze, but there is precedent for heading in the other direction. In the Corpse Reviver, a split base of gin and Lillet blanc replaces the cognac. We view it as a highly democratic recipe: there’s a harmonious balance among its ingredients, yet each pulls its own weight. Lillet blanc contributes qualities that mirror those of the other ingredients in the cocktail: proof, sweetness, and acidity. However, because the overall profile of Lillet is much softer and more subtle than the gin, Cointreau, and lemon juice, it effectively turns down the volume of the louder ingredients and allows them to happily coexist.

¾ ounce London dry gin

¾ ounce Lillet blanc

¾ ounce Cointreau

¾ ounce fresh lemon juice

2 dashes absinthe

Shake all the ingredients with ice, then double strain into a chilled coupe. No garnish.

Fish House Punch

CLASSIC

The classic Fish House Punch is clearly related to the Sidecar, containing Cognac, liqueur, and lemon juice in proportions quite similar to those in the Sidecar. The key difference is that it also includes seltzer, which increases the perception of acidity—much like our discussion of the Collins in the Daiquiri chapter (this page). In this case, the classic recipe already includes ample richness in the core spirits and sweet peach liqueur, and the syrup bolsters those ingredients to increase the drink’s body.

2 ounces cold seltzer

¾ ounce Pierre Ferrand Ambre Cognac

¾ ounce Appleton Estate Reserve Blend rum

¾ ounce Giffard Crème de Pêche de Vigne

¾ ounce fresh lemon juice

¼ ounce Cane Sugar Syrup (this page)

1 strip lemon peel

Garnish: 1 lemon wheel and nutmeg

Pour the seltzer into a Collins glass or goblet. Short shake the remaining ingredients with ice for about 5 seconds, then strain into the glass. Fill the glass with ice cubes, then garnish with the lemon wheel and grate some nutmeg over the top of the drink.

Chatham Cocktail

DEVON TARBY, 2015

In the Chatham Cocktail, the core is a blend of fortified wines, which bring more sugar and acidity to the drink, and the drink is topped with Champagne, which brings even more acidity. Therefore, we use a smaller amount of both Grand Marnier and lemon juice and boost the amount of simple syrup.

¾ ounce Cocchi Americano bianco

¾ ounce Lustau Puerto fino sherry

¼ ounce Grand Marnier

½ ounce fresh lemon juice

¼ ounce simple syrup (this page)

Pinch of salt

1½ ounces Champagne

Garnish: 1 grapefruit twist

Short shake all the ingredients (except the Champagne) with ice for about 5 seconds, then strain into a chilled flute. Pour in the Champagne, and quickly dip the barspoon into the glass to gently mix the Champagne with the cocktail. Express the grapefruit twist over the drink and then place it into the drink.

Twist of Menton

DEVON TARBY, 2015

In another riff on the Last Word (this page), this recipe uses two
types of bitter liqueur in place of the Chartreuse and maraschino liqueur. To add a necessary sweet counterpoint and boost the body of this cocktail, we add a luscious strawberry syrup.

¾ ounce Grey Goose vodka

¾ ounce Aperol

½ ounce Amaro Nonino

¾ ounce fresh lemon juice

½ ounce Strawberry Cream Syrup (this page)

Garnish: 1 strawberry slice

Shake all the ingredients with ice, then double strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with the strawberry slice.

Long Island Iced Tea

CLASSIC

No exploration of the Sidecar’s extended family would be complete without the infamous Long Island Iced Tea. Of course, a key way in which this cocktail diverges from the standard Sidecar recipe is in the amount of spirits, with the core containing a whopping 3 ounces of strong spirits, split between vodka, gin, tequila, and rum. The amounts of Cointreau and lemon juice, however, aren’t increased, so the added cola contributes a burst of sugar and acidity to bring the whole thing into balance.

2 ounces cold Coca-Cola

¾ ounce Aylesbury Duck vodka

¾ ounce Plymouth gin

¾ ounce Cimarrón blanco tequila

¾ ounce Plantation 3 Stars rum

¾ ounce Cointreau

¾ ounce fresh lemon juice

Garnish: 1 lemon wedge

Pour the cola into a pint glass. Short shake the remaining ingredients with ice for about 5 seconds, then strain into the glass. Fill the glass with ice cubes and garnish with the lemon wedge.