Bourbon Sidecar: A Twist on the Classic Cocktail

The Bourbon Sidecar cocktail takes the classic Sidecar to new heights by replacing cognac with bourbon. Follow this easy Bourbon Sidecar recipe and craft one at home in just five minutes.

Bourbon SidecarPhoto by2foodtrippers

Our exploration of bourbon cocktails has taken a twist. A lemon twist to be exact.

The bright flavors in the classic Sidecar speaks to us as we stand on the cusp of a new season. While winter hasn't let go, we see glimmers of spring with each day lasting a bit longer than the last.

But, with a lingering chill in the air, bourbon speaks to us as well. Hence our decision to craft a Bourbon Sidecar instead of a classic Sidecar.

What Is a Sidecar?

The Sidecar joined achieved classic status in 1948. That's when David A. Embury included the sour bourbon martini in the short list of cocktail classics featured in his The Fine Art of Mixing. The Daiquiri, Jack Rose, Manhattan, Martini and Old Fashioned round out this list.

The classic Sidecar recipe is both simple and sophisticated with just three ingredients - cognac, orange liqueur and fresh lemon juice. While some mixologists use brandy or Armagnac instead of cognac, we decided to craft ours with Kentucky bourbon.

We're not the first to craft a Sidecar cocktail with bourbon and we certainly won't be the last. Nor will the first Bourbon Sidecar be our last Bourbon Sidecar. The tasty tipple has earned a permanent spot on our at home cocktail rotation.

History of the Sidecar

Depending on what you read and choose to believe, the Sidecar cocktail was either invented in London or Paris. We choose to believe that it invented in Paris at Harry's Bar which, if true, makes the Sidecar a French cocktail.

We can at least be certain that the Sidecar was invented in the early 1920s soon after Prohibition ended and that it was named after a motorcycle sidecar. Or was it?

Ingredients

The Bourbon Sidecar fits into our lazy mixology playbook with an incredibly short list of ingredients that includes:

• 2 ounces bourbon
• 1 ounce Cointreau
• ½ ounce lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
• granulated sugar (optional for sugar rim)
• lemon peel (garnish)
• ice cubes (for shaking)

Selecting the right liquor is critical in a cocktail with just a few ingredients. We chose to use Four Roses Bourbon and Cointreau to craft our Bourbon Sidecar.

Four Roses is a great cocktail bourbon since its flavors are relatively mild with hints of both vanilla and caramel. It's also one of the more affordable bourbons produced in Kentucky and has a 40% ABV, the lowest possible ABV for Kentucky bourbon.

Cointreau is our go-to orange liqueur for cocktail recipes that call for orange liqueur or triple sec as well as for some that don't. We like Cointreau's balanced flavor. Ironically, it also has a 40% ABV.

How to Craft a Bourbon Sidecar Cocktail

We didn't realize how easy it is to craft a Bourbon Sidecar until we crafted one at home. Not only is the ingredient list short, but no special tools or gadgets are required. The only required tools for this recipe are a jigger, cocktail strainer and Boston shaker. We already have all three in our home bar. Hooray!

We like to coat the rim of our martini glass with sugar when we craft Bourbon Sidecars at home. This extra step adds a sweetness to the sour cocktail that we prefer.

If you've never created a sugared rim before, rest assured that it's easy. You just need to rub the glass rim with a lemon wedge before dipping the glass onto a plate topped with sugar. You'll want to rotate the glass a few times until it's properly coated.

If you've chosen to sugar your glass rim, set the glass aside. It's now time to craft the cocktail.

The first step in our Bourbon Sidecar recipe is to measure the bourbon, orange liqueur and lemon juice. We do this with a jigger but you could use a mini angled measuring cup instead.

As you measure each liquid, pour it directly into your cocktail shaker. We use a Boston shaker which has literally changed our mixology life for the better. It's as easy to use as it is to clean and it doesn't leak. Hooray again!

The second step is to add ice to the shaker and vigorously shake the drink until it's both chilled and combined. After about 30 seconds, use a strainer to strain the liquid into a cocktail glass. We use a small martini glass for this cocktail though a coupe glass would work equally well.

The final step is to garnish your cocktail with a lemon twist.

Pro Tip: Peel the lemon skin before you squeeze juice from the lemon.

Variations

After you follow our Bourbon Sidecar recipe, you may be satisfied to drink this version forever. However, if you're keen to experiment, we recommend starting with the following options:

• Craft an extra sour Bourbon Sidecar by adding extra lemon juice.
• Craft a sweeter Bourbon Sidecar by adding a splash of simple syrup.
• Replace the bourbon with cognac and craft a classic Sidecar cocktail.
• Replace the bourbon with cognac and add rum to craft a Between the Sheets cocktail.
• Replace the bourbon with tequila and the lemon juice with lime juice to craft a Margarita.

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