Ridealong Cocktail Recipe

With cognac, orange liqueur, and lemon, the Sidecar is one of those unappreciated classics that we adore, boozy but still crisp and light. Here, we swap in grapefruit liqueur and up the cognac just a bit.

By
Carey Jones and John McCarthy
John McCarthy and Carey Jones are contributing writers at Serious Eats.
Carey Jones and John McCarthy
Writer Carey Jones met her husband, mixologist John McCarthy, in 2012 when she penned an article profiling his cocktail program. They have been collaborating ever since, most notably on their weekly drinks column "Liquor Cabinet Roulette" for Food & Wine, book Be Your Own Bartender (2018), and features for Serious Eats.
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Published Dec. 21, 2018
20181213-holiday-cocktails-vicky-wasik-ridealong
Photograph: Vicky Wasik

A riff on a classic Sidecar, this drink uses the grapefruit liqueur pamplemousse to make an even brighter, livelier twist on the original mix of cognac, orange liqueur, and lemon. It couldn't be easier to make for parties; multiply each ingredient by the number of drinks you need, stir it all up in one pitcher, and pour out into coupes, holding the ice back. Have your grapefruit twists ready to go.

Reprinted with permission from Be Your Own Bartender: A Surefire Guide to Finding (and Making) Your Perfect Cocktail by Carey Jones and John McCarthy, copyright © 2018. Published by Countryman Press.

Recipe Facts

Active: 5 mins
Total: 5 mins
Serves: 1 serving

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Ingredients

  • 2 ounces (60ml) cognac

  • 1 ounce (30ml) fresh lemon juice

  • 1 ounce (30ml) pamplemousse

  • 1 dash orange bitters

  • 3 fruit (3-3/4" dia) grapefruit

Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients except grapefruit peel in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously, then double-​strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with grapefruit peel, spritzed skin side down over the surface of the drink before being added to the cocktail.

Special Equipment

Cocktail shaker and strainer

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
200 Calories
0g Fat
10g Carbs
0g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 200
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 1mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 10g 4%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 15mg 73%
Calcium 5mg 0%
Iron 0mg 0%
Potassium 38mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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