The Drink That Will...

Impress Your Grandmother

Sidecar This 1920s-era cocktail is enjoying a renaissance in swank New York watering holes like Angel’s Share in the East Village and the Red Cat in Chelsea, according to the New York Times. "Most people these days ordering sidecars have been turned on to them," said Connor Coffey, a bartender at the Red Cat. "It’s not a drink they’ve seen on Sex and the City." The sidecar’s origins are a bit murky; two Parisian bars lay claim to the invention. Popular cocktail legend has it that a World War I officer hopped out of his chauffeur-driven sidecar and demanded something to warm him up, so a bartender at a.) the Ritz’s Little Bar or b.) Harry’s New York Bar whipped up this trifecta. Who was it? Who cares! This is a cocktail worth rediscovering, even if you travel in a vehicle with a roof on it.

1 1/2 oz. brandy  3/4 oz. freshly squeezed lemon juice  3/4 oz. Cointreau  Pour everything into a shaker filled with ice. Shake the hell out of  it-as if you’re riding in the sidecar of a Harley Davidson-then strain  into a chilled cocktail glass.

Mix it Right Fresh lemon juice is key; use lemonade or artificial lemon juice and the Sidecar runs the risk of tasting too sweet. One sign that you’re in a bar where they know what they’re doing: the bartender will ask you if you want the rim of your glass dusted with confectioners’ sugar, or left alone. (It’s up to you. If you’re the kind of person who digs a salt rim on a Margarita, go for it.)