sidecar snob

back in january, my mom celebrated her 50th birthday at a joint party with a friend of hers. that friend's husband is known for his (supposedly amazing) martinis... which are just not my style. needing an alternative but still delicious cocktail to complement my hors d'oeuvres, he scanned the available ingredients and told me to sit tight and in just a few moments, i'd have a sidecar ready and waiting for me. not knowing exactly what a sidecar contained, i was slightly nervous because i don't do well with really strong alcoholic drinks (see: martinis) and since he had gone out of his way to create it just for me, i would have been horrified if i hadn't been able to drink it. soon enough, my hand was holding a martini glass with a sugared rim and a sidecar. i'm going to take this opportunity to think about how delicious it was while providing you the recipe for a classic sidecar.

Sidecar (from DrinkoftheWeek.com)

The Original from Harry's Bar - Paris

1 1⁄2 oz. VS or VSOP cognac

3⁄4 oz. Cointreau

3⁄4 oz. fresh lemon juice

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass with a sugared rim.

Garnish with an orange peel.

finally, i had something other than a cosmo to order at a bar - seriously, there is nothing more embarassing than ordering a cosmo, but i can never think of anything else and then i panic and say 'a cosmo please' and then i get a condescending look from the bartender as he rues the day that sex and the city made those sugary drinks so popular. major bummer.

so after this fateful night that the sidecar and i were introduced, i took it upon myself to perfect them at home and add to my (still slightly lacking) repertoire. how about these babies, eh?

(the little one is for lizzy - she felt left out.) (i kid. our dog doesn't actually drink alcohol.)

not only are they in a regular rotation at casa r (until mojito season arrives, at least), but i've sampled my fair share at restaurants across the city. the verdicts?

landmarc: 0/5 stars, i think they added rubbing alcohol. my nose stung just from taking a whiff.

elizabeth: 3/5 stars, not bad, but it lost points for icy chunks and the fact that it was lacking a sugared rim! blasphemy.

schiller's liquor bar: 2/5 stars, seriously guys - powdered sugar turns into a gloopy mess if you use it on the rim! what a terrible idea. 

'intoca: the closest to pure, home-shaken perfection, but again, no sugar. i'm serious, that totally makes the drink!

more reviews to come as i continue the sidecar snobbery tasting tour of manhattan.

 i share this knowledge in the hopes that women across new york and the country will no longer suffer from bar-inflicted cosmo paralysis as i did for so many years. 

i have seen the light, and it has a sugared rim.