The Sidecar is a cocktail usually created with orange liqueur, cognac, and lemon juice. In its ingredients, this drink is similar to the classic Brandy Crusta; however, in its composition, the beverage is very different from Brandy's. Made from sugar syrup, lemonade, and cranberry juice, Sidecar uses a unique recipe. Unlike the Brandy Crusta which makes use of white rum or brandy for its flavor, Sidecar uses Madeira wine as its ingredient.
Madeira wine has a delicate flavor, which makes it ideal for mixing with other ingredients. The main ingredient of the Sidecar is Madeira liqueur. A variety of flavors are brought out through the mixing of the sugared rim with the Madeira wine. One of them is the cherry flavor which imparts a sugary sweetness. Another is the raspberry flavor, best suited for sidecars with an English breakfast theme.
For the Sidecar, sugar is usually added as the liquid to be mixed with the grape juice. The whole mixture is then strained and the result is then poured into a glass and chilled before being served. Most Sidecar orders include sugar in their recipes. However, if you would like to add more sugar, just dissolve the sugar with a bit of water and serve the drink as usual.
The Sidecar has a very mild but sweet taste that owes its sweetness to the fine blend of ingredients. More importantly, this flavor of the Sidecar owes its sweetness to the fine quality of the ingredients. As far as the ingredients are concerned, there are fewer sweet drinks that can beat the Sidecar. Among the notable ones are Madeira wine, cranberry juice, and orange liqueur.
The alcohol content in a Sidecar is fairly low, making it a safe choice for people who have high blood pressure or suffer from heart conditions. The alcohol in the Sidecar also helps in minimizing the formation of carbon dioxide in the stomach, thereby reducing the burning effect of the daiquiri. The Sidecar can satisfy different palates since it contains various kinds of ingredients. For instance, the standard Sidecar is made with peach, cranberry, and lemon.
If you are looking for a lighter Sidecar than the traditional maraschino or Romero Sidecar you can choose the tamarind version. Tamarind is said to be a neutral flavor that will complement just about any kind of cocktail. The other ingredient you may find in a Sidecar recipe is the cognac. Some Sidecar recipes use brandy in place of cognac drinks, while others base their Sidecar on peach.
Most Sidecar recipes start with a base cocktail of gin, dry vermouth, Grand Marnier, triple sec, orange liqueur, or absinthe. Some recipes call for a triple sec cocktail base, but many chefs do not recommend using it. The triple sec gives a sweet taste to the cocktail, but it also has some tannins which can be quite disagreeable to some people. If you are making a Sidecar that calls for a triple sec base, you might want to leave out the absinthe and add a touch of rosewater or another sweet vermouth.
If you are serving Sidecar cocktails at a party, you can't go wrong with a nice garnish such as some slices of orange or lime on the cocktail side, and some maraschino cherries on the beverage side. This is the best way to ensure that your Sidecar is properly chilled. You can also refrigerate your Sidecar in a shaker cup, however, because ice tends to build up in shaker cups. If you serve your Sidecar in a glass, keep in mind that if the cocktail glass is cracked, the contents may mix with the air, and this will spoil the Sidecar. If your Sidecar glass is cracked, a new one should be purchased and replace the old one before serving.
