Feature Friday: A Cocktail with Swagger

Nothing harkens back to the days of The Rat Pack like a vintage cocktail.  It’s been said that Frank Sinatra would walk up to party goers at his shin-digs, grab their cocktail and sample it. If it was

watered down, he’s quickly get them a fresh one. While you may not have the swagger of Old Blue Eyes himself, you can certainly drink like him.

I originally started looking in magazines and bartending books for vintage drinks when it became apparent that I couldn’t find good wine at local bars. And I’m sorry, but nothing sucks more than having yet ANOTHER boring beer on a hot summer day. I eventually settled on a sidecar after trying many cocktails with outlandish ingredients like Chartreuse. A sidecar is a remarkably simple drink with great flavor, and a lot of umph behind it.

Before we get into the specifics of making the drink, keep in mind that glassware is important. It’s my opinion that an “Old-fashioned glass” works better than a plastic cup any day. Not only does it help you get some of that Old Blue Eyes swagger going on, the fine crystal of the short tumbler enhances the experience of the cocktail. You can find great glass old fashioned glasses at any home goods store. And for added swagger points, go to thrift stores or antique stores and find something REALLY vintage!

After many long discussions with various Spirits professionals about the ingredients to go into making a sidecar, I settled on a moderately priced Brandy. Since it’s being mixed with other ingredients, having a fine Brandy or Cognac really isn’t necessary, unless that’s just how you roll.  I did settle on a French Brandy because after tasting 3 or 4 Brandies from various origins, I found it had the richest flavors at the most reasonable price.  The other two ingredients are lemon juice and Cointreau.  Some recipes call for Triple Sec, but Cointreau offers the same citrus flavors with much better delivery.  I also always use fresh lemon juice since it’s easy to get and the lemon stuff in the plastic lemons really don’t have the right flavor.

You can see in my video just how easy it is to make a sidecar.

It’s simply mixing:

• 2 oz Brandy
• 1 oz Cointreau
• 0.5 oz fresh lemon juice (or approximately 1/2 a medium lemon)

The other key ingredient to this, or any, good cocktail is good ice.

Always opt for larger, thicker cubes over smaller, thinner ones. You want the ice to chill the drink, not water it down.  Obviously smaller pieces of ice will melt faster and ruin your drink quickly.  I’ve had a devil of a time trying to find really large ice cubes that accomplish this. So, break out a block of ice, a pick, and make your own cocktail chunks!

I’d love to hear what you are drinking, especially if it’s sidecars after seeing this video and post. You can find my latest wine review and info on my blog A Good Time with Wine. Follow me on twitter as well, @mmwine

*Cheers*

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Passionate about food and wine for 21 years, Matthew Horbund has finally began sharing his love with the world. Blogging about wine , appearing on Daytime TV discussing wine, and using social media applications like Twitter, Facebook, etc, has allowed Matthew to share his love for wine with you in a fully engaging way. A Finance and Technology professional by day, he consults for Zsazsa And Company, Inc, a start up wine business in South Florida focused on carefully selected wines for everyone to enjoy.