Bourbon Sidecar

We are in the midst of an incredible sports tidal wave of action and excitement.  My buddy Danny provided me  with a the bootleg link to watch much of this week's sporting action.  Between the US soccer match, Italy losing, Isner/Mahut's epic tennis battle, and the US Open finale on Sunday, I can't remember the last time there were this many sporting events that I cared about going on at the same time.  It's fantastic!

And what should we do when watching sports?  Drink!  Yes, absolutely, we drink.  Today, we're drinking the Bourbon Sidecar, a perfect twist to an otherwise stellar cocktail.  The New York Times featured a story on the Bourbon Sidecar, and it's where we derived this recipe.  You can read the article at this link.

Bourbon Sidecar

2 oz bourbon
1 oz Cointreau
1 oz lemon juice

Shake over ice, serve.

For the Bourbon Sidecar, I'm using Woodford Reserve.  Feel free to us whatever you like.  The recipe calls for a sweeter bourbon - something like Maker's Mark.  I'd use whatever you've got on hand, it will likely work well in this cocktail.

I love this drink.  I love it for multiple reasons.  I love it because:

-  it has bourbon;

-  it is a version of the Sidecar;

-  it has discernable alcohol flavors;

-  it reminds me of other great whiskey based cocktails, like the sazerac;

-  there is a subtle bitters flavor in the drink, even though there are in fact no bitters

-  the lemon juice and whiskey pair together really well, debunking my previous thought that such a pairing was ill-fated;

This is an excellent cocktail.  This past weekend, I had some friends swing by on their way to a reunion.  I made them Fireman's Sours, and Sidecars.  They loved them both.  This would have been the unequivocal winner had it been made.  This is moving into the prime rotation of what I will now call "go-to cocktails."  You know what I mean - the cocktails in your arsenal that you have seared into you memory.  The cocktails that you know will impress, know others will enjoy, and know that will be requested again and again.

The classic Sidecar is one of my go-to cocktails.  It's easy to make, it's incredibly drinkable, and it's old.  I love old cocktails.  It's all the better to tell your guests that the cocktail in their hand pre-dates their grandparents.  That's a hell of a lot more interesting that handing them a vodka tonic.

Enjoy the Bourbon Sidecar, and enjoy the weekend!  We'll see you next week!