While cleaning off our front porch this weekend to prepare it for a warm, long summer of outdoor entertaining, I decided to take a little sidebar from my hunt for somewhere to sit and focus on something yummy to sip! While certain meals often call for a specific drink (red wine with red meat, white with fish) so do certain times of the year. In the cold, dark winter months we love to sip a glass of scotch, when I'm visiting the hot southern California desert I enjoy a cold margarita and every time we inch towards summer I start to think of ways to wet our appetites after a long, hot day. Meet (what will be) my new best friend this summer; the Sidecar. Simple to make, delicious to drink, the sidecar is said to have been invented at the Ritz Hotel and was a favorite of Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald, so it must be perfect for us! The key to enjoying this cocktail is NOT to stray from the ingredients..fresh lemon juice and a salted rim are a must! Pour a few of these for your dinner guests this summer and watch them lust!
THE DRIVE BEHIND A SIDECAR:
Lemon Wedge
Superfine sugar for rim
1 1/4 ounces Courvoisier cognac
1 1/4 ounces Cointreau
1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 orange twist for garnish
Moisten rim of glass with lemon wedge and dip glass in sugar. Place glass in freezer while preparing drink. Add ingredients in mixing glass with ice cubes and shake. Strain into glasses and garnish with orange slice. *cognac can be replaced by good brandy and cointreau by triple sec*
