Turn a classic Sidecar cocktail into a fun fruity fall cocktail with apple brandy!
Not too sweet and totally delicious this is a favorite seasonal cocktail! With apple brandy and apple cider, it's full of fruity flavor.
I can't believe I've been cocktail blogging for this long and haven't included a recipe for a classic sidecar cocktail.
Well, I guess even with this post, it's not a classic sidecar, I've changed it up a bit with apple brandy and apple cider, giving it a glorious fall twist.
The cocktail is rumored to have been created by an American army captain that was stationed in Paris during World War I. Apparently he rode around Paris in a motorcycle sidecar, hence the name. Like most origin stories, there are several variations on this one.
The sidecar probably has it's roots in a Brandy Crusta - another classic cocktail, that I definitely need to try.
What is a sidecar cocktail? A sidecar is basically brandy, orange liqueur and lemon juice. Sometimes with bitters, sometimes not. Sometimes garnished, sometimes not.
Ingredients
Apple brandy - try to find a moderately priced brandy. The cheaper brandies are poorly flavored.
Cointreau - or you favorite orange liqueur, you could also make your one orange liqueur.
Apple Cider
Lemon juice - fresh squeezed.
Bitters - I had some El Guapo Holiday Pie Bitters that I thought would compliment it nicely. If you don't have any bitters, you can omit.
Instructions
Fill a coupe glass with ice to chill.
In a cocktail shaker, add 1 ½ ounces of apple brandy.
Then add ¾ ounce of orange liqueur.
Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of apple cider to the cocktail shaker.
Add a dash of bitters. How much is a dash? A dash is usually considered ⅛ of a teaspoon or about 6-8 drops.
Fill the shaker ¾ full of ice and top with a lid.
Shake for 10-20 seconds. Interesting post from The Spruce Eats on How to Properly Shake a Cocktail.
Dump ice from chilled coupe glass and strain cocktail into glass.
You can optionally garnish with an apple slice.
This was the perfect fall cocktail (or anytime really.) I am partial to Apple Cocktails and this one did not disappoint.
I definitely don't make enough brandy cocktails, which is a shame because I absolutely loved the Scorpion Cocktail (a fun tiki cocktail.) I also bring out the brandy every winter to make Winter Solstice Brew and my Brandied Cranberries.
Recipe
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Apple Brandy Sidecar
Ingredients
- 1 ½ ounces Apple Brandy
- ¾ ounce orange liqueur
- 1 tbsp lemon juice fresh squeezed
- 1 tbsp apple cider
- ⅛ teaspoon Holiday Pie Bitters optional, or other bitters
- apple slice optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Fill a coupe glass with ice to chill.
- In a shaker combine apple brandy, orange liqueur, lemon juice, apple cider and a dash of of bitters (if using.)
- Fill shaker ¾ with ice, add a lid and shake for 20-30 seconds.
- Dump ice from cocktail glass and pour in strained cocktail. Garnish with an apple slice.
Heather Jones says
I must get these adorable glasses! can you tell me where you got them? Great recipe btw 🙂
Pam Greer says
Thrift store!
Heather Jones says
Bummer! love me a great Thrift store find though.
Toni says
This is such a perfect drink! My husband liked it too! Saved it so I can make it again!
Tammy says
Your photos are gorgeous and so is this cocktail. It sounds so refreshing and perfect for the fall season. Cannot wait to try!
Jessica Formicola says
Is it 5:00 yet?? This looks like the perfect fall drink with that apple flavor!
Jenn says
This is the perfect fall cocktail recipe! I loved everything about it, and the lemon juice really balanced the flavors!
Dannii says
I am loving all the apple recipes around at the moment, and these look great. Perfect for Christmas too.
Nart at Cooking with Nart says
Looks great. I don't like cocktails that are too sweet so this is definitely my cup of tea!