Cognac, Cointreau, and fresh lemon — the Paris post-WWI classic with a timeless balance.
The Sidecar was created in Paris around 1922, with Harry MacElhone of Harry's New York Bar in Paris claiming credit (it appeared in his 1922 'Harry's ABC of Mixing Cocktails'). Harry Craddock included it in the 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book. The name is said to come from a regular customer who arrived at the bar by motorcycle sidecar.
The Sidecar's elegance is its balance: Cognac's fruit and oak, Cointreau's orange sweetness, and lemon's acid meet in a precise equilibrium. The 2:¾:¾ ratio is the standard, but some bartenders go 2:1:¾ for a slightly sweeter result. Use a decent VSOP Cognac — not the best Cognac you own, but not the cheapest either. The sugar rim debate: it softens the acid entry and makes the drink more approachable. Purists reject it.
The 1850s ancestor of the Sidecar: use Cognac, Maraschino, Curaçao, lemon juice, and a long spiral of lemon peel inside the glass. The prototype for the Sidecar family.
Replace Cognac with bourbon. The whiskey's vanilla and caramel notes work unexpectedly well with Cointreau and lemon.
Use Japanese whisky (Suntory Toki or Nikka From The Barrel) instead of Cognac. More delicate, with a subtle grain sweetness.