This elegant Grand Marnier Sidecar recipe is the perfect Cognac cocktail for fans of fine French cuisine.
We love serving this quick & easy 3-ingredient craft cocktail at French-themed dinner parties paired with a cheese and charcuterie board for nibbling.
Pucker up to our “Grand Sidecar” featuring quality Cognac brandy, Grand Marnier orange liqueur, and freshly squeezed lemon juice.
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What Is A Grand Sidecar Cocktail?
The sidecar is any cocktail traditionally made with Cognac, orange liqueur (Cointreau, Grand Marnier, Dry Curacao or Triple Sec), and freshly squeezed lemon juice.
In its ingredients, the drink is perhaps most closely related to the older brandy crusta, which differs both in presentation and in proportions of its components.
Like the daiquiri, the sidecar evolved from the original sour cocktail formula, but sidecars are often drier than sours, combining liqueurs like Grand Marnier with citrus. Sidecars are considered more of a challenge for bartenders because the proportion of ingredients is more difficult to balance for liqueurs of variable sweetness.
The origin of the sidecar is unclear, but it is thought to have been invented around the end of World War I in either London or Paris. The drink was directly named for the motorcycle attachment, which was very commonly used at the time.
The historic Ritz Hotel in Paris claims origin of the drink. The first recipes for the sidecar appear in 1922, in Harry MacElhone’s Harry’s ABC of Mixing Cocktails and Robert Vermeire’s Cocktails and How to Mix Them. It is one of six basic drinks listed in David A. Embury’s The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks.
Our Grand Marnier Sidecar, also known simply as a Grand Sidecar, is very similar to this popular Hennessy Sidecar recipe.
What Is Cognac
Cognac is a variety of brandy named after the region of Cognac, France. It is produced in the surrounding wine-growing region in the departments of Charente and Charente-Maritime.
Cognac is the world’s most famous brandy, like Scotch whisky or Tequila (a type of mezcal), it comes from the actual place for which it’s named. But unlike Scotch, made from malted barley, Cognac is made from grapes.
The brandy must be twice distilled in copper pot stills and aged at least two years in French oak barrels from Limousin or Tronçais. Cognac matures in the same way as whiskies and wines barrel-age, and most cognacs spend considerably longer “on the wood” than the minimum legal requirement.
In our Grand Marnier Sidecar recipe you can use a classic Cognac or in a pinch substitute for a quality French brandy like St Remy.
What Is Grand Marnier?
Grand Marnier is a French brand of liqueurs.
The award-winning brand’s best-known product is Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge, an orange-flavoured liqueur created in 1880 by Alexandre Marnier-Lapostolle. It is made from a blend of Cognac brandy, distilled essence of bitter orange, and sugar, containing 40% alcohol by volume.
It is commonly consumed “neat” as a cordial or a digestif, and can be used in mixed drinks and desserts, such as Crêpes Suzette.
Travel to France to Sip a Grand Marnier Sidecar
I love traveling to Europe!
During my first visit to the continent I traveled for 5 months by train and plane. I had the opportunity to eat my way through Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, Portugal, Spain, Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia,Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Croatia, Bosnia, Hungary, Slovakia, Greece, Turkey and Italy.
What I love most about traveling to France is the opportunity to sample unique recipes from each region. The dishes and drinks in Paris and Versailles are unique to what you might find on restaurant in Normandy, Chateauneuf de Pape, Provence, Epernay, Reims, Dijon and Annecy.
For hundreds of years French cuisine has been considered the fanciest of sips and nibbles. If you’re a cocktail fan, there’s no better country in Europe to swig your way through. Head to the heart of Cognac country on a road trip of France, or quench your thirst on craft cocktails at fancy luxury hotel bars in Paris or Saint-Tropez down south.
Once back home from a French holiday you’ll have a newfound appreciation for the regional and seasonal flavours of France and can impress friends and family by making this delightful Grand Marnier Sidecar.
Grand Sidecar Ingredients
Our easy cognac cocktail recipe features premium and fresh ingredients.
- Grand Marnier: this Cognac based liqueur is flavoured with robust orange.
- Cognac: the famous French brandy tends to be on the sweeter side if the bottle is young. Older Cognacs are often drier and spicier.
- Lemon Juice: freshly squeezed lemon juice gives this cocktail its classic “sour” taste. The acidity balances out the sweetness in the Grand Marnier.
- Garnish: decorate the coupe glass with a dehydrated citrus wheel or lemon twist.
Directions
- Combine Grand Marnier, cognac, brandy and fresh lemon juice with ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake for 15-20 seconds until cold.
- Strain into a coup glass and granish with dehydraed citrus wheel or lemon twist.
Grand Marnier Sidecar Recipe Tips
This Sidecar cocktail recipe is easy to make at home, ready to serve in under 5 minutes.
- We suggest serving this Grand Marnier Sidecar in a coupe or mini martini glass.
- If you’re making a traditional Sidecar cocktail we suggest using a classic cognac like Remy Martin or Hennessy. You can also play with the ingredients, substituting cognac for a French brandy like St. Remy.
- We highly recommend using Grand Marnier in this cocktail (hey, it’s in the name!) but if you don’t have any in your bar cart you can substitute for another orange liqueur like Cointreau, Dry Curacao or Triple Sec.
- We’ve used fresh lemon juice in this recipe. Always use freshly squeezed citrus juice, not store bought concentrate. You can taste the difference.
- The recipe below serves one person. If you’re hosting a large gathering feel free to multiply the ingredients by the number of guests and muddle the drink in a punch bowl or jug.
- Store the brandy and Grand Marnier bottles in your freezer so when guests arrive they are well chilled.
- We like to garnish the glass with a dehydrated citrus wheel but you can also use a lemon twist.
- You can add a hint of sweetness by serving the drink with a glass decorated in a sugar rim.
Best Bartender Tools & Cocktail Equipment
Before hosting a swanky Grand Marnier Sidecar soiree you’ll need to ensure you have the best bartender tools and cocktail equipment.
- Cocktail Kit: cocktail kits are the perfect gift for newbie mixology fans as they include basic bartender tools like a jigger, shaker and spoon.
- Cocktail Shaker: a bartender’s best friend. Purchase a premium cocktail shaker to muddle or shake up your favourite pink gin cocktails.
- Cocktail Glassware: make sure your bar is stocked with a selection of unique glassware to show off your favourite cocktail creations.
- Hawthorne Strainer: this unique strainer features tightly wound coils and perforated holes. It keeps ice and other large ingredients like lime wedges in your cocktail shaker rather than in the glass.
- Bar Spoons: slender and long bar spoons are a must-have when stirring drinks.
- Bottle Opener: easily open bottles of beer or cider with the flick of your wrist or purchase a corkscrew for fine wine.
- Pouring Spout: once you’ve opened a new bottle of gin insert these affordable pourers to make cocktail assembly a breeze.
- Cutting Board: purchase a petite cutting board for your bar to slice garnishes or citrus wedges like lime, orange, lemon or grapefruit.
- Ice Bucket: chill bottles of gin quickly in an ice bucket or keep by the bar when muddling gin mixers into cool creations.
- Ice Crusher: fans of the Mint Julep love an ice crusher.
- Ice Cube Kit: we suggest purchasing a selection of ice cube trays. Silicone styles are our favourite as they’re easy to clean and are available in various shapes and sizes.
- Jigger: use a jigger to accurately measure spirits, juices, syrups and shrubs.
- Juicer: invest in an electronic juicer or buy an affordable hand-held to easily juice fresh citrus like lemons and limes.
- Muddler: fans of the Mojito love a sturdy muddler to mix mint and lime. Muddler’s are handy for any cocktail featuring ingredients that need a pounding like fresh herbs or citrus wedges.
- Citrus Peeler & Zester: adorn your craft cocktails with a thick citrus peel or finer ribbons of lime or lemon zest.
- Rimmer: Bloody Mary and Caesar lovers should outfit their bar with a handy rimmer for salting and sugaring glassware.
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How To Make A Grand Marnier Sidecar Cocktail
Grand Marnier Sidecar Cocktail
Equipment
- Jigger
- Coupe Glass
- Cocktail Shaker
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz Grand Marnier
- 0.5 oz Cognac Brandy
- 0.75 oz Lemon Juice
- Dehydrated Lemon or Lime Wheel garnish
Instructions
- Combine Grand Marnier, cognac, and fresh lemon juice with ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake for 15-20 seconds until cold.
- Strain into a coup glass and granish with dehydraed citrus wheel.
Nutrition
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