The Sidecar - A hint of days gone by

A Sidecar for the Holidays - Memories of Days Gone By

Vintage cocktails are all about bringing back memories of great times with friends and family . . . and for the cocktail aficionado, memories of great - and classic - cocktails from days gone by.  The Sidecar, which came to us from Europe, about the time of WWI is one of these.  An officer, it is reputed, chilled from riding in a motorcycle sidecar, entered a Parisian bar (said to be either Harry's or the Ritz) and asked for a warming drink, from the bartender.

 We don't need to ride in a motorcycle sidecar or even go to Paris.  You can enjoy much the same warming drink, right at home or at any good bar.  Either way, a Sidecar is a great vintage cocktail. 

Here's how I make mine:

The Sidecar

1  Jigger brandy

1/2 Jigger Cointreau

1/2 Jigger freshly squeezed and strained lemon juice

Combine the ingredients in a shaker with cracked ice.  Shake well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.  No garnish necessary, but I think a thin strip of lemon peel or a small piece of orange is very appropriate.

TIP:  Use Cointreau, not triple sec.  The flavor speaks for itself.

The Bee's Knees. . . the cat's meow

My specialty is vintage cocktails, and when I saw the Bee's Knees, I immediately got more curious.  Any cocktail that's named for a truly old fashioned expression has got to have some interest for me.

To my way of thinking, the Bee's Knees is a good cocktail for nearly any season, but I'd recommend it for spring through early fall.  As its name implies, it contains something to do with bees. . . namely, honey.  And although I don't like to reduce a recipe to something overly simple, the Bee's Knees is basically a gin sour made with honey, instead of powdered sugar.


Here's how I make mine:

The Bee's Knees

2 oz Dry gin
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 Tbs Honey
1/2 Tbs Warm water

Make "honey syrup," by mixing a tablespoonful of honey, with the warm water.  Add the lemon juice and gin, and shake well with cracked ice.  Pour into a chilled coupe (an old-fashioned champagne glass).  No garnish needed, but if you insist on decorations, a small piece of lemon peel will do.

The Champagne Cocktail:  Remember Casablanca?

When I think of the cinema classic Casablanca, I think immediately of Paul Henreid ordering champagne cocktails, for himself and Ingrid Bergman.

This drink, "starred" in both Casablanca and An Affair to Remember.  In both situations, those who ordered it showed impeccable taste.

The Champagne Cocktail is easy to make and a wonderful drink for sit-down dinners or casual gatherings.  I like mine on the dry side, so I use a brut champagne.  But make it your way.  If you prefer it less dry, use a sweeter sparkling wine or even an Asti spumante.  And if your barware permits, I recommend a classic champagne coupe, but it looks and tastes just as wonderful in a modern flute.  Here's how I make them:

Champagne Cocktail

1 Sugar cube (or 1 tsp granulated sugar)

Angostura Bitters

1 oz Brandy

Well chilled champagne or sparkling wine

Place the sugar at the bottom of a classic champagne coupe (or flute glass).  Add several dashes of Angostura Bitters, then add the brandy.  Slowly add the cold champagne and garnish with some lemon peel.

Tip:  If Angostura Bitters are a bit too intense, feel free to use Fee's Orange Bitters.  And if you'd like to make the version featured in An Affair to Remember, use pink champagne or sparkling wine and make the drink in a cocktail (martini) glass.

The Black Russian

Coffee - an American pleasure for generations.  What better way to celebrate this, than with a Black Russian, one of the classic cocktails so popular in the Sixties?  The Black Russian was as appropriate as a pre-dinner drink, as it was after dinner, relaxing with friends.

There are few classic cocktails as easy to make, and so easy to get right.  Here's how:

The Black Russian

2 oz Vodka

1 oz Kahlua Coffee Liqueur

Into an Old Fashioned glass with a couple of ice cubes, place the vodka, then the Kahlua.  Stir once or twice.  Serve with or without a stirrer but no garnish.  Bartenders call a drink assembled right in the glass a "build." 

If you'd like a "creamier" version, try a White Russian.  Make a Black Russian, then float an ounce of heavy cream on top.  Serve with a stirrer. 

The Rusty Nail - Smoke with Honey Sweetness

The Rusty Nail was so popular in the late Sixties. Two simple ingredients, combined as a "build," to make one terrific cocktail.

The Rusty Nail

2 oz Blended scotch
1 oz Drambuie
Twist of lemon peel

Place a cube or two of ice into an Old Fashioned glass, then add the scotch, then the Drambuie. Just a gentle stir will give you a wonderfully “layered” drink, with the famed “honey sweetness” of the Drambuie, followed by the more smoky notes of the scotch. Garnish is optional, but most aficionados like a twist of lemon peel.

The Rusty Nail is a simple cocktail with complex flavors. Feel free to adjust the recipe to your own tastes. Like the Martini and Manhattan, you can vary the proportions of dry-to-sweet. It’s not necessary to stir the cocktail with an actual rusty nail, as Scottish bartenders were said to have done. A simple stir with a bar spoon will do.

The Daiquiri

The Sixties brings to mind the Beatles, the Cuban Missile Crisis, JFK  - and his favorite cocktail - the Daiquiri.  Created in the 1890's and named after a Cuban village, the Daiquiri became one of the great revival successes in mixology.  Refreshing and tart, it was just the ticket for a long lunch with prospective clients, making the pitch just a little easier.  Summer is just around the corner, and the Daiquiri may just be THE summer cocktail this year!

The Daiquiri

2 oz Light rum

1 oz Fresh lime juice

1 tsp Ultrafine sugar

Place ingredients in a cocktail shaker with cracked ice.  Shake vigorously, but not too long - chill the Daiquiri, but don't dilute it!  Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a slice of lime.  Pair this with some tapas or grilled fish and watch Hemingway's "Islands in the Stream."

The Kir Royale - Happy Holidays!

As we move toward the end of each year, I make it a special point to move my collection of great holiday films, from their waiting area (in my basement) to the front of my video line.  And among my very favorites is Holiday Inn, that wonderful film starring Fred Astaire, Marjorie Reynolds, and Bing Crosby.  Released in 1942, it's got a bit of everything, from dance, to comedy, to romance.  And all to the music of Irving Berlin.  His tune, White Christmas was later the song around which the film of the same name was released in 1954 - also starring Bing Crosby.

The almost magical variety of entertainment in Holiday Inn makes me think of the Kir Royale, a cocktail that features the dryness of champagne, with the sweetness of black raspberry.  The effervescence of the wine and the rosy color of the cassis make this a perfect drink before - or after - dinner.  It's simple to make, as well!

Kir Royale
2 tsp Creme de Cassis (blackcurrant liqueur)
Champagne (I suggest a Brut)

Place the cassis at the bottom of a flute glass, then fill gently with chilled champagne.

Variation:  The Kir Imperial is my preference and is made with Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur, instead of cassis.  Fill the flute gently, with brut champagne.

While you're watching Holiday Inn, I'd recommend pairing your Kir Royale or Kir Imperial with something that will round out the flavor spectrum.  My choice would be a simple snack such as veggie or potato chips.  The contrasting sweet and dry of the Kir, paired with the savory chips will amaze you!