Like many classic cocktails, the history of the Sidecar is widely debated. The first written appearance of the Sidecar was in 1910 in a book called “101 Drinks and How to Mix Them” by an unknown author. This recipe called for 1.5oz brandy, 1oz cointreau, and .5oz lemon juice. This recipe was extremely unbalanced and begged for more acidity.That’s where our first main character, American bartender Harry MacElhone, enters as the culprit of invention. McElhone opened a New York Style bar called “Harry’s Bar” in Paris while prohibition was happening in the US. His recipe follows the 1:1:1 ratio: 1oz brandy, 1oz lemon, and 1oz cointreau. This one was definitely tastier, with the increased acidity adding a brightness to the cocktail, but it was still lacking sweetness to properly balance the cocktail. McElhone was said to have named the cocktail “Sidecar” after a regular patron of his bar who would always show up in a motorcycle sidecar, ready to drink. 

This recipe lives in McElhone’s book, “Harry’s ABC of Mixing Cocktails,” though he credits another bartender for the drink’s invention. That bartender is said to be Pat McGarry of London’s “Buck’s Club” bar. McGarry was most famous for inventing the “Buck’s Fizz,” which was the foundation for modern-day mimosas, but there are also rumors he was responsible for the Sidecar as well. He is credited with the “English School” recipe, which is the one most prevalently used today. 

The Sidecar is an example of a Daisy cocktail rather than a Sour cocktail because of its use of cointreau as a sweetener rather than a plain simple syrup. Bartenders rave over this cocktail for its complex flavor profile that stems from just three simple ingredients–probably why the drink still holds up today!