Pear and Cardamon Sidecar
The Sidecar came out of the final years of the First World War. It sits in the same early twentieth century wave that produced the Daiquiri, the Dry Martini and the Aviation. Bartenders were pushing cleaner lines, sharper profiles and better balance. Cognac, citrus and a dry orange liqueur offered exactly that.
Two claims dominate its history.
- Paris says it began at Harry’s New York Bar, made for an American officer who rode to the bar on a motorcycle.
- London says it came from the Ritz, created by Robert Vermeire or Pat McGarry. Both bars served smart travelling clients and both were experimenting with brandy cocktails, so either claim is plausible.
The first printed recipe appeared in 1922. It used equal parts cognac, Cointreau and lemon juice. It is another style of spirits led cocktail (all spirits).
The Downton Twist
We do not make cognac but make two spirits from grape waste left behind after wine making. Pomace gives us our Marc, built from the skins and seeds. Juice lees give us a lighter Eau de Vie. Both sit in the grape brandy family and both are unaged.
We have used our Marc for this cocktail and it provides it own elegant notes that work very well with the Pear liqueur and Cointreau.
Ease of Making: Easy, amend quantities as needed.
Glass Type: Coupe or Nika Nora
Taste: Sweet orange opens on the nose then moves into delicate pear and the warmth of cardamom. The Marc adds depth with its clean cacao note. The result is smooth, aromatic and quietly complex.
Recipe:
- 25ml Marc de Downton
- 25ml Belle de Brillet pear liqueur
- 20ml Cointreau
- ½ Fresh Lemon
- 1 Cardamom Pod – split open
Method:
- Place all the ingredients into a Japanese mixing glass or cocktail shaker.
- Add ice and stir slowly – chilling the liquid
- Strain into your glass.
- Garnish with either with fresh pear or dried pear slice.
Variants
- Add a little of the cocktail to a champagne flute and top up with bubbles.
