12 Oct Rémy Martin celebrates 100 years of Sidecar
The Sidecar cocktail is celebrating one hundred years, and Rémy Martin is celebrating with it.
The two main ingredients of this vintage classic are the timeless flavors of Rémy Martin Cognac and Cointreau liqueur.
The iconic cocktail from the 1920s is once again popular with a new generation that values style with substance and with master bartenders around the world.
THE STORY OF THE SIDECAR: TWO CITIES AND A TRANSATLANTIC CULTURE
After a devastating war came the Roaring Twenties, a decade full of glitz and glamour after a dark period of misery.
Jazz was the music, the forbidden bar the kingdom and drinking the favorite indulgence.
American soldiers stationed in Europe were fond of one particular cocktail: the Sidecar.
It was said to be named after a captain in the U.S. Army whose favorite mode of transportation in Paris was a motorcycle sidecar.
The Sidecar became the cocktail of choice within all major cities: the Buck’s Club in London and Harry’s Bar and the Ritz in Paris.
A century later, the identity of the inventor is still the subject of heated debate.
Some say Harry MacElhone mixed the first cocktail in his famous Parisian bar on Rue Daunou.
Others argue for Pat McGarry who introduced it to the gentlemen drinkers of Mayfair at London’s Buck’s Club in the 1920s.
But it was Frank Meier at the Ritz who devised the first luxury version of the Sidecar by using the rare pre-phylloxera Cognac Fine Champagne, vintage 1865, for it.
In the year 2000, head bartender Colin Field discovered two bottles in the hotel’s cellar: the cognac behind the “Ritz Special” was a Rémy Martin.
ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF STYLE
A style statement since 1920, the Sidecar is once again popular with a new generation of customers who appreciate quality.
The cocktail stars in Rémy Martin’s acclaimed film“Team Up for Excellence,” which sheds light on the connection between cognac and music – mainly American music in France from 1917 to the present day.
The film is the result of a collaboration between Rémy Martin and “Fred & Farid New York,” and the soundtrack is the work of Grammy winner Usher.
The classic cognac cocktail from old Europe is paired in the film with the music scene that pays homage to the Sidecar’s roots. Rémy Martin and partying have been inextricably linked for centuries.
With captivating literary, film and music legends and legendary tales of nightlife, the magic of the 1920s persists today.
Evidence of this is the resurgence of Art Deco-style bars and hotel bars and their cocktail offerings.
Gone are the kitschy concoctions of the early 1920s.
The elegant, chic twenties-style cocktail is all the way back with trendsetters.
Fine spirits such as Rémy Martin Cognac and Cointreau play a starring role in this vintage revival, emphasizing authentic, timeless flavors and true savoir-faire.
ALL GOOD THINGS CONSIST OF THREE – 3 PARTS COGNAC, 2 PARTS COINTREAU, 1 PART LEMON JUICE
The aura of Jazz Age glamour partly explains the Sidecar’s survival as a style statement.
The link to Prohibition also gives the cocktail an allure of the forbidden.
But the real secret to its staying power is authenticity.
Few other drinks can match its history, much less its refined simplicity.
Like Hemingway’s prose, its genius lies in its minimalism.
The cocktail traversed oceans and generations, underwent modern modifications yet remained true to the original recipe – with only one important and refined exception: the choice of Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal.
Today, according to Rémy Martin, the proportions for a Sidecar are 3, 2, 1: 3 cl Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal, 2 cl Cointreau and 1 cl lemon juice.
The soft roundness of Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal comes out better against a background of bright citrus fruits, and the intense, oaky notes are enhanced by the crisp sweetness of Cointreau.
Thanks to this austere base recipe, the addition of a modern twist or garnish has all the more impact.
RÉMY SIDECAR AT HOME – SHAKE, STRAIN & SERVE
The elegant and beautifully balanced Rémy Sidecar is a symbol of refined taste and luxury.
Pay tribute to a century of style and create your own Rémy Sidecar at home.
60 ml
Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal 25 ml lemon juice 15 ml Cointreau 10 ml sugar syrup (optional)
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