A Seasonal Spin on the Classic Sidecar

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Impress fall guests with this seasonal spin on a sidecar.

Little Betty Steak Bar in Birmingham, Alabama, is shaking up the sidecar this fall. “Just as seasons change, we change ingredients and change around cocktails,” says bar lead Colin McGhee. The classic sidecar is sweet and citrusy, not unlike a whiskey sour, using cognac or brandy, orange liqueur, and lemon juice. Little Betty’s Cidercar adds autumn spice.

“The biggest difference is the spirits that you’re using,” says McGhee. “Pierre Ferrand cognac specifically has a lot of orchard fruit and different apple flavors.” Instead of a simple syrup, the bar uses a spiced apple cider concentrate. “Normally it’s a just basic sugar rim [on a sidecar], and ours is a 50/50 blend of cinnamon and sugar,” says McGhee, who mentions the cocktail is “shaken, not stirred.”

McGhee recommends enjoying the Cidercar before your meal or after, alongside something sweet like cheesecake or apple pie “because it’s sweet and tart, or sweet and acidic, so it goes great with dessert.”

The Cidercar

Collin McGhee shares his recipe for the Cidercar that adds autumn spice with cozy apple cider and bright citrus. The biggest difference comes from the use of Pierre Ferrand cognac, which has notes of orchard fruit and different apple flavors.