2021 Let’s Get Blitzen: Cocktail Advent Calendar – Day 13 – Sleighbell Sidecar. This riff on the classic cocktail gets festive with St-Rémy Signature French brandy, Cointreau, citrus, rosemary syrup, and a splash of Champagne to top it off. Cointreau’s notes of tangy orange and bittersweet orange peel shine through.
This is a tasty way to welcome guests with an elevated twist on a classic brandy sour.
This post is sponsored by Cointreau.
Cointreau’s flavour profile is a symphony of unexpected dualities: It has an instant freshness yet lingers on the palate, is a harmonious blend of nuanced notes yet remains intensely orange. In cocktails, Cointreau serves as a flavour amplifier, helping reveal the other ingredients while bringing balance, depth, and freshness to the mix. In combination with the St. Rémy Signature, which boasts notes of honey, nut, and butter, the Cointreau brings a welcome acidity.
Inside the beautiful amber bottle you’ll uncover an unexpected surprise: a perfectly transparent liqueur. When mixed, the crystalline liqueur becomes opalescent, a product of the high concentration of orange essence.
I’d recommend sipping a bit of Cointreau neat, at room temperature, to try to identify all the complex aromas in this show-stopping liqueur – spicy, floral, fruity, vegetal, gourmet, and just a touch of musk. See what you discover and then cross-reference your experience against the Cointreau L’Unique Aroma Wheel to discover all the aromas.
The rosemary syrup I’ve used as a sweetener in this cocktail teases out the vegetal notes and the lemon accentuates the citrus backbone of Cointreau while the St-Rémy Signature taps into the gourmet notes of toasted brioche, honey, and toffee.
While a Sidecar is typically served without egg white, I prefer to add egg white for a frothy finish that helps to balance the bracing acidity of the lemon juice and orange liqueur. For a vegan alternative, you can use aquafaba (chickpea brine) or a Vegan Foamer for the same frothy effect.
As the Sidecar is one of my favourite classic cocktails, this creation is a personal favourite from this year’s advent calendar. I hope you’ll join me on my Instagram Stories tonight at 5 pm Eastern for a step-by-step tutorial on how to shake up this tasty holiday cocktail.
Sleighbell Sidecar
This riff on the classic White Lady gets festive with St-Rémy Signature French brandy, Cointreau, citrus, rosemary syrup and a splash of Champagne to top it off. Cointreau’s notes of tangy orange and bittersweet orange peel shine through.
- 1½ oz St-Rémy Signature
- ¾ oz Cointreau
- ¾ oz lemon juice
- 1/3 oz rosemary syrup
- 1 egg white or ½ oz aquafaba
- 1 oz Brut Champagne
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup fresh rosemary sprigs
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Add all ingredients to a shaker and dry shake for 15-20 seconds. Add ice and shake again until well-chilled.
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Strain into a chilled coupe glass.
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Top with Brut Champagne.
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Combine sugar, water, and rosemary sprigs in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let sit at room temperature until completely cool.
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Remove rosemary sprigs and store syrup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three weeks.
Again, wow! Wonderful presentation.