Just as the Fourth of July is typically spent indulging in food, drink and fireworks, Bastille Day, celebrated on July 14, commemorates in similar fashion. The historic day in French culture, also known as La Fête Nationale, marks the storming of the Bastille prison in Paris in 1789, sparking the start of the French Revolution. Now, over 200 years later, we celebrate. Although the day symbolizes change, we choose to honor with Cointreau, the French-born orange liqueur whose recipe has gone untouched since its creation in 1849. The liqueur combines both bitter and sweet orange peels, which help to carry a versatile balance that can lend itself to a variety of cocktails. The Cointreau Honey-Ginger Sidecar is our favorite choice for a Bastille Day beverage.
It’s no shock that we have the sense to use two top-shelf French spirits, Cointreau and Remy Martin 1738. At 80 proof, Cointreau slips into a sidecar with ease, but could also be sipped on its own. Since the classic cocktail throws bartenders into colorful debates over who’s who in the making of the first sidecar, we’re just going to label this complex-yet-balanced treat of French origin.
After combining and shaking all ingredients, strain into a chilled coupe glass. The candied ginger, made from fresh ginger root cooked in sugar syrup and coated with granulated sugar, adds a new dimension of sweetness to the cocktail. Grab your coupe and enjoy this liberating take on the classic sidecar.
HONEY-GINGER SIDECAR:
.50 oz. Cointreau
1.5 oz. Remy Martin 1738
.50 oz. ginger tisane*
.50 oz. honey syrup
.75 oz. lemon juice
Preparation: Shake all ingredients, strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with candied ginger.
