One of the things I love sharing in my cocktail books and mixology classes is that while the word “cocktail” is used a blanket term for any alcoholic liquid in a glass, it actually is a very specific kind of mixed drink. There are many categories of drinks: Sours, Fizzes, Smashes, and so on. A “cocktail,” for example, is Spirit + Sugar + Water + Bitters. Think: Old Fashioned or Sazerac.

While we tend to call everything a “cocktail,” I would argue that the most popular category of drink is the Daisy. What is a Daisy? It is basically a Sour (Spirit + Sugar + Citrus) which calls for a liqueur in place of the Sugar (or simple syrup), and most often a Daisy recipe specifies orange liqueur.

As a matter of fact, today, the most popular mixed drink in America is a Daisy… when translated into Spanish, it is known as the Margarita whose basic formula is: 2 parts tequila + 1 part lime + 1 part orange liqueur! This iconic refreshment, the Margarita was created after Prohibition, and depending on who you believe actually created it, it showed up sometime between 1936 and 1942. However, tequila itself was popularized in America during Prohibition because it was easier to smuggle up from Mexico than it was to transport the more widely imbibed gin or whiskey across America. Essentially, we have Prohibition to thank for our love affair with agave spirits.

So, what are some other popular Daisies that you may, or may not, already know and want to make at home? Well, the Cosmopolitan is a modern-day Daisy variation (2 parts vodka, 1 part lime, 1 part orange liqueur with a splash of cranberry juice). Learn more about that from Miss Charming, at this link. But for now, I’ll focus my favorite Daisy: The Sidecar!

As (legal) bars closed during Prohibition (1920 – 1933) and slinging hooch became an imprisonable offense, many of America’s top-tier bartenders skipped this puritan nation for a much more colorful life across the Atlantic to join a gilded age of creativity in drinks leading to another Prohibition-era phenomenon - the rise of cocktail culture in Europe. And, while the lovely little Sidecar’s history is a bit obscure, it was likely created just before 1920 and has been credited to Harry’s Bar in Paris. It has also been attributed to the Buck’s Club in London. We may never know who created it, exactly… yet another historical tidbit over which the French and English may battle!

One popular theory, though, come from David Embury’s 1948 book The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks. He says that this variation on a classic Rum Daiquiri was born in Paris when a WW1 American Army Captain requested cognac in place of rum. This army captain was supposedly shuttled to and from his favorite bar in the sidecar of a motorcycle.

Following the classic Daisy formula, the recipe for a Sidecar would be: 2 parts cognac, 1 part fresh lemon juice and 1 part orange liqueur, shaken with ice and served in a sugar-rimmed glass. However, as with all food or drink recipes, once you learn the classic way, you may discover your own little twist to better suit your taste. Check out DiffordsGuide.com for several Sidebar variations and more historical detail here.

**Chocolate**
**Sidecar**

My own variation on the Sidecar is rich and velvety with the honeyed-nutty notes of French brandy, a hint of orange and chocolate.
1 ½ oz cognac
¾ oz fresh lemon juice
½ oz orange liqueur
¾ oz OM Dark Chocolate & Sea Salt Liqueur
Shake, strain into a beautiful little vintage cocktail glass.