Saturday
Jul032010
cherry sidecars (via mattbites.com)
Saturday, July 3, 2010 at 6:16PM 
There’s something easy and perfect about a sidecar. Brandy, Cointreau, and lemon juice. Ice in a shaker (or an unused sippy cup for extra insulation while shaking). A cocktail glass. You’re set.
I’ll substitue in a Meyer lemon when I can find them. A tangelo. It takes almost any sweet tart citrus in stride.
But a few weeks ago, I was searching for some new ideas for sidecars, and I came across Matt Armendariz’s cherry sidecar recipe. Matt is one of the best food photographers around, and that’s not just me saying it (#7, plus Martha is a fan. THAT Martha.) Real beauty in his work every time without an ounce of preciousness. We like that a lot.
His sidecars are ridiculous. They are sweet and boozy, with a punch of lime that reminds your mouth you want more. Another round, every time.
Matt’s secret is steeping the cherries in brandy for five days. Five. You get your cherries drunk over the week, and then you reduce them down to their absolute lush essence.
I've made this exactly the way Matt suggests, and it’s worth the wait. Start it on a Monday, and you’re set for the weekend. I took Matt's advice of taking a sip or two every day while they are steeping to make sure they’re progressing nicely. At least that can be your excuse.
But...
Sometimes I am impatient. I want my sidecar now. Five days is a long time to endure an itch that you can’t scratch. And so I cheat. Big time. No pitting. No chopping. Just smashing, simmering, and into the freezer for a quick cool. Cherry sidecars in 30 minutes. I can usually wait that long. Usually.
cherry sidecars (cheater’s version) inspired by mattbites.com
Note - Matt’s version is completely superior. Use this cheater’s approach only in the case of urgent need. Which turns out to be quite frequently with me. If only I would anticipate my needs better.
cherry syrup
- 1 pound sweet cherries
- 1 c water
- 1 c sugar (or a little less if they’re very sweet)
Grab a medium saucepan and dump in the cherries. Add the water. Using a muddler, bottom of a coffee mug, cleaned wine bottle, whatever, smash the cherries. You want their sides ruptured to give up their juice. Add the sugar. Place over medium heat until you’ve got a strong simmer. Then reduce the heat low enough to maintain a barely-there simmer for 20 minutes.
Pour the cherries and liquid though a fine mesh strainer into a bowl that will fit in your freezer. Mash all the juice out of the cherries. Be brutal. This is the really good stuff stuck in there.
Place in freezer for 10 minutes if you’re using right away. Or place it covered in the refrigerator and tease your brain with it, knowing you could make something wonderful anytime you want.
Now, go juice some limes.
cherry sidecar
- 1 1/2 oz of brandy (cognac is nice here)
- 1/2 oz of cherry syrup
- 1/2 oz of freshly squeezed lime juice
Hint - I lost my jigger for measuring mixed drinks. Something tells me the kids are using it in the sandbox.
Google says one US tablespoon is equal to 0.5 US fluid ounces. Converting for you, the recipe above is 3 T brandy, 1 T syrup, and 1 T lime. And I always make mine a double (6, 2, 2).
Reader Comments (17)
I love the quick and dirty version. I know that routine well. I have an amazing recipe for margaritas...lime juice and zest along with lemon juice and zest which have to steep with sugar syrup for 6 hours min.
OR...in a pinch, I mix lemonade and limeade. Maybe it's not quite as good but I'm sure your sidecar is pretty much in the same vein...sure not bad either!
I love side cars too. There is a bar in Montreal that used to serve mango side cars, they were so good! I think I'll try your quick and dirty version to compare.
very tempting....
~Prairie Story... care of Alison Zulyniak
Wow! these look amazing. I can see why you would want to drink a bunch of these! Delish!
I never had a sidecar...and now I know I NEED one!
Sounds lovely!
Never had a sidecar but I would not mind having one, thanks for sharing!
What time should I be over?
I've never had a margarita nor a cherry sidecar. Looks like I have to expand my horizons in the cocktail department a little bit. Thanks for posting, it looks marvelous.
So you're making these the next time I come visit, right?
Those sound really really good!
All, thank you so much for the feedback on this post. A couple of friends made these today to celebrate the 4th of July. Nice work, people.
@matt - You, sir, are invited over anytime you want. We will drink cherry sidecars all night long.
@Barbara @ VinoLuciStyle - I want your long-steep margarita recipe. And I found myself thinking about lemon and limeade several times today, wishing I had tequila.
@ZuZu Petals, friend, there's always a chilled glass waiting for you.
Now, go get cherries and limes, and make some sidecars.
Sidecars are my favorite cocktail! I can't wait to try this, I'm off to the market now! Thanks for sharing this delicious idea!
This looks delicious! I'm not sure I could wait five days for it either :) And it totally cracks me up that your jigger might be in the sandbox!!
This looks amazing! My husband loves sidecars so I will have to make this recipe! In Greece my grandmother makes a cherry liquor where she macerates cherries in spices and sugar and lets them sit in the sun. After some time you add brandy and create a refreshing aperitif that usually served with water. Its called visino and I am not sure what the literal translation would be, but it is definitely delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
Fun! I have the beverage bug, too. Something about summer makes me want to sit on the lawn and enjoy homemade cocktails and sodas. Perfection!
Never had a sidecar, but now it's my mission in life to have these.