The Sidecar came about just before Prohibition was passed, though it only had so much influence on the cocktail since it was invented in Europe. According to Vinepair, the Sidecar was created in either London or Paris. One of the earliest publications of the drink came in a book by Harry MacElhone in 1919, in which he credits the Sidecar to Pat MacGarry, a bartender at Buck’s Club in London. However, the two bartenders made the drink differently from another esteemed bartender of the time, Frank Meier, a dissimilarity that is still debated today.
MacElhone and MacGarry mixed the Sidecar with equal parts cognac, orange liqueur, and lemon juice, while Meier did so with two parts cognac to one part orange liqueur and one part lemon juice. Today, some consider the former to be bland while others consider the latter to be too boozy. No matter your preference, the Sidecar can come in a form that fits your liking.
Many bartenders today still serve Sidecars in a sugar-rimmed glass, which was initially done as an evolution of an older drink, the Brandy Crusta. This is another challenged aspect of this controversial cocktail, but as always, enjoy your cocktails the best way you know how.