This is my all time favorite transition drink. After wasting all too many of my youthful years on cheap rum and coke. Only to follow that up with screwdrivers which turned out to be an even larger corruption of my innocence. “Adult Dave” was born the moment my friend Lu Brow the Master Bar Chef of the Brennan’s Swizzle Stick Bar poured me the most perfect blend of maturity disguised as a Side Car. Classically, the libation is served in a martini glass. I personally may be not confident enough in my manhood to order a drink that comes in the same vessel that I have seen so many Cosmos and Appletinis. Although I do make an exception in the allowance of a sugared rim, go figure! But by all means, don’t let my mental defects distract you from what is surely a celebration of life in liquid.
Social lubrication always requires a snack. Crispy, spicy and salty rule the bar counter and this recipe for fried hominy will keep the drinks flowing and the inhibitions low.
Side Car
Sugar
1 orange sliced thinly
1 bottle of Hennessy Cognac VSOP
1 bottle of Cointreau
1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
Pour a 1/2 inch layer of sugar onto a small salad size plate. Take one of the slices of orange and rub the cut flesh across the rim of the glass. Invert the glass and mount the rim onto the layer of sugar. Give the glass a few twists into the sugar in the same way you nestle your foot into the sand at the beach. Remove the glass from the sugar and place the orange slice into the glass. Over fill the glass with large ice cubes. Pour one portly shot of both the Cognac and the Cointreau into the glass. Pour 3/4 of an ounce of lemon juice into the glass. Give it 3 gentle stirs and serve.
Fried Hominy
1 10 ounce can of Hominy
1 Tablespoon chile powder
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne powder
1 teaspoon powdered garlic
Kosher or Sea Salt
chopped cilantro
Pre-heat a deep fryer to 350 degrees. Expose the hominy by removing the lid of the can. Drain the hominy thoroughly and submerge the it into the deep fryer. You may need to stir the hominy in the fryer to keep them segregated. Fry for 5 to 6 minutes or until the hominy is brown and not so insistent on spitting at you from inside the fryer any more. Remove the hominy from the fryer and place in a medium sized stainless steel bowl. Liberally season the fried nuggets with the salt, spices and cilantro. Toss into the air 7 or 8 times and place into a dish for everyone to snack.
“In good times people want to drink, In bad times they have to”
Me
A Sidecar is still my favorite cocktail to imbibe! I wish you were around more so we could drink it together!
Hey Dave, I settled for a screwdriver when I was with Tory McPhail a few weeks back. We were doing an event at a hotel where the bar was less than stellar and Tory went for a margarita and when I saw what happened to it I picked a Screwdriver!
I had my first Sidecar cocktail while on vacation in Curacao this past winter. I loved it.
I lived in the Caribbean and have always wanted to visit Curacao! I had reserved the hotel last year—but bought a house instead. I cant say which was a better decision.
Dave, I have two favorite drinks: the french 75 (with champagne, not gin—they make an absolutely divine one at LUKE in Nola), and the sidecar. I’ll try your version soon—I’m sure it’s yummy!
Believe it or not, I tried this transition drink and my friends fell in love with it. Looking forward to more post from you!