The sidecar is a classic cocktail that doesn’t go out of style. It is a citrusy cocktail with a lovely balance between sweet and sour flavors. It consists of Cointreau, Cognac, and lemon. This recipe is inspired by the book Sold on a Monday, by Kristina McMorris.
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The sidecar is a cocktail that became popular during prohibition after world war I. It can be found in The Savoy Cocktail Book, originally published in 1930. This cocktail book contains some of the most popular and now classic cocktails of the 1920’s and 30’s. It is highly recommended for any cocktail enthusiast.
I am starting to spread my wings and try out different cocktails. It’s good to try new things and not get stuck in a rut. Crafting cocktails seems to be a unique skill with a certain amount of mad science and artistry combined. Plus it’s a bonus that my husband likes to whip up cocktails. The classic sidecar cocktail is a great cocktail to bust out for a book club meeting. It’s citrus flavors pack a punch! Make sure to run some lemon juice along the rim of the martini glass and dip it in sugar before pouring the ice cold cocktail. I think the sugary rim makes the drink. It balances out the sour and sweet flavors.
Sold on a Monday is a book set in 1931. Selecting a recipe inspired by the era of the 1930s was somewhat difficult. It was an era of bread lines and lack of food for many people. But it was also an era of elite parties and art deco elegance. I landed on making the sidecar cocktail for a couple reasons. One, its classy! And it happens to be a cocktail my husband enjoys. Two, during an era of prohibition, it represents the murky world of wealth, opulence and organized crime that our main character Ellis treads into as this riveting story unfolds.
Mix it up with a beautiful cocktail set!
By the way if you like cocktails you may also like this tangy pink lemonade martini cocktail called the Pink Penguin martini. It is inspired by the book and soon to be released movie Where’d You Go, Bernadette (link to movie trailer).
Come for the recipe, stay for the book discussion
Sold on a Monday is an exciting story with unforeseen twists at every turn. This historical novel is set in the wake of the Great Depression. It highlights the difficult times and desperate choices people felt forced to make during that era. Our hero Ellis is a budding reporter on the hunt for the next great story. Our heroin Lily is an unwed single mother and works at the paper with Ellis. One day, Ellis snaps a photo of two children sitting out on a porch. There is a “for sale” sign in the background. This photo while meant to only highlight the terrible times people were facing, he later discovers has grave and unintended consequences for the children. Desperate to know the fate of the children, he and Lily (now Ellis’s love interest) track down and rescue the children from dire situations.
About halfway through reading this book I found I simply could not put it down. With each clue discovered through Lily and Ellis’s investigation about the children, I had to know what would happen next. I found myself rooting for Ellis and Lily to fall in love as we discovered more about their characters and their pasts. They seem obviously right for each other, if only they would acknowledge their emerging feelings and allow it to happen. Both Ellis and Lily show immense strength in character, take risks and put the needs of others before themselves throughout this story. The historical setting of this novel also parallels allot of what is going on in today’s society. A light is shown on the great disparity between the elite (those that have) and those who have nothing and struggle to get by. I’d say this was one of my favorite books that I’ve read this year. Sold on a Monday is a great book for a book club discussion. I leave you with these questions to ponder and answer in the comments below.
*spoiler alert – do not read on if you do not want any spoilers*
Families were forced to make unheard of choices during the Great Depression. Can you say you would or wouldn’t make the same choice as Geraldine with regards to her children at the time? How can you be so sure?
Lily lies about being a single unwed mother to her employer to get the job. What do you think of this? Have things changed at all? Do you think double standards still exist?
Ellis and Lily push the envelope and bend some rules when chasing down where Calvin is. Given what they discover at the farm, would you do the same? What did you think of this section of the book?
Ellis and Lily seem destined for each other. Were you happy with the book’s outcome?
Ruby and Calvin’s experience away from their mother was life changing. Do you think there could be some positive influence or change to their life from the whole experience?
One of the lessons I learned from reading this story is that health and family should never be taken for granted. Always be grateful. What about you? What lessons did you learn?
I’d love to hear your thoughts about the classic sidecar cocktail as well as the book.
Happy cooking!
Michelle
If you make any of my recipes, use #northwestspoon and share your photo.
Classic Sidecar cocktail
1 1/2 ounces Cognac
3/4 ounce Cointreau
3/4 ounce lemon juice
orange or lemon zest for garnish
sugar for rim of the glass
Coat the rim of a coupe glass or martini glass with sugar and set aside.
Add the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake.
Strain into the glass.
Garnish if desired.
Source: northwestspoon.wordpress.com
Read Along
Join me next time by reading Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer, by Novella Carpenter. This book is a witty, funny and daring tale about one women’s quest to make a garden and a small farm out of an abandoned lot in the ghetto of Oakland, CA. The lengths that our heroin Novella and her boyfriend Bill go through to grow their own food and feed their animals (particularly the pigs) is astonishing and hysterical. This is a fun lighthearted book perfect for any foodie.
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