Between the Sheets
Cognac, white rum, orange liqueur and lemon. A Sidecar with rum in it, and stronger than it tastes.
- MethodShaken
- GlassCoupe
- IceNone (served up)
- Strengthabout 21.0% ABV
- BaseBrandy, Rum
- Tastestrong, sour, fruity
Recipe
| 30 ml 1 oz | Cognac (VSOP) |
| 30 ml 1 oz | White rum (light, Spanish-style) |
| 22.5 ml ¾ oz | Orange liqueur (triple sec) |
| 15 ml ½ oz | Fresh lemon juice |
Garnish. A lemon twist expressed over the surface.
Method
- Chill a coupe.
- Shake all the ingredients hard with ice for 12 to 15 seconds.
- Double strain into the coupe.
- Express the lemon peel over the drink.
About the Between the Sheets
Between the Sheets is a Sidecar that splits its base between cognac and light rum. The rum makes it a little lighter and drier, the cognac gives it depth, and orange liqueur and lemon hold the two together. It is smooth and quite strong, as its name suggests it was meant to be.
History
Earliest record 1930: Harry Craddock, The Savoy Cocktail Book (London)
Documented
Harry Craddock's Savoy Cocktail Book (London, 1930) prints the drink with brandy, rum, orange liqueur and a dash of lemon, and this is the version that became standard. It belongs to the family of Sidecar variations popular in London and Paris between the wars.
Legend and lore
The drink is credited variously to Harry MacElhone of Harry's New York Bar in Paris and to a bartender at the Berkeley Hotel in London in the early 1920s. A later American writer named yet another inventor. None of these claims is backed by contemporary evidence.
Disputed or unclear: A 1929 American book is reported to print an earlier version made with gin instead of brandy; the drink's inventor is unknown.
Variations
Bartender's notes
- Use a clean, light rum so it does not fight the cognac.
- The Savoy recipe has very little lemon; if you prefer it sharper, go up to 22.5 ml.
