Between the Sheets Cocktail Recipe
A Sidecar with rum alongside the cognac: sharper, drier and noticeably stronger.
- Category: The Unforgettables
- Glass: Coupe glass
- ABV: 30%
- Difficulty: Easy
- Prep time: ~3 min
Ingredients
- Cognac30 ml (1 oz)
- White rum30 ml (1 oz)
- Triple sec30 ml (1 oz)
- Fresh lemon juice20 ml (0.7 oz)
How to Make It
- Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice.
- Shake until well chilled.
- Double-strain into a chilled coupe.
- Express a lemon twist over the drink and drop it in.
Garnish
Lemon twist
What it tastes like
The citrus acidity leads, it smells of lemon and lime peel and it hits hard.
The technique
Shaking. Anything with juice, syrup, egg white or cream gets shaken: the shaker chills the drink and adds roughly 20% water, and that water is what takes the edge off. Twelve to fifteen seconds, until the tin frosts over. Under-shaking leaves the drink harsh because it never got enough dilution.
Glass and ice
A stemmed, shallow coupe. The stem keeps your hand's warmth away from the drink, and the wide bowl carries the aroma to your nose. Served without ice.
Ingredient notes and substitutes
- Cognac
- Brandy distilled from grapes in the Cognac region of France. VS is young and lively, VSOP rounder; in a cocktail VS is plenty, since VSOP's finesse disappears in the mix.
- White rum
- The Cuban style is light and dry, the Puerto Rican a little rounder. It is the base of the mojito and the daiquiri; swap in gold rum and the drink turns sweeter.
- Triple sec
- The general name for orange-peel liqueurs, running anywhere from 15% to 40% depending on the brand. That range changes the drink directly, so it is worth reading the label.
- Fresh lemon juice
- Freshly squeezed lemon; one lemon gives 30-40 ml. It can swap with lime, but lemon is softer and less aromatic, so use a touch more.
The Story
Credited to Harry MacElhone at Harry's New York Bar in 1930s Paris, and named with the era's usual lack of subtlety.
Frequently asked questions
- How is a Between the Sheets mixed?
- It is shaken and served in a coupe.
- How strong is a Between the Sheets?
- Roughly 30% ABV as served — a spirit-strength drink — sipped slowly, and it wants a glass of water beside it.
- Can a Between the Sheets be made without alcohol?
- Simply leaving the spirit out does not work — the body and the bitterness go with it. The 86 alcohol-free recipes in the catalogue are built to hit that balance from the start.
- Is a Between the Sheets hard to make?
- Easy. No bar kit required — a measure, ice and a jar will do.
759 recipes in your pocket
Cocktails and mocktails from 55 countries — ingredients, steps and the story behind each drink. Works offline too.
Similar recipes
Collections
Alcoholic drink recipes are intended for those aged 18 and over. Please drink responsibly.