Between the Sheets

The Between the Sheets takes the Sidecar and splits its base in two, pouring light rum alongside the cognac. The shape of the drink survives intact — spirit, orange liqueur, citrus — but a second spirit gives it a richer, deeper character than its single-based parent.

A Sidecar Built for Two Spirits

The Between the Sheets is usually traced to the 1920s or early 1930s and, like the Sidecar, often to Harry MacElhone in Paris — though the attribution is no firmer here than it is there. Its innovation is simple: take the Sidecar, halve the cognac, and give the freed measure to light rum. The drink keeps the Sidecar's structure and gains a second dimension.

The Spec

Three of the four ingredients pour in equal measure — cognac, rum, and Cointreau — with only a short measure of lemon to sharpen them. It is a richer and stronger drink than the Sidecar, and that small pour of lemon is what keeps it from turning cloying.

Light Rum, Not Dark

The rum's job is to add a second spirit's backbone without shifting the drink's colour or weight too far. A clean light rum does exactly that. A heavy dark or aged rum overpowers the cognac and turns a poised drink heavy-handed.

A Short Measure of Lemon

Note how little lemon the Between the Sheets takes — a quarter-ounce against the Sidecar's three-quarters. With three spirit-strength ingredients already in the glass, only a small, sharp correction of acid is needed. Add more and you flatten it.

The Sidecar Family