Between the Sheets
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 23.6% ABV ∙
Between the Sheets is a shaken sour of equal parts white rum, Cognac and triple sec with a little fresh lemon juice and sugar syrup, served up.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: White rum 25 mlCognac 25 mlTriple sec 25 mlLemon juice 10 mlSugar syrup 5 ml
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Express a lemon twist over the cocktail and use as garnish
Tips
- Shake hard with full-size cubes for 12-15 seconds; with equal pours of rum, cognac and triple sec, the drink needs that water to take the burn off.
- Only 10 ml of lemon and 5 ml of syrup stand against three 25 ml pours, so a heavy hand with either shows right away.
History
Between the Sheets belongs to the same sour family as the Sidecar but splits its base between two spirits, and its documented origin is disputed among a few competing accounts. The most repeated version credits Scottish-born bartender Harry MacElhone, owner of Harry's New York Bar in Paris, with creating it as a rum-added twist on the Sidecar. A rival account places its invention earlier, around 1921, at London's Berkeley Hotel, credited to a manager known as Mr. Polly. A third, less-substantiated story claims the drink originated in French brothels as a pre-shift drink for sex workers, which some link to its suggestive name, though this is the least documented of the theories.
In print, the earliest known appearance is in Frank Shay's 1929 book Drawn from the Wood, though that version was made with gin rather than cognac. By the 1930s, recipes using cognac, white rum, and triple sec, close to the version popularized at Harry's New York Bar, had become the standard, gaining wider circulation through Harry Craddock's 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book.
FAQ
What is in a Between the Sheets cocktail?
25 ml each of white rum, Cognac and triple sec, with 10 ml fresh lemon juice and 5 ml sugar syrup.
What alcohol is in Between the Sheets?
White rum and Cognac, plus triple sec, an orange liqueur, all in equal 25 ml pours.
Is the Between the Sheets a strong drink?
Yes. At about 23.6% ABV it is stronger than most shaken sours. Three 25 ml pours of rum, Cognac and triple sec get only 10 ml of lemon and 5 ml of syrup.
How do you make Between the Sheets?
Shake white rum, Cognac, triple sec, fresh lemon juice and sugar syrup hard with ice for 12–15 seconds. Fine-strain into a chilled coupe and garnish with an expressed lemon twist.
What glass is Between the Sheets served in?
A coupe glass, served up with no ice, finished with an expressed lemon twist.
