Between the Sheets (David Wondrich recipe)
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 22.6% ABV ∙
Between the Sheets is a shaken brandy sour with Bénédictine, triple sec and a little lemon juice, a close relative of the Sidecar.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Brandy 30 mlBénédictine D.O.M. liqueur 15 mlTriple sec 15 mlLemon juice 10 ml
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Flame an orange twist over the cocktail and use as garnish
Tips
- Shake hard with cubed ice for a full 12–15 seconds; the Bénédictine is thick and sweet, and only a vigorous shake mixes it in and chills the drink.
- Only 10 ml of lemon stands against the sugar in the Bénédictine and triple sec, so measure it exactly or the drink turns sweet.
History
Between the Sheets is a classic riff on the Sidecar, blending brandy with a second spirit, orange liqueur, and lemon juice. Its origin is disputed: it is most often credited to Harry MacElhone of Harry's New York Bar in Paris in the 1930s. Other accounts date a similar drink to about 1921 at London's Berkeley Hotel, credited to a manager known as Mr. Polly, and still others trace a bawdier legend to French brothels, where it is said to have served as an apéritif for the working women, giving rise to the suggestive name. Early print versions varied: the cocktail's first known appearance in print used gin rather than brandy, in Frank Shay's 1929 Drawn from the Wood. Prohibition-era American bartender Johnny Brooks later claimed to have created it himself at a speakeasy in New Rochelle, New York.
Over time the brandy-and-white-rum version, with triple sec and lemon juice, became the standard build. This variation, associated with cocktail historian David Wondrich, replaces the rum with Bénédictine, giving the drink a more herbal, honeyed edge in place of the classic's rum note.
FAQ
How do you make a Between the Sheets (David Wondrich recipe) cocktail?
Shake 30 ml brandy, 15 ml Bénédictine, 15 ml triple sec and 10 ml lemon juice hard with ice for 12–15 seconds. Fine-strain into a chilled coupe and garnish with a flamed orange twist.
What alcohol is in a Between the Sheets?
Brandy, plus two liqueurs: Bénédictine, which is herbal and honeyed, and triple sec, an orange liqueur. With only 10 ml of lemon, it comes to about 22.6% ABV, stronger than most citrus-forward cocktails.
What glass is a Between the Sheets served in?
A chilled coupe glass, served up with no ice and garnished with a flamed orange twist.
How is a Between the Sheets different from a Sidecar?
A Sidecar is brandy, orange liqueur and lemon juice. This Between the Sheets adds Bénédictine, which makes it more herbal and honeyed than the Sidecar.
