IBA
Between the Sheets – IBA
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 27.3% ABV ∙
The Between the Sheets is an IBA sour built on equal parts white rum, Cognac, and triple sec, sharpened with fresh lemon and shaken up. Rich brandy warmth and bright orange liqueur lead, with a citrus snap keeping the double base spirits from feeling heavy — a late-night, after-dinner pour.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: White rum 30 mlCognac 30 mlTriple sec 30 mlLemon juice 20 ml
- Strain into the chilled cocktail glass
Tips
- Shake the three equal 30 ml spirits with the lemon juice and plenty of fresh ice for a full 12-15 seconds — the high spirit volume needs the extra chill and dilution.
- Use freshly squeezed lemon juice, not bottled, to balance the combined rum, cognac and triple sec without dulling the citrus edge.
- Double strain through a fine mesh into the chilled cocktail glass to remove any ice shards or pulp, keeping the surface clear.
- Measure the rum, cognac and triple sec in equal 30 ml parts precisely, since this drink relies on balance among three spirits rather than one dominant base.
History
The Between the Sheets is generally credited to Harry MacElhone, the Scottish-born bartender at Harry's New York Bar in Paris, who is said to have created it in the 1930s as a variation on the Sidecar, differing by using less cognac and adding rum. Some accounts instead trace the drink to the Berkeley hotel in London, invented by a manager remembered as Mr. Polly around 1921, while a third, less-documented story holds that it originated in French brothels as a pre-shift drink for prostitutes, which some link to its risqué name. The cocktail first appeared in print in 1929, in Frank Shay's Drawn from the Wood, in a version made with gin rather than brandy. The IBA's Between the Sheets follows the drink's later-standardized build of white rum, cognac, and triple sec with lemon juice, codifying this classic Sidecar variation as one of its official recipes without altering its established proportions.
