West Side
A sour, citrus and bubbly vodka cocktail ∙ Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 13.4% ABV ∙
The West Side is a shaken vodka sour of citron vodka, fresh mint, lemon juice and sugar syrup, topped with a splash of soda.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake the first 4 ingredients with ice: Fresh mint leaves 12 pcsCitron vodka 60 mlLemon juice 25 mlSugar syrup 15 ml
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Top with a splash of Soda water
- Garnish with a mint leaf
Tips
- Shake hard for about 10-12 seconds and no longer; a longer shake beats the mint until it tastes bitter and grassy.
History
The West Side is a vodka-based riff on the South Side cocktail created at Employees Only, the New York City bar opened in December 2004 by Dushan Zarić, Jason Kosmas, and partners. Zarić is credited with the recipe, which swaps the South Side's gin for citrus-infused vodka, originally Meyer lemon vodka, to produce a lighter, more citrus-forward drink than its predecessor.
The South Side itself is a Prohibition-era gin, mint, and lemon cocktail whose origin is disputed. The West Side took its name as a play on that lineage, becoming one of Employees Only's signature drinks.
FAQ
What's in a West Side cocktail?
60 ml citron vodka, 12 fresh mint leaves, 25 ml lemon juice, 15 ml sugar syrup and a 20 ml splash of soda water. It comes in at about 13.4% ABV.
How do you make a West Side?
Shake the mint, citron vodka, lemon juice, and sugar syrup hard with ice, then fine-strain into a pre-chilled cocktail glass. Top with a splash of soda water and garnish with a fresh mint leaf.
