West Side
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 15.2% ABV ∙
The West Side is a shaken vodka sour built on citron vodka, fresh mint, lemon juice, and sugar syrup, topped with a splash of soda. Bright and crisp with a cooling herbal lift, the fine-strained texture stays silky until a light fizzy top gives it a clean, snappy finish.
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 and fast for about 10-12 seconds — over-shaking bruises the mint into a bitter, grassy note.
- Fine-strain to keep torn mint fragments out of the glass for a clean, clear pour.
- Pre-chill the glass so the fine-strained drink doesn't lose its cold snap before the soda goes in.
- Add the soda water as a top, not a shake component, to keep its fizz from flattening out.
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 among several claimants, variously traced to a Long Island sporting club, Manhattan's 21 Club, and Chicago's South Side gangland scene. The West Side took its name as a play on that lineage, becoming one of Employees Only's signature drinks and part of the early-2000s craft cocktail revival in New York.
FAQ
What's in a West Side cocktail?
A West Side is made of citron vodka, fresh mint, lemon juice, and sugar syrup, shaken and fine-strained, then topped with a splash of soda water and garnished with a mint leaf. It comes in at about 15.2% ABV and around 193 calories per serving.
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.
What is in a Southside cocktail?
A Southside is a related gin-and-mint sour made from gin, fresh mint, lemon juice, and sugar syrup, shaken and strained; the West Side is essentially the same build with citron vodka standing in for the gin.
