Once again, we have somehow all made it to another Friday and, once again, we feel that that means you are very much deserving of another little culinary treat to enjoy from the safety of your own home. As the weather continues to get warmer and the evenings begin to stretch in earnest, there is no better way to kick back at home than by making yourself a fancy cocktail, sitting down, relaxing, unwinding, and forgetting about all of the uncertainty and chaos of the world at the moment for just a little while. This time around we are looking to France for some inspiration and the Between the Sheets cocktail, which is believed to have been created as a variation on the Sidecar cocktail.
Like so many of France's favourite and best-known cocktails, the Between the Sheets is thought to have been invented in the famous Harry's New York Bar in Paris. Although, like so many cocktails, in general, the exact circumstances of its actual birth are shrouded in confusion and debate, with multiple stories and sources claiming different tales of origin and claims to its authorship.
Probably the most commonly accepted origin tale is that the cocktail was invented in Harry's New York Bar in the 1930s by Harry McElhone, who is often also credited with creating many of the most famous cocktails in the world, including the Bloody Mary, Sidecar, the Monkey Gland, the Boulevardier, and an early form of the French 75. It is also usually thought to be a derivative of the Sidecar, which is also claimed to be a McElhone invention, differing only from the Sidecar by using less cognac and adding rum. Maiden's Prayer, a name sometimes used interchangeably for the Between the Sheets, is actually another variation from the same family that uses gin instead of rum and cognac and adds orange juice to the lemon juice.
Like so many of France's favourite and best-known cocktails, the Between the Sheets is thought to have been invented in the famous Harry's New York Bar in Paris. Although, like so many cocktails, in general, the exact circumstances of its actual birth are shrouded in confusion and debate, with multiple stories and sources claiming different tales of origin and claims to its authorship.
Probably the most commonly accepted origin tale is that the cocktail was invented in Harry's New York Bar in the 1930s by Harry McElhone, who is often also credited with creating many of the most famous cocktails in the world, including the Bloody Mary, Sidecar, the Monkey Gland, the Boulevardier, and an early form of the French 75. It is also usually thought to be a derivative of the Sidecar, which is also claimed to be a McElhone invention, differing only from the Sidecar by using less cognac and adding rum. Maiden's Prayer, a name sometimes used interchangeably for the Between the Sheets, is actually another variation from the same family that uses gin instead of rum and cognac and adds orange juice to the lemon juice.
Despite the credibility of this origin tale, there is another claim to the drink that comes from The Berkeley where it was said to have first been made in approximately 1921 and yet another that suggests the drink was actually first made in French brothels, as an apéritif for consumption by the prostitutes, which might explain the name of the cocktail.
Whoever actually invented it and whatever the true origin tale may be, the cocktail, though less famous than others globally such as the Sidecar or Bloody Mary, is one of the most popular French cocktails and for good reason: potent, charming, and more than a little dangerous, proceed with caution but enjoy!
Here is our recipe for a perfect Between the Sheets.
Ingredients:
30ml of white rum
30ml of cognac
30ml of triple sec
20ml of fresh lemon juice
Method:
1. Pour all of the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with a few ice cubes.
2. Shake until the contents are nicely chilled.
3. Strain into either a cocktail glass or a coupe.
4. Finish by garnishing with an orange peel.
5. Enjoy responsibly and don't drink too many or you most likely won't thank us for it in the morning!
So, while the glitz, glamour, and excellent restaurants and bars of beautiful Paris may be inaccessible for some time yet, why not bring a little bit of the City of Lights home to you? Make yourself a Between the Sheets this evening and be content to travel from the safety of your own home with your tastebuds for now. Let us toast the weekend and toast ourselves for getting through another week in these difficult times and let us all look ahead to a brighter future. Cheers! Or should we say, “Santé”?
Whoever actually invented it and whatever the true origin tale may be, the cocktail, though less famous than others globally such as the Sidecar or Bloody Mary, is one of the most popular French cocktails and for good reason: potent, charming, and more than a little dangerous, proceed with caution but enjoy!
Here is our recipe for a perfect Between the Sheets.
Ingredients:
30ml of white rum
30ml of cognac
30ml of triple sec
20ml of fresh lemon juice
Method:
1. Pour all of the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with a few ice cubes.
2. Shake until the contents are nicely chilled.
3. Strain into either a cocktail glass or a coupe.
4. Finish by garnishing with an orange peel.
5. Enjoy responsibly and don't drink too many or you most likely won't thank us for it in the morning!
So, while the glitz, glamour, and excellent restaurants and bars of beautiful Paris may be inaccessible for some time yet, why not bring a little bit of the City of Lights home to you? Make yourself a Between the Sheets this evening and be content to travel from the safety of your own home with your tastebuds for now. Let us toast the weekend and toast ourselves for getting through another week in these difficult times and let us all look ahead to a brighter future. Cheers! Or should we say, “Santé”?
Photo credit: Achim Schleuning / CC BY-SA 4.0