In case you are still figuring out how to drink yourself into the New Year, Gwyneth Paltrow presents some cocktail recipes via her newsletter, GOOP.
Gwyneth's sidecar recipe is inspired by the original sidecar at the Ritz Hotel in Paris, made with an 1865 Ritz Reserve cognac exclusive to the hotel. "It's not everyday that you have 800 Euros at your disposal for a cocktail," Gwyneth concedes, "so I've modified the recipe." Here is the plebeian version:
The Everyman's Sidecar
For One Cocktail:
* 2 ounces nice cognac
* 1/2 ounce Cointreau
* juice of half a lemon
* twist of limeShake the cognac, Cointreau and lemon juice hard in shaker with LOTS of ice. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with the twist of lime.
If you are feeling like something sweet, Gwyneth says the Irish Meow is "like a White Russian that is feeling a touch of the Irish and ready for the holiday festivities to begin."
The Irish Meow
For One Cocktail:
* dash Aztec Chocolate Bitters
* 1/4 ounce Licor 43
* 1/4 ounce Zerbenz Pine Liqueur or a high quality coffee liquer
* 1/2 ounce Dolan Blanc Vermouth
* 2 ounces Powers Irish Whiskey
* a spoonful of whipped cream
* a few gratings of high quality dark chocolateStir everything but the cream and chocolate together with a few ice cubes and then strain into a chilled coupe glass. Gently spoon on the whipped cream and garnish the chocolate.
And for something you may actually be able to whip up from your liquor cabinet:
The Best Dirty Martini
For Two Cocktails:
* lots of ice
* 6 ounces of your favorite vodka
* 1 cap's worth of extra dry vermouth (I like Martini & Rossi)
* 1 tablespoon of cocktail olive brine
* 6 high quality cocktail olives (preferably stuffed with pimentos)Fill your shaker with ice and add the vodka, vermouth and olive brine. Close it tightly and shake it for ages until it's all snowy on the outside. Place 3 olives into the bottom of a martini glass, strain over half of your icy cold mixture and repeat with the remaining olives and mixture in another glass. Give one to a lucky friend.