Southside Sips: Normandy Sidecar

There’s an excellent chance that at this point in the full-on fall season, you have sat in a little bit of pumpkin nabbing and apple picking traffic. It’s okay. Take a deep breath, know that there are a multitude of folks having a really nice time engaging with agriculture instead of Netflix or TikTok or whatever app is the du jour demon of the day and — if you’re of the alcohol imbibing among us — consider the Calvados.

France’s lovely apple brandy hails from Normandy in the north, a region that holds the lion’s share of apple trees in the Gallic land of gastronomy. According to the Calvados Spirits Council, the first written record of apple brandy production in the area dates to 1553, when a fellow named Gilles de Gouberville wrote about distilling the fruit in his diaries, although in all likelihood it had been going on longer than that, even: Arabs introduced the French to the craft of distilling in the 12th century.

But that’s all ancient history — what you need is a lovely drink tonight, and this classic Sidecar made with the storied apple brandy is a delightful way to go. We used Boulard calvados, a distillery founded in the region in 1825, and you can grab yourself a bottle from Bridgehampton Wine Cellar (2102 Montauk Highway, 631-537-1230). The traditional garnish on a sidecar is a citrus twist, but if you really want to seize the season, grab one of those fresh local apples you brought home (oh, come on, you know you can’t resist a farm stand either) and add a little slice to your drink. Cheers!