Sidecars and Kicking It Old School

The first drink I ever ordered in a bar was a Fuzzy Navel.  They were all the rage and my older sister insisted that we each try them.  Of course, I wasn't yet legal but no one ever says no to Cheryl.  Over the years my tastes have changed from sweet to salty (from amaretto to dirty martinis with extra olives), and a few years ago I found a drink that to my delight many bartenders had to consult their manuals before preparing.  That changed with the popularity of Mad Men.  Now old school cocktails like my little Sidecar are back.

Be it a Gimlet or a Manhattan, a Gin Fizz or a Sidecar, there is something elegant about a cocktail; the ritual of measuring and shaking and pouring.  While drinking beer from a bottle is sexy in a testosterone-laden kind of way, sipping daintily from a pretty glass is romantic.  Or old-fashioned.  Or just a nice revival.