Champs Élysées - Sidecar with Chartreuse

Flavor Profile

Champs-Élysées is fresh, herbal, warm, and slightly sweet.

Cognac provides dried fruit, grapes, vanilla, oak, and warm spice notes. Green Chartreuse adds powerful herbs, flowers, spices, and sweetness.

The lemon juice provides necessary acidity and prevents the cocktail from becoming heavy. The simple syrup rounds off the acidity, while Angostura bitters adds extra spice and a drier finish.

The result is a cognac sour with much more herbal character than a Sidecar.

Glass Type

Cocktail glass, coupe, or Nick & Nora glass.

Ice

The cocktail is shaken with ice but served without ice.

Garnish

A lemon zest.

The zest adds fresh citrus aroma and fits better with the cocktail's classic expression than a larger garnish.

An Herbal Cognac Sour

Champs-Élysées follows the basic structure of a sour.

It has a base spirit, fresh citrus, and sweetness. Cognac serves as the base, lemon juice provides acidity, and simple syrup balances the flavor.

What sets this drink apart from other cognac sours is the green Chartreuse.

The liqueur adds herbs, flowers, spices, alcohol, and sweetness. Even a relatively small amount significantly impacts the cocktail.

The result lies somewhere between a classic sour and a complex herbal-based cocktail.

From The Savoy Cocktail Book

Champs-Élysées was published in The Savoy Cocktail Book in 1930.

The book was compiled by Harry Craddock, who worked at the American Bar at the Savoy Hotel in London. He had previously worked as a bartender in the USA but moved to the UK during Prohibition.

The book collected several hundred recipes and is considered one of the most influential cocktail books from the interwar period.

There is no solid documentation that Craddock himself developed Champs-Élysées. Like many recipes in the book, the drink may have existed earlier and been collected from other bartenders or cocktail books.

Why is it called Champs-Élysées?

The name refers to Avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris.

The street runs between Place de la Concorde and the Arc de Triomphe and is one of the most famous avenues in France.

The name fits the cocktail's French ingredients. Cognac is produced in the Cognac region, while Chartreuse has been made by Carthusian monks in France.

However, the first known publication occurred in London, not Paris.

Thus, the cocktail can be seen as a British-documented tribute to French drinking culture.

Cognac as the Base

Cognac is a French grape brandy that is aged in oak barrels.

The flavor profile can vary, but common notes include grapes, dried fruit, orange, vanilla, caramel, oak, and warm spices.

A VS or VSOP cognac works well in Champs-Élysées. It should have enough flavor to be prominent alongside the Chartreuse and lemon but does not need to be very old or expensive.

A very mild cognac may get lost behind the liqueur. A strong and sweet cognac can make the cocktail heavy.

The goal is a base with clear fruit, oak, and alcohol structure.

Chartreuse in a Supporting Role

Green Chartreuse is one of the most intense liqueurs used in classic cocktails.

It is made with a large number of herbs and plants, but the exact recipe is secret. The flavor is often associated with herbs, flowers, pepper, anise, mint, and warm spices.

In Champs-Élysées, less Chartreuse is used than cognac. The liqueur should not take over the entire drink.

It should add a distinct herbal layer that lies behind the cognac and continues through the finish.

Too much Chartreuse can make the drink both sweet, strong in alcohol, and vegetally dominated. Therefore, it is important to measure accurately.

Lemon Creates Balance

Fresh lemon juice is necessary to balance both the cognac and Chartreuse.

Cognac can feel round and warm, while Chartreuse adds sweetness and intensity. The lemon cuts through both and makes the cocktail fresher.

Pre-made lemon juice should be avoided. Freshly squeezed juice has a cleaner acidity and much more citrus aroma.

The amount can be adjusted according to the lemon's acidity and which cognac is used. A sweet cognac may need a bit more acidity, while a dry cognac can work with less.

Simple Syrup with Caution

Green Chartreuse already contains sugar.

Champs-Élysées therefore needs less simple syrup than a typical sour. The sugar should only round off the lemon juice and bind the ingredients together.

Too much simple syrup will mask the dryness of the cognac and make Chartreuse even more dominant.

Start with a small amount. If the cocktail becomes too sharp, it can be increased by a few milliliters.

A simple syrup made with equal parts sugar and water works well.

Angostura Bitters for the Finish

A dash of Angostura bitters may seem insignificant, but it serves an important function.

The bitters add cinnamon, clove, bark, and dark spices. It enhances both the oak notes in the cognac and the herbal character in Chartreuse.

It also contributes a slight bitterness that provides a drier finish.

Too much Angostura can compete with Chartreuse. One clear dash is usually sufficient.

Shaking and Dilution

Champs-Élysées should be shaken with ice.

Lemon juice and simple syrup must be integrated with the alcoholic ingredients. Shaking cools down the cocktail, adds water, and lightens the texture.

Use plenty of ice and shake until the shaker is very cold.

Double strain the cocktail into a chilled glass. This removes small ice chips and any remnants of fruit pulp.

The cocktail is served without ice, so the glass should be well chilled beforehand.

The Comparison with Sidecar

Champs-Élysées is often compared to Sidecar because both use cognac and lemon.

A Sidecar typically uses orange liqueur as a sweetener. Champs-Élysées replaces the orange liqueur with green Chartreuse and a bit of simple syrup.

This creates a distinct difference.

Sidecar is citrusy, dry, and relatively clean in flavor. Champs-Élysées is more herbal, spiced, and aromatic.

Both have cognac at the center, but Chartreuse makes Champs-Élysées much more complex and less accessible for those who do not like herbal liqueurs.

Garnish and Presentation

A lemon zest works well as a garnish.

Press the oils from the peel over the cocktail before placing it in the glass or along the rim. This adds fresh citrus aroma without adding more acidity.

A cocktail cherry is used in some presentations, but lemon zest emphasizes the recipe better and provides a cleaner expression.

The cocktail's golden-green color means it does not need a large garnish.

A Classic for Chartreuse Enthusiasts

Champs-Élysées is particularly well-suited for those who enjoy both cognac and green Chartreuse.

It has enough acidity to be fresh but retains the warmth of the cognac and the herbal character of the liqueur.

The cocktail is more complex than a typical sour, but the recipe is still relatively simple.

It also shows that green Chartreuse does not always need to be the main ingredient. In the right amount, it can be used as a powerful flavor enhancer that changes the entire expression without masking the base.

Responsible Drinking

Champs-Élysées contains both cognac and high-proof green Chartreuse. Drink responsibly.