Jim Thompson was a brilliant author of hard-boiled fiction. Perhaps most famous for his 1963 novel The Grifters, which was later made into a movie, Thompson also penned pulp fiction books The Killer Inside Me, and After Dark, My Sweet. In addition to his novels, Thompson was also a prolific short-story writer as well as a screenwriter. He was also a prolific drinker.

In honor of Jim Thompson, therefore, we will feature the venerable Sidecar tonight during The Cocktail Hour (6pm-7pm). Never as famous during his lifetime as he later became, one suspects that such a fancy cocktail was not a staple for Thompson. However, his characters enjoyed them and they were particular about the way they liked them, specifying bourbon instead of brandy and no sugar on the rim, please. Our recipe follows.

For books about and by Jim Thompson, visit Arcata's Northtown Books.

Sidecar

1.5 oz. bourbon (or brandy)
1 oz. Cointreau
0.5 oz. lemon juice
Lemon twist
Sugar (optional)

Pour all ingredients except sugar into a cocktail shaker filled with ice cubes. Shake well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass with or without a sugared rim. Garnish with a lemon twist. 

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It's a little salty, but at least you can't taste the off-brand Nyquil.