Between the Sheets Cocktail

Between the sheets
Claire Cohen
Prep: 3 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 3 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 cocktail

Most people call this cocktail Between the Sheets, though you may hear it referred to as a Maiden's Prayer as well. By either name, it's a sexy little drink in which rum and brandy get together for some fun. If you enjoy the famous Sidecar, be sure to give this one a try.

The Between the Sheets is a classic cocktail with real style. It's thought to have been created in the 1920s at Harry's New York Bar in Paris. This was a hotspot for great cocktails like the French 75 and the Monkey Gland, among many others.

The brandy and rum combination is a very nice mix. It's one that we see often in classics such as the Boston Sidecar and Embassy Cocktail. Here, it is delicately enhanced with triple sec and lemon juice, making it one of the simplest and most satisfying cocktails you will find. 

Ingredients

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In a cocktail shaker, pour the brandy, light rum, triple sec, and lemon juice. Fill with ice.

  3. Shake well.

  4. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

  5. Garnish with the lemon twist. Serve and enjoy.

Only the Best Ingredients, Please

There's one thing that you will quickly learn with simple cocktails like this: The better the ingredients, the better the drink. It seems logical but sometimes we get in the mindset of saving money and the quality of our drinks can suffer.

Being a little cheap may be OK for some mixed drinks. This is particularly true when the spirits are covered by heavy mixers like fruit juices and cola. However, this style of cocktail deserves your best. That's not to say that you have to spend a fortune on the brandy and rum. A slight upgrade and careful decisions will give you a great drink.

For instance, think twice before pouring the same rum you use for your Rum & Coke into a Between the Sheets. This drink deserves a rum that can stand on its own. Can you drink it straight without cringing? If so, then you have a good candidate. The same applies to the brandy.

When it comes to triple sec, be very, very careful. It's easy to pick up that really inexpensive bottle, but many of those are super syrupy and will bring down the entire drink. Fork over a few extra bucks for Cointreau or Luxardo. You can even use a good curaçao in its place.

Keeping a quality triple sec in your bar will prove to be an invaluable upgrade to countless cocktails. From ​the Margarita to the Daiquiri, many of the most popular drink recipes rely on it. Quite often, they're just as simple as the Between the Sheets, so it's vital that you choose wisely.

As with any sour drink, we have to reiterate the power that fresh lemon juice has in this cocktail. Stocking a few lemons at all times will give you high-quality cocktails every time.

How Strong Is the Between the Sheets?

If you were to pour an 80-proof brandy and rum with a 60-proof triple sec, you will have a cocktail that's around 28 percent ABV (56 proof). That is why drinks like this are served at just 3 to 4 ounces at a time.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
202 Calories
0g Fat
9g Carbs
0g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 202
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 5mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 9g 3%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 10mg 50%
Calcium 10mg 1%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 28mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)