Drink Deconstructed: Slick Ride

2 ounces of Hennessy Paradis cognac: The spirit, which is sold under the 250-year-old French house's Paradis label, is aged for 25 to 100 years. "It brings out the tones of the cognac," Zovkic says. "It makes it smoother and richer in flavor."

1 ounce Grand Marnier centenaire: Zovkic uses this orange-flavored cognac, which is aged for 15 to 20 years, instead of the typical Cointreau. "It stays with you a long time after a sip," he says. The substitution is a nod to the sidecar's history, a version that credits the Hotel Ritz in Paris with its creation after World War I. Louis-Alexandre Marnier-Lapostolle, the founder of Grand Marnier, was also a backer for the Ritz, he says.

3/4 ounces fresh-squeezed lemon juice: It brightens and lightens the drink by balancing the sweetness of the alcohols. "It's almost like using salt in a cooking dish to bring out the flavors," Zovkic says.