Black Sabbath x Sidecar
Sidecar Cocktail Lounge continues its tradition of turning iconic albums into world-class cocktail menus with a tribute to Black Sabbath’s Paranoid (1970). Be the first to dive in with us.
The album is prophetic, dark, and experimental for its time. It defined the future of rock music with a blast we are still feeling to this day. As surely as Black Sabbath carved their names into the obsidian history of metal, so too is Sidecar slashing its way to new heights with this new menu.
Why Paranoid Works as a Cocktail Menu
Genre-Defining — Black Sabbath took risks, and were rewarded with rock royalty. Fusing winter flavors and unusual liqueurs, we echo their progressive trailblazing.
Psychedelia — Deep flavors, robust journeys, and strange sensations are found in each glass.
Minimalist and Powerful — Four musicians achieve an arresting wall-of-sound. Our menu recognizes that the interplay of a few flavors can achieve massive results.
Join us for a Black Sabbath themed book club on December 2nd, featuring Master of Reality by John Darnielle. This book is told through a fictional lens of a young adult locked in an adolescent psychiatric center, explaining Black Sabbath in his journal. At 101 pages, it’s sure to be a fun read!
For last month’s book club, we read Go Ahead in the Rain by Hanif Abdurraqib. We talked about his ability to create a contextual landscape for A Tribe Called Quest’s music, using moments in Black history, hip-hop lore, and the politics of rap music in the 90’s. Fed by his love for the band and his poetic language, the book felt like an ode, like a beautiful tribute that sparked nostalgia for us in the form of tapes, CD’s, and chaotic, layered samples. We talked about the role of music as a tool for connection and survival, which gave rise to a discussion about hanging out with friends with no purpose as verdant ground for creativity. Good vibes all around!
The Tracks (Cocktails)
FAIRIES WEAR BOOTS
Del Maguey Vida Mezcal, Giffard Pamplemousse, Lime Juice, Pomegranate-Rose Syrup, Bittermens Hopped Grapefruit Bitters
VIBES: Desert Mirage, Grapefruit Grove, Petals & Ash
Beauty in Chaos
The“Fairies Wear Boots” closes Paranoid with a chaotic, blues-heavy groove that swirls between reality and hallucination. Ozzy’s lyrics were supposedly inspired by a run-in with British skinheads, though fans have long debated if it’s really about tripping on acid. Either way, the track embodies Sabbath’s playful weirdness. It's dark, heavy, but still swaggering. Surreal. The smoky Del Maguey Vida Mezcal gives that gritty, industrial Sabbath edge, while Giffard Pamplemousse and hopped grapefruit bitters punch through with citrus bite like Tony Iommi’s sharp guitar tones. The pomegranate-rose syrup adds a dreamy, psychedelic pink hue, a nod to the song’s hallucinatory feel. It’s equal parts heavy and ethereal, like Sabbath finding beauty inside chaos.” - Trey Fincher
WAR PIGS
Planteray Dark Rum, Planteray 3 Star Rum, Planteray OFTD, Grog Concentrate Syrup, Lime Cordial, Aromatic Bitters, Tonic Bitters
VIBES: Rum Riot, Tropical Chaos, Velvet Revolution
A “Bay of Pigs” Old Fashioned
“War Pigs” began as a protest song against the Vietnam War. It’s Sabbath at their most politically charged: church-bell doom riffs, Ozzy’s haunting cries, and lyrics condemning war profiteers and politicians who send others to die. The Navy Grog, created by Donn Beach in the 1940s, was a sailor’s drink of strength and survival, rum, lime, and spice built for those who’d seen hell and saltwater both. Here, our riff tightens it into a “Bay of Pigs” Old Fashioned, stirred and muscular rather than shaken and tropical. The three Planteray rums layer sweetness, funk, and fire: 3-Star for backbone, Dark for depth, OFTD for destruction. The grog syrup and lime cordial represent the discipline and sweetness buried beneath the noise, while tonic and aromatic bitters bring an earthy bitterness.” - Trey Fincher
PLANET CARAVAN
Garden Society Vodka, Garden Society Spiced Citrus Vodka, Giffard Abricot Du Roussillon, Pimento Dram, Lemon Juice, Cranberry Juice
VIBES: Cosmic Fruit Voyage, Golden Apricot Eclipse, Cranberry Cosmos
A Mars Inspired Cosmo
‘We pass on by the crimson eye / Of the great god Mars / As we travel through the universe.’
“My offering for this menu pays homage to Mars, the god of war and passion. Pimento Dram, Apricot liqueur, and spiced citrus vodka bring a brooding vibe to the playful yet pedestrian Cosmo. A blood red cocktail, reminiscent of the crimson eye of Mars, “Planet Caravan” is for those who know their passion, and pursue it. Cheers to the macabre, cheers to Mars.” - Josh Pitts
PARANOID
Old Grand-Dad 100 Bourbon, Giffard Crème de Mûre, Lemon Juice, Blackberry-Sage Syrup, Black Walnut Bitters, Egg White
VIBES: Velvet Anxiety, Blackberry Sage Mind Trip, Midnight Reflection
A Moody Sour Riff
“This was originally pitched under the song “Planet Caravan” for its ‘holiday escape’ leanings on the palette, like a cocktail you would sip on a ski lift. When this was tasted by staff however, it was clear “Paranoid” was the proper title for the cocktail. A sour riff with whiskey, blackberry, sage, in a smoked glass? Come on. Deep purple and served up- this is the cocktail created to represent the gothic aesthetic- the “Paranoid scene”. It is balanced, silky, and fall-focused and is a devilish sipper with 100 proof bourbon as the backbone.” - Jonah Thornton
JACK THE STRIPPER
Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7, Planteray Cut & Dry Coconut Rum, Coconut Cream, Cold Brew Coffee, Mexican Coke
VIBES: Tennessee Vice, Espresso Coconut Rush, Sinister Satisfaction
Jack Gets an Upgrade
“I wanted to take “mundane” order (jack & coke; easy, delicious, simple), and make it flashy. I had an amazing coke and espresso drink a while back at a spot called Con Pilas, which I would recreate on shift to pep up, swapping sweet cream for coconut cream. That seemed “flashy” enough to jump into the cocktail, so I split base between Jack Daniels No. 7 (for Jack the Stripper), and Planteray’s Cut and Dry Coconut Rum, which is a staff favorite shooter and would soften the whiskey’s edge. Thus, we have the performative and indulgent “Jack the Stripper”. A whiskey cocktail that doesn’t taste a thing like whiskey.” - Jonah Thornton
IRON MAN
Rittenhouse Rye, Averna Amaro, Ramazzotti Amaro, Amaro Montenegro, Amaro Nonino, Cynar 70, Campari, Aperol, Peychaud’s Bitters, Aromatic Bitters, Absinthe Rinse
VIBES: Industrial Alchemy, Liquid Armor, Bitter Salvation Satisfaction
A Sazerac Forged in Steel
“Iron Man” is perhaps Sabbath’s most iconic track, a lumbering, metallic anthem about a man turned to steel who seeks vengeance on mankind. Tony Iommi’s riff defined heavy metal itself: mechanical, methodical, unstoppable. This drink reimagines the Sazerac, the 19th-century New Orleans classic of rye, bitters, and absinthe. The original was known for its precision and ritual; this version is its mechanized evolution. Seven amaros, each bitter, herbal, and metallic, form a symphony of moving parts, all balanced by the rye’s structure. Like Iron Man himself, it’s cold and complex but unmistakably alive. A mechanical heart beating beneath layers of bitterness. A Sazerac forged in steel.”
ELECTRIC FUNERAL
Tanqueray London Dry Gin, Cocchi Americano, Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto, Jeppson’s Malört, Bittermens Hopped Grapefruit Bitters
VIBES: Citrus Voltage, Botanical Static, Bitter Electric Bloom Satisfaction
The White Negroni Meets Ozzy
“I wanted to make a drink that captured the title elements of electricity and macabre, as well as paid tribute to Ozzy and his unmistakably rock and roll character. Black Sabbath was British, so it had to have London dry gin. Ozzy has his own gin brand, after all. It needed to be strong, forceful, but also approachable. It's loosely based on a white negroni, using Cocchi Americano for the vermouth element, Italicus for the herbal element, and Jeppson's Malört for the bitter element. Malört of course carries its own reputation, one that I think Ozzy might have related to in 1970. Malört is known for being quite bitter, but in the right cocktail, it shines as a unique flavor that adds great depth to the cocktail. It's a rock and roll spirit with a cult following, not unlike Black Sabbath itself. The result of these ingredients is a martini with great balance, drinkability, and complexity. The garnish is an electric blue ice in the shape of a skull. This memento mori ties the narrative all together, and creates a nice visual contrast next to the otherwise clear cocktail. I feel like this cocktail captures the spirit of the song and the menu, and adds some variety and punch to the menu as a whole.” - Logan Craine
HAND OF DOOM [NA]
Strong Brewed Rooibos Tea, Lemon Juice, Rooibos, Vanilla & Orange Syrup, Ginger Beer
VIBES: Spiced Redemption, Herbal Thunder, Gingered Harmony
Resilience and Renewal
“Hand of Doom” is one of Black Sabbath’s most haunting compositions, a slow-burning anti-drug epic inspired by soldiers returning from Vietnam addicted to heroin. It’s an unflinching portrait of escape and decay, where beauty and darkness intertwine. We grounded the NA build in Rooibos tea, an earthy South African herb that offers warmth and depth without caffeine or booze. The syrup’s vanilla-orange profile evokes burnt citrus and soft sweetness, while lemon and ginger beer cut through with energy and bite, an echo of the song’s rhythmic build from slow despair to explosive release. Served tall on pebble ice, it’s complex but comforting, a drink about resilience and renewal rather than escape.
Closing Notes
We have to imagine that “Paranoid”, as a response to their bleak and bludgeoning debut self-titled record, was born not only out of necessity, but catharsis. This band of young lads thrashed out their frustrations in a fury of groovy, plodding, psych-rock that would go on to speak to generations. This catharsis in creation and experimentation is what we strive for with the “Paranoid” menu.
Whether you’re here for the deep cuts or just want something that makes you nod your head and smile, this menu proves that at Sidecar, cocktails are music you can taste.
~ See You at the Bar ~
