Stevie Wonder x Sidecar
Sidecar Cocktail Lounge continues its tradition of transforming iconic albums into world-class cocktail experiences with an ode to one of the greatest records ever made — Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life (1976). This album isn’t just a masterpiece; it’s a universe. A kaleidoscope of joy, pain, protest, spirituality, nostalgia, and celebration. We’re honored to translate its spirit into flavor.
Stevie Wonder poured everything he had into this two-year creative explosion — love, community, heartbreak, rebirth, virtuosity, and wonder itself. The result is an album that still vibrates with life nearly fifty years later. At Sidecar, we believe the best cocktails work the same way: a harmony of layers, a story told in flavor, and a sense of soul that lingers long after the last sip.
This menu is our tribute to Stevie’s artistic fearlessness — a vibrant, technicolor journey through sound and taste. These drinks are playful, bold, spiritual, groovy, and deeply emotional. Just like the album.
Why Songs in the Key of Life Works as a Cocktail Menu
Universal and Timeless — Stevie created an album meant for every person on the planet. It blends gospel, soul, funk, jazz, classical, Latin rhythms, and African percussion. Our menu mirrors this expansive palette with cocktails that cross genres, cultures, and moods — accessible, joyful, and full of depth.
Layered Composition — This album is famously intricate: stacked harmonies, dense arrangements, unexpected modulations. Each drink reflects that complexity — layered builds, clarifications, spices, fruits, florals, and textures that unfold like verses in a song.
Joy and Humanity — At its core, Songs in the Key of Life is a celebration of people — our stories, our heartbreak, our hope. These cocktails are designed to feel emotionally resonant, warm, inviting, and full of life. Drinks that smile at you before you’ve even taken a sip.
Vibrant Color and Energy — Few albums feel as colorful as this one. Every track is alive with sunshine, optimism, childlike wonder, and unstoppable groove. We leaned into bright fruit, expressive aromatics, tropical elements, and spirited builds that reflect the album’s luminous spirit.
Songs in the Key of Life by Zeth Lundy
Join us & our friends from Pearl’s for a Stevie Wonder themed book club on January 27th, featuring Songs in the Key of Life by Zeth Lundy.
”Zeth Lundy's book, in keeping with the album's themes, is structured as a life cycle. It's divided into the following Birth; Innocence/Adolescence; Experience/Adulthood; Death; Rebirth. Within this framework, Zeth Lundy covers Stevie Wonder's excessive work habits and recording methodology, his reliance on synthesizers, the album's place in the gospel-inspired progression of 1970s R'n'B, and many other subjects.” (from Goodreads)
For last month’s book club, we read Master of Reality by John Darnielle. At 101 pages, this book was emotionally jam-packed, told through the fictional lens of a young adult locked in an adolescent psychiatric center. Through the narrator’s obsession with Black Sabbath, we explored the impact of belonging and feeling seen. We talked about nostalgic marijuana-related music (and MJ inspired music moments 👀), Black Sabbath as a vessel to deliver topics of Christianity, and the importance of autonomy and respect in mental health care.
The Tracks (Cocktails)
IF IT’S MAGIC
Fig Infused Rittenhouse Rye, Nocino, Lemon Juice, Vanilla Honey Syrup, Egg White
VIBES: Soul-Warming Holiday Spice, Lush Fig, Toasted Nuttiness
Fig Whiskey Sour
Having her sights set on a fig-infused whiskey for our holiday overlap menu, Josie began testing weeks before our actual pitch meeting- determined to find the proper whiskey-to-fig pairing. Having settled on a Rittenhouse rye and black fig combo, she toyed with a toddy build, only to land firm on a whiskey sour riff. Reinforced with Nocino (Black Walnut Liqueur) and honey, this sour riff is warming, lush, and impossible to ignore. “I like whiskey sours, I like figs, figs plus whiskey sours…. I like piña coladas and getting caught in the rain.” -Jonah Thornton (on behalf of Josie Wicker)
ISN’T SHE LOVELY
Boxley Vodka, Falernum, Cherry Honey Syrup, Spiced Plum Wine, Lemon Juice, Tiki Bitters, Topo Chico
VIBES: Juicy Stone-Fruit Sparkle, Effortlessly Crushable, Effervescent
Celebratory Highball
Our last few menus have explored darker spirits, Old Fashioned riffs, and boozy milk punches without hesitation. These spirits often pair well with stone fruit flavors and winter spices, but not every drinker wants a dense whiskey cocktail as their avenue to cherries, plums, cinnamon, and allspice. With this in mind, Faith developed a fun, sparkling, and celebratory highball that is equally as refreshing and crushable as it is reminiscent of a winter’s gale. Built on Japanese Plum Wine, emboldened with Boxley Vodka, and tweaked with cherries, honey, and Velvet Falernum, “Isn’t She Lovely” takes a tropical approach to the frigid flavors on the holidays. It’s bright, spunky, and wears its heart on its sleeve. -Jonah Thornton (on behalf of Faith Lewis)
KNOCKS ME OFF MY FEET
Cimarron Reposado Tequila, Ancho Reyes Chili Liqueur, Ginger Liqueur, Chipotle Honey, Orange Juice, Lemon Juice, Chipotle Tincture
VIBES: Fiery Chipotle Heat, Bold, Impossible to Ignore
A Campfire on a Cold Night
Stevie says "But there's somethin' 'bout your love that makes me weak and knocks me off my feet,” so I wanted to create a cocktail with a little somethin' that will make one weak and knock them off their feet. This tequila cocktail is smoky, bold, warm, and spicy. Like a campfire on a cold night, it will warm your bones and lift your spirits. The drink features a rich chipotle-infused honey that when combined with orange juice, ginger, and Ancho Reyes chile liqueur, will ignite the senses and kick off the night. -Logan Craine
PASTIME PARADISE
Planteray Stiggins Fancy Pineapple Rum, Fernet Branca, Planteray OFTD, Passionfruit Liqueur, Lemon Juice, Pineapple Juice, Honey, Chocolate Bitters
VIBES: Lively Tiki Energy, Tannic Intrique, Whisper of Mint
Lively Tiki Energy
“My inspiration is to make good drinks and hopefully people like them.” This may be the most truthful-to-Al quote I’ve had the privilege of pulling. When I asked him for some thoughts about Pastime Paradise, this was his response. He went on to briefly describe a scenario where he tried a grapefruit-forward drink that didn’t quite hit his standards, and thought this one up during our pitch meeting. “Passionfruit, mint, and chocolate go great.” I think that about sums it up. -Jonah Thornton (on behalf of Al Cepeda)
EBONY EYES
Planteray 3 Star Rum, Oak & Bean Cold Brew Liqueur, Banana Liqueur, Macadamia Nut Liqueur, Tiki Bitters, Middle Child Cookie
VIBES: Cozy Banana-Bread Warmth, Coffee, Smooth Richness
Banana-Bread Meets Iced-Coffee
“If there’s seven wonders of the world, then I know she’s gotta be number one.”
Stevie Wonder wrote “Ebony Eyes” as a warm-hearted, playful tribute to the kind of love that feels impossibly charming—smooth, smiling, and a little mischievous. Buried on Songs in the Key of Life’s bonus EP, the track has always felt like one of the album‘s secret treasures: upbeat, flirtatious, stacked with harmony, and delivered with that signature Stevie glow.
Our Ebony Eyes cocktail takes that same energy—comfort, charm, sweetness, and warmth—and puts it in a glass. Built on Planteray 3-Star Rum and rounded with Oak & Bean Cold Brew Liqueur, Banana Liqueur, Macadamia Nut Liqueur, and a touch of Tiki Bitters, this drink is all about soft richness and cozy familiarity. It’s banana-bread meets iced-coffee. -Trey Fincher
SUMMER SOFT (CLARIFIED)
Hibiscus Infused Planteray 3 Star, Passionfruit Liqueur, Dragonfruit Liqueur, Mango Puree, Lime Juice, Donn’s Mix #2
VIBES: Breezy Tropical Fruit, Soft, Silky
Smooth, Soft, Pastel, and Quietly Electric
“Gently plays her rhythms on your windowpane…”
Stevie Wonder’s “Summer Soft” is a masterclass in emotional sleight-of-hand. It starts dreamy- soft chords, floating melody, warm weather vibes. Then, in one of the most iconic left-turns on the album, the chorus hits with an explosive key change and rhythm shift that jolts the whole track awake. It’s the musical version of a sudden summer storm rolling in out of nowhere.
Our clarified SUMMER SOFT punch mirrors that exact arc: breezy and silky on the front, vibrant and bright on the finish. Built on Planteray 3-Star Rum with Passionfruit Liqueur, Papaya Liqueur, Mango Liqueur, Lime Juice, and Donn’s Mix #2, it’s a tropical breeze poured through a cloud—smooth, soft, pastel, and quietly electric. -Trey Fincher
ORDINARY PAIN (N/A)
Fayetteville Tea House “A Cinnamon Situation” Black Tea, Coconut Cream, Pineapple Juice, Orange Juice, Lemon Juice, N/A Aromatic Bitters
VIBES: Creamy Coconut, Carefree Island Vibes, Sandy-Toed Beach-Bum Spirit
A Non-Alcoholic “Painkiller”
This N/A cocktail is for those who have felt "more than just an ordinary pain in their heart". A cheeky play on a classic tiki cocktail called the "Painkiller", this drink may not physically numb the pain, but maybe this glass of spiced sunshine will make it more bearable. The depth of the spiced black tea carries the rich coconut and pineapple into the holiday season. For those looking for a booze-free way to get some winter beach therapy, this is for you. -Logan Craine
Closing Notes
When Stevie Wonder released Songs in the Key of Life in 1976, he wasn’t just dropping another record—he was opening a portal. A technicolor world of joy, grief, groove, spirituality, protest, hope, and humanity poured out track after track. It was ambitious, fearless, and overflowing with life. This album didn’t follow a blueprint; it rewrote what music could be.
That same spirit of boundless creativity is what fuels this menu. Each drink is a small love letter to Stevie’s universe—a blend of bold rhythms, bright melodies, deep harmonies, and unexpected turns. These cocktails aren’t just inspired by the songs; they’re inspired by the feeling of them. The warmth, the optimism, the innovation…the way Stevie could make you dance, think, and feel seen all at once.
Whether you’re here for the hits, the deep cuts, or just something that makes you smile and sway a little, this menu is meant to remind you that flavor—like music—is emotion you can taste.
~ See You at the Bar ~
