Alexander (cocktail)

Brandy Alexander

IBA Official Cocktail
Type	Cocktail
Primary alcohol by volume	Cognac Crème de cacao
Served	Straight up; without ice
Standard garnish	Nutmeg
Standard drinkware	Cocktail glass
IBA specified ingredients*	3 cl cognac 3 cl white crème de cacao 3 cl light cream
Preparation	Shake all ingredients with ice and strain contents into a cocktail glass. Sprinkle nutmeg on top and serve.
* Brandy Alexander recipe at International Bartenders Association

The Alexander is a cocktail consisting of some form of alcohol, Cocoa Liqueur (Crème de cacao), and cream.^[1]

Earliest citation

Jack's Manual on The Vintage & Production, Care & Handling of Wines, Liquors &c., by Jacob Abraham Grohusko, 1910

Alexander Cocktail

• 75% rye whisky
• 25% Benedictine
• 1 piece of ice

Twist of orange peel. Stir and serve.

^[2]

Recipes for Mixed Drinks, by Hugo Ensslin, 1915

Alexander Cocktail

• 1/3 El Bart gin
• 1/3 White Crème de Cacao
• 1/3 Sweet Cream

Shake well in a mixing glass with cracked ice, strain and serve.

Variations

The most common variation of the Alexander is the Brandy Alexander, made with brandy. Similarly, a Coffee Alexander substitutes coffee liqueur (such as Kahlúa) for gin, and a Blue Alexander substitutes blue Curaçao for crème de cacao. Other variations exist.^[3]

In Jack's Manual (1910) there is another cocktail called The Alexander which is a mixture of rye whiskey and Bénédictine.^[4] It is unclear whether or not this has any relation to the cream-based version.

References

1. Historical Alexander's recipes from 1961 to 2014 (italian)
2. 1910s "Jack's Manual" https://archive.org/details/jacksmanualonvin00groh
3. Drinknation.com: Alexander variations
4. "1910s Jack's manual on the vintage and production, care and handling of wines, liquors, etc 3 rd edition". euvs-vintage-cocktail-books.cld.bz. Retrieved 2015-10-05.