Cocktail recipe
Brandy Alexander
Cognac, chocolate and cream—an after-dinner velvet curtain with a little nutmeg.
Ingredients
- 45 ml (1½ oz) Cognac or aged brandy
- 30 ml (1 oz) dark crème de cacao
- 30 ml (1 oz) cold heavy cream
- Garnish: freshly grated nutmeg (about 0.1 g)
Preparation
Shake the cognac, cacao and cream briskly with solid ice until the mixture takes on a soft, uniform sheen. Strain cleanly into a chilled coupe, then grate a little nutmeg directly above the glass so its aroma stays vivid.
Glassware
Chilled coupe
History
The Alexander family began as a gin, crème de cacao and cream cocktail, documented in a 1914 recipe attributed to Harry Montague and again in Hugo Ensslin’s *Recipes for Mixed Drinks* (1916). A brandy-based Alexander was printed by Harry MacElhone in 1923, still under the name “Alexander”; the distinct “Brandy Alexander” label appeared in later books. A story crediting bartender Troy Alexander and the fictional railway advertising character Phoebe Snow is attached to the earlier gin drink and is itself disputed. It cannot responsibly be transferred as the origin of the brandy version.
Mixology View
Our cognac-forward balance is richer in spirit than many equal-parts historical versions. The nutmeg makes the finish aromatic rather than merely sweet.