Average
Sweet
3 minutes
Cocktail Glass
Ingredients
Brandy Alexander is a deliciously decadent, classic after-dinner cocktail.
So beloved is this drink that in the United States, they celebrate Brandy Alexander Day on 31 January every year – rightfully so!
Despite its luxuriousness, the Brandy Alexander is an easy to make cocktail yet one that’s sure to leave an impression at your next dinner party or cocktail soirée.
How to Make a brandy alexander cocktail
Bar tools you’ll need
Fine Strainer
Jigger
Boston Shaker
Hawthorne Strainer
How to Mix
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Fill the smaller tin of a Boston shaker with ice cubes.
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Use a jigger (or other measuring tool) to measure and pour cognac into the shaker tin.
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Measure and pour dark cacao liqueur into the tin.
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Measure and add cream to the shaker tin.
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Connect the two shaker tins to seal them tightly. Shake the shaker vigorously until the shaker feels icy cold.
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Separate the shaker tins, place a Hawthorne strainer over the larger tin. Hold a fine mesh strainer in your other hand, positioning it over the top of your cocktail glass.
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Pour the cocktail through both strainers into a cocktail glass.
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Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg over the top of your drink.
Watch how to make a Brandy Alexander
All about the Brandy Alexander
Brandy Alexander is a dessert cocktail, shaken with cognac, dark cacao liqueur and cream, garnished with freshly grated nutmeg.
Creamy, sweet chocolate where the nutmeg adds an adult-like sophistication.
As with so many classic cocktails, the exact history of the Brandy Alexander is very much up in the air.
What we do know as fact is that the original Alexander cocktail was said to be invented by a bartender in New York and was made with equal parts gin (not cognac), crème de cacao liqueur, and cream.
The bartender is rumored to have invented it for a dinner celebrating a railroad company’s successful marketing campaign centered around a fictional female character who had discovered a cleaner way of traveling by train.
It’s then believed that in the early 1920s, a London bartender swapped gin for brandy, leading to the rise of the Brandy Alexander, which quickly surpassed the popularity of the original gin-based version.
The Brandy Alexander was first documented in a cocktail recipe book in 1923. By 1930, another cocktail book included both the gin-based Alexander, referred to as Alexander Cocktail No. 1, and the brandy-based version, known as Alexander Cocktail No. 2.
Its popularity is said to have peaked during the 50s, 60s and 70s and then again during the more recent revival of classic cocktails.
- Double strain your cocktail
Double strain your Brandy Alexander by using a Hawthorne strainer together with a fine mesh strainer.When you double strain your drink, you remove any remaining ice shards, giving your drink a wonderful smooth texture.
- Serve your Brandy Alexander in a chilled glass
Put your glassware in the freezer approximately 30 minutes before mixing your drink. A chilled cocktail glass will give your drink that extra touch and heighten the overall drink experience.
- Alexander’s Sister
This classic cocktail appeared in the same 1930 cocktail book as the Alexander No. 1 and Alexander No. 2 (Brandy Alexander) cocktails.It’s a variation of the original gin-based Alexander cocktail, blending gin, green mint liqueur, and cream to create a luxurious and minty dessert cocktail.
- Frozen Brandy Alexander
If you’re serving a Brandy Alexander after dinner, why not serve it as a frozen dessert?Swap the cream for ice cream and blend all the ingredients in a blender for a Frozen Brandy Alexander your guests will be dreaming of long after!
- We recommend serving a Brandy Alexander in a chilled cocktail glass.
- To garnish, we like to finish our drink with some freshly grated nutmeg.
- Another popular option is to first garnish with grated nutmeg then add a lemon twist directly into your glass.
Brandy Alexander FAQ
VSOP Cognac.
A Brandy Alexander is made with brandy, crème de cacao, and cream, offering a rich, chocolatey taste. In contrast, a White Russian is made with vodka, coffee liqueur, and cream, resulting in a smooth, coffee-flavored cocktail.
