Brandy Alexander – A Beautiful Mess

The Brandy Alexander is a riff on the classic Alexander cocktail. In recent years, the brandy version has become much more popular than the original. Made with cognac (brandy), creme de cacao, heavy cream and freshly ground nutmeg, this creamy drink recipe makes a strong, aromatic impression. If you love chocolate flavor or creamy cocktails, this is great one!

Related: White Russian, Grasshopper, Boozy Cider, Chocolate Martini, Chai Martini, Black Manhattan.

Ingredients in an Brandy Alexander

• Cognac – You can use any brandy or cognac for this recipe. Cognac is a specific variety of barrel-aged brandy produced in the Cognac region of France.
• Dark Crème de Cacao – A chocolate bean (cacao) flavored liqueur, often scented with vanilla.
• Heavy Cream – You can use heavy cream or half and half for this recipe.
• Nutmeg – Freshly grated.

The best glassware choice for a Brandy Alexander is a Nick & Nora cocktail glass. You will also need a microplane grater to grate the fresh nutmeg in this recipe.

Instructions

In a cocktail shaker with ice, combine the brandy, creme de cacao and cream. Shake for 10-15 seconds until well chilled.

Strain and pour into a cocktail glass.

Garnish the top of the drink with freshly grated nutmeg. Grate nutmeg directly over the top of the glass.

Tips for Making

• While you can swap between heavy cream and half and half, we do not recommend milk as it is not creamy enough. If you are choosing a vegan option, we recommend choosing something that substitutes as cream rather than milk as well. This is key to the thick, creamy finish this drink is known for.
• Chill your cocktail glass in the freezer for 30 minutes to one hour before using for a nice touch.
• If nutmeg is not available, this drink is also nice with some freshly ground cinnamon over the top.
• The secret to this recipe is to go a bit heavy on the brandy and light on the cocoa liqueur and cream.

History

The Brandy Alexander was created by Troy Alexander at a dinner celebrating Phoebe Snow. Phoebe Snow is a fictional character who was famous at the time for an advertising campaign for the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad. The ads wanted to convince patrons that they could trust their clean burning variety of coal, which powered the locomotives. The ads showed Phoebe Snow traveling in a white dress. 

This drink was first known as Alexander #2. The original recipe is a gin-based drink and the Brandy Alexander replaces gin for cognac, or brandy. The original recipe was documented in Hugo Ensslin’s 1916 book, then by Harry MacElhone in Harry of Ciro’s ABC of Mixing Cocktails, 1923, and then in 1930, The Savoy Cocktail Book by Harry Craddock. These are earliest known sources for the original recipe.

John Lennon once described the Brandy Alexander as a milkshake. If you love creamy drinks, this recipe may soon become your go-to.

More Cocktail Recipes

More Recipes to Try

• Dips – French Onion Dip, Corn Dip, Taco Dip.
• Salad – Creamy Pasta Salad, 7 Layer Salad, Best Potato Salad.
• Pizza – Detroit-Style Pizza, Stuffed Crust Pizza, Pizza Dough.
• Non-Alcoholic Drinks – Virgin Mojito, Arnold Palmer, Agua Fresca.
• Chocolate – Chocolate Banana Smoothie, Chocolate Cake Pops, Oreo Truffles.