The Alexander is a cocktail consisting of gin or brandy, cocoa liqueur (

crème de cacao Chocolate liqueur is a chocolate flavored liqueur made from a base liquor of whisky or vodka. Unlike chocolate liquor, chocolate liqueur does contain alcohol and is often used as a sweetening ingredient in mixology, baking, and cooking. His ...

), and cream. A variation, the

Brandy Alexander A Brandy Alexander is a brandy-based dessert cocktail consisting of cognac, crème de cacao, and cream, that became popular during the early 20th century. It is a variation of an earlier, gin-based cocktail called simply an Alexander. The cockta ...

, uses cognac instead of gin.

History

There are at least two drinks from the early 20th century, which were known by the name 'Alexander', but which are nevertheless different drinks. In ''Jack's Manual on The Vintage & Production, Care & Handling of Wines, Liquors &c.'' (1910) by Jacob Abraham Grohusko, the 'Alexander Cocktail' is described as three parts rye whiskey, one part

Bénédictine Bénédictine () is a herbal liqueur produced in France. It was developed by wine merchant Alexandre Le Grand in the 19th century, and is reputedly flavored with twenty-seven flowers, berries, herbs, roots, and spices. A drier version, B&B, b ...

, with a piece of ice and a twist of orange peel. In ''Recipes for Mixed Drinks'' (1915) by Hugo Ensslin, a drink by the same name is made with equal parts of gin, white crème de cacao and sweet cream; shaken with ice, and strained. The Alexander was originally made with gin, but the modern version is usually made with

brandy Brandy is a liquor produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35–60% alcohol by volume (70–120 US proof) and is typically consumed as an after-dinner digestif. Some brandies are aged in wooden casks. Others are coloured with ...

and is called a

. The

International Bartenders Association The International Bartenders Association (IBA), founded on 24 February 1951 in the saloon of the Grand Hotel in Torquay, England, is an international organisation established in order to represent the best bartenders in the world. An annual ev ...

calls for brandy in its Alexander.

Variations

The Coffee Alexander substitutes

coffee liqueur Liqueurs are alcoholic beverages that are bottled with added sugar and have added flavours that are usually derived from fruits, herbs, or nuts. Liqueurs are distinct from eaux-de-vie, fruit brandy, and flavored liquors, which contain no adde ...

(such as

Kahlúa Kahlúa () is a brand of coffee liqueur owned by the Pernod Ricard company and produced in Veracruz, Mexico. The drink contains rum, sugar, and arabica coffee. History Pedro Domecq began producing Kahlúa in 1936. It was named Kahlúa, meanin ...

) for crème de cacao. The Blue Alexander substitutes

blue Curaçao Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The eye perceives blue when ob ...

for crème de cacao. The Brandy Alexander substitutes gin some form of

, other variations also exist.

References

{{IBACocktails Cocktails with chocolate liqueur Cocktails with gin

History

Variations

See also

References