Cocktail Alexander – recipe, history, variations

The Alexander cocktail is another cocktail icon that is undeservedly forgotten in most of the “Maaskva clubs”. Not even like that. This is another classic cocktail that did not seek fame among the “advanced” youth, but became a favorite among marginals, sybarites, imbibers and other interesting people.

We consider this to be an injustice, primarily due to a lack of information – in most sources, the recipe for the Alexander cocktail is not true, and in some it is supported by unsubstantiated historical facts. Since our magazine has become more or less known among a certain circle of readers, we are in a hurry to dispel the myths and bring you the authentic recipe of the drink, as well as look into its ornate origin story, which, most likely, has sunk into oblivion forever. Undeservedly forgotten legends must live and flourish (at the same time you can remember the one and only Old Fashion).

To begin with, we share the recipe for the classic Alexander according to the IBA.

Cocktail recipe Alexander and Alexander No. 2 (Alexander / Alexander No. 2)

The cocktail is a classic digestif (After Dinner Cocktail). Preparation method: shake.

Fill a shaker 2/3 full with ice and add all ingredients. Shake vigorously until the shaker freezes. Strain through a strainer into a pre-chilled cocktail glass. Sprinkle grated nutmeg on top.

Créme, creme, cream is a kind of very thick, almost syrupy liqueurs, which differ from the rest in high sugar content. This branch of liqueurs should not be confused with cream liqueurs, which contain cream.

This version of the cocktail appeared in the list of cocktails of the International Bartenders Association (IBA) in 2012 – until that time it was called Brandy Alexander (Brandy Alexander). The fact is that the aforementioned cocktail is thus Brandy Alexander, while the first drink from the vast Alexander family was prepared on the basis of gin and Créme de Cacao white liquor. Its recipe is as follows:

But it was Brandy Alexander, aka Alexander No. 2, who surpassed his predecessor in popularity, so almost all bars in the world prepare a cocktail based on brandy, the best of which is cognac.

History of the Alexandrov family

Whether that was actually the case, no one can say. Barry Popik, the amateur etymologist who inspired New York to be known as the “Big Apple”, stepped into the annals of history. Thanks to him, an article from Evening Independent columnist Walter Winchell from 1929 was found (we tend to trust earlier sources). This article is about a dinner party at Rector’s Cafe, a fairly well-known establishment before Prohibition went into effect. The dinner was held in honor of the fictional advertising character Phoebe Snow (Phoebe Snow is a popular character, a lady who always wore white and loved to ride trains of some American railways, in the salons of which always was clean).

Troy Alexander was standing behind the bar at the dinner party, and he decided to mix a snow-white cocktail in honor of the hero of the occasion. Of course, the name of the cocktail was given in honor of its creator. A very plausible version. But the Alexander cocktail appeared in print in 1915, in the book Recipes for Mixed Drinks by Hugo Enslin – it was in this book that grated nutmeg was first mentioned, which denigrates Phoebe Snow’s snow-white dress.

Thus, Brandy Alexander (or as he is also called in some sources “Adexander No. 2”) is just a variation. It is believed to have been invented in the UK and its appearance is somehow connected with the wedding of Princess Mary, Countess of Harwood and Viscount Lascelles in 1922. Alexander has only been mentioned in print with brandy since 1936 (the recipe is described in Harman Barney Burke’s book Burke’s Complete Cocktail and Tastybite Recipes).

The Brandy Alexander was a favorite of ex-Beatle John Lennon, who became addicted to it during his Lost Weekend with Yoko Ono in 1973-1974. John called it “Milkshake” – one of the common nicknames for a cocktail.

Another name is often attributed to our cocktail – Alexandra. This may be due to Frank Meyer, who mentioned the cocktail in his 1936 book The Artistry of Mixing Drinks. Or it was the unknown French author who, in the 1929 book RIP Cocktails de Paris, mentioned two versions of Alexandra at once, both with gin and brandy. But the female line did not take root due to sufficient argumentation.

Sister Alexandra and other relatives

However, there is also a lady in the family. Although she is not as elegant as her two older brothers, she is bright and fresh. Literally fresh.

The youngest brother in the Alexander dynasty is Alexander Baby, which uses white rum instead of brandy.

Likbez is over. Curtain.