The Brandy Alexander is one delicious dessert cocktail. It is sweet and creamy with a nice frothy texture. It contains Cognac, creme de cacao, and heavy cream.
But don't let yourself get tricked by the sweet chocolate taste. This cocktail definitely has some booze, even if you don't taste or feel it immediately.
Also, the Brandy Alexander cocktail is not exactly light, neither regarding calories nor alcohol. What it is, is a beautiful drink, enjoyed by cocktail enthusiasts and occasional drinkers alike.
So let's find out what this cocktail tastes like and how you can make it at home.
What a Brandy Alexander should taste like
This drink is one of the most popular Brandy cocktails. Mixing it is all about balancing the ingredients to get the right taste. But to achieve that, you need to know what it should taste like in the first place.
A great Brandy Alexander has an intense and distinct taste of chocolate from the creme de cacao. The cream enhances the flavor and also emphasizes the sweetness of the drink.
When rounded with just the right amount of Brandy, you can also taste subtle notes of fruits.
The best choice for the Brandy part is a quality Cognac. Although technically, you can use any Brandy, Cognac is a must for me.
Also, you definitely don't want your cocktail to be overly sweet. Better to go strong on the Brandy than overdoing with cream or Creme de Cacao.
Adding grated nutmeg to the drink will make it look prettier and add some spice to your cocktail. Nutmeg really is a perfect match for the mix of Cognac and dark Creme de Cacao.
The original Alexander cocktail
Who invented the Brandy Alexander is unclear. What is known is that this Brandy cocktail is a nice riff on the original Alexander cocktail.
Traditionally made of Gin, the Alexander was first mentioned in Hugo Ensslin's cocktail book Recipes for Mixed Drinks, published in 1917.
The Alexander cocktail was already a great drink, and replacing Gin with Brandy lifted this concoction to new heights.
Especially in the 70s and 80s, the cocktail was all over the place. -A sweet, delicious, easy-to-make cocktail and a total crowd-pleaser.
When to enjoy it
Naturally, you can drink a Brandy Alexander anytime you want. Yet, it is a perfect alternative to a classic chocolaty dessert.
Its sweet and chocolatey taste works particularly well after a nice dinner. Especially if the sweetness is well-balanced, the drink is a perfect dessert replacement that is not too heavy.
If you want to take the approach as a dessert one step further, you could serve it with some fruits, nuts, or tiny light pastries.
Brandy Alexander Recipe
Now, let's get to the recipe. As mentioned, Cognac is the Brandy of choice for a Brandy Alexander. And if you find the cocktail too sweet, adjust by increasing the amount of Cognac.
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz Cognac
- 1 oz Dark Creme de Cacao
- 1 oz Heavy cream
- grated nutmeg
Instructions
- Prepare a Martini glass by chilling it with some ice cubes.
- Add Cognac, Creme de Cacao, and the heavy cream into a shaker with ice and start shaking.
- Shake until the drink is well chilled.
- Remove the ice cubes from the Martini glass and strain the drink into the glass.
- Put freshly grated nutmeg on top of the drink.