Alexander: Difference between revisions

From Chanticleer Society
(Created page with "Spirit + Crème de Cacao + Cream Earliest known recipe is from Hugo Ensslin’s 1916 Recipes for Mixed Drinks. The cocktail, according to historian Barry Popik, was likely bo...")
 
No edit summary
 
(7 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
Spirit + Crème de Cacao + Cream
* Spirit
* Crème de Cacao
* Cream


Earliest known recipe is from Hugo Ensslin’s 1916 Recipes for Mixed Drinks. The cocktail, according to historian Barry Popik, was likely born at Rector’s, New York’s premier pre-Prohibition lobster palace. The bartender there, a certain Troy Alexander, created his eponymous concoction in order to serve a white drink at a dinner celebrating [fictional character] Phoebe Snow<ref>Behind The Drink: Brandy Alexander, by Gary Regan[https://www.liquor.com/articles/behind-the-drink-the-brandy-alexander/]</ref>.
Originally appearing as a gin drink, it would eventually evolve into the "Brandy Alexander", with the gin variation all be disappearing. Using other spirits beyond gin and brandy never seems to have become a thing, so the "Alexander" may not technically be considered as its own category of mixed drink.
An earlier form of the drink from “Jack’s Manual” (1920) had a recipe of
Alexander Cocktail
* 75% rye whisky
* 25% Benedictine
* 1 piece of ice
Twist of orange peel. Stir and serve.


The cocktail, according to historian Barry Popik, was likely born at Rector’s (1899-1919), New York’s premier pre-Prohibition lobster palace. The bartender there, a certain Troy Alexander, is said to have created his eponymous concoction in order to serve a white drink at a dinner celebrating [fictional character] Phoebe Snow<ref>[https://www.liquor.com/articles/behind-the-drink-the-brandy-alexander Behind the Drink: Brandy Alexander], by Gary Regan (Liquor.com)</ref>. Phoebe Snow was created to promote the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad around 1900. Train travel in the day was dirty business, with travelers being covered in soot after a trip of any significant length. Lackawanna was able to prevent this by using anthracite, a cleaner-burning form of coal. They promoted this through advertising where their fictional character Phoebe Snow was always wearing a clean white dress. <ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoebe_Snow_(character) Phoebe Snow] (Wikipedia)</ref>
The earliest known recipe is from Hugo Ensslin’s 1916 Recipes for Mixed Drinks <ref>[https://euvs-vintage-cocktail-books.cld.bz/1917-Recipes-for-Mixed-Drinks-by-Hugo-R-Ensslin-second-edition/6/ Recipes for Mixed Drinks] by Hugo Ensslin (1917, second edition)</ref>.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left:.25in;padding:10px;font-family:'Modern No. 20', serif;font-size:normal;background:cornsilk;"
|<div style="font-weight:bold;"><div style="text-align:center">ALEXANDER COCKTAIL</div></div>
<div style="width:60ch"><div style="padding-left:15ch">
1/3 El Bart Gin<br/>
1/3 Creme de Cocoa<br/>
1/3 Sweet Cream<br/>
</div>Shake well in a mixing glass with cracked ice, strain and serve.
</div>
|}
An earlier form of a drink by the same name appears in “Jack’s Manual” (1910)<ref>[https://euvs-vintage-cocktail-books.cld.bz/1910-Jack-s-manual-on-the-vintage-and-production-care-and-handling-of-wines-liquors-etc-1910/32/ Jack's Manual] by J. A. Grohusko (1910)</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left:.25in;padding:10px;font-family:'Modern No. 20', serif;font-size:normal;background:cornsilk;"
|<div style="width:60ch"><div style="text-align:center"><div style="font-weight:bold;">ALEXANDER COCKTAIL</div>(Use bar glass.)</div>75% rye whiskey<br/>25% Benedictine<br/>1 piece of ice<br/>Twist of orange peel.<br/>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Stir and serve.</div>
|}
==References==
<references/>
<references/>

Latest revision as of 18:10, 10 February 2022

  • Spirit
  • Crème de Cacao
  • Cream

Originally appearing as a gin drink, it would eventually evolve into the "Brandy Alexander", with the gin variation all be disappearing. Using other spirits beyond gin and brandy never seems to have become a thing, so the "Alexander" may not technically be considered as its own category of mixed drink.

The cocktail, according to historian Barry Popik, was likely born at Rector’s (1899-1919), New York’s premier pre-Prohibition lobster palace. The bartender there, a certain Troy Alexander, is said to have created his eponymous concoction in order to serve a white drink at a dinner celebrating [fictional character] Phoebe Snow[1]. Phoebe Snow was created to promote the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad around 1900. Train travel in the day was dirty business, with travelers being covered in soot after a trip of any significant length. Lackawanna was able to prevent this by using anthracite, a cleaner-burning form of coal. They promoted this through advertising where their fictional character Phoebe Snow was always wearing a clean white dress. [2]

The earliest known recipe is from Hugo Ensslin’s 1916 Recipes for Mixed Drinks [3].

ALEXANDER COCKTAIL

1/3 El Bart Gin
1/3 Creme de Cocoa
1/3 Sweet Cream

Shake well in a mixing glass with cracked ice, strain and serve.

An earlier form of a drink by the same name appears in “Jack’s Manual” (1910)[4]

ALEXANDER COCKTAIL
(Use bar glass.)
75% rye whiskey
25% Benedictine
1 piece of ice
Twist of orange peel.
    Stir and serve.

References

  1. Behind the Drink: Brandy Alexander, by Gary Regan (Liquor.com)
  2. Phoebe Snow (Wikipedia)
  3. Recipes for Mixed Drinks by Hugo Ensslin (1917, second edition)
  4. Jack's Manual by J. A. Grohusko (1910)