Alexander

From Chanticleer Society
Revision as of 17:56, 10 February 2022 by DrinkBoy (talk | contribs)
  • 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 earliest known recipe is from Hugo Ensslin’s 1916 Recipes for Mixed Drinks [1].

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.

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, created his eponymous concoction in order to serve a white drink at a dinner celebrating [fictional character] Phoebe Snow[2].

An earlier form of a drink by the same name appears in “Jack’s Manual” (1910)[3]

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

References

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