The Brandy Alexander is a classic cocktail that epitomizes old-school elegance and sophistication, the kind of drink you imagine being sipped in a dimly lit piano bar or after a refined dinner party. This creamy, dessert-like cocktail combines cognac or brandy with crème de cacao and heavy cream, shaken together until icy cold and frothy, then strained into a chilled coupe glass and dusted with fresh nutmeg. The result is something that tastes like liquid chocolate silk with the warmth of brandy running through it. Despite its indulgent nature, the Brandy Alexander is surprisingly balanced, with the brandy providing depth and complexity that prevents it from being overly sweet. This drink fell out of fashion for a while but has made a comeback as bartenders and cocktail enthusiasts rediscover classic recipes from the golden age of cocktails. It’s perfect for after-dinner sipping, holiday gatherings, or any time you want something that feels special and a little bit glamorous. The Brandy Alexander is also incredibly easy to make at home, requiring no special equipment beyond a cocktail shaker and taking just minutes to prepare.
Serving Quantity: Serves 1 (easily multiplied)
Cooking Time:
- Prep time: 5 minutes
- Total time: 5 minutes
Nutrition Information (per cocktail):
- Calories: 295
- Total Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Cholesterol: 40mg
- Sodium: 25mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 15g
- Fiber: 0g
- Sugars: 13g
- Protein: 1g
- Alcohol content: Approximately 20g
- Calcium: 3% of daily value
Ingredients
- 1 and a half ounces of cognac or brandy
- 1 ounce of dark crème de cacao
- 1 ounce of heavy cream
- Ice cubes
- Freshly grated nutmeg for garnish
- Whole nutmeg for grating (preferred over pre-ground)
- Chocolate shavings for garnish (optional)
- Whipped cream for topping (optional)
Choosing Your Spirits
The quality of your brandy makes a real difference in this cocktail. You don’t need to use your most expensive cognac, but avoid the bottom-shelf stuff that tastes harsh and burning. A good VS or VSOP cognac works beautifully and provides that rich, fruity, oak-aged flavor that makes the drink special. Regular brandy instead of cognac is perfectly fine and often more affordable. For the crème de cacao, always use the dark variety rather than white. Dark crème de cacao has a deeper chocolate flavor and gives the drink its beautiful light brown color. White crème de cacao tastes similar but looks less appealing in this particular cocktail. Make sure you’re buying crème de cacao, which is a chocolate liqueur, not chocolate syrup or cocoa powder. They’re completely different products.
Chilling Your Glass
This step is optional but highly recommended because it keeps your cocktail colder longer and makes it feel more luxurious. Fill your coupe glass or martini glass with ice water and let it sit while you prepare the cocktail. The glass will become icy cold in just a few minutes. Right before you’re ready to strain your drink, dump out the ice water and give the glass a quick shake to remove any remaining water droplets. If you have freezer space, you can keep your cocktail glasses in the freezer so they’re always ready for drinks. A frosted glass really elevates the entire experience.
Shaking the Cocktail
Fill a cocktail shaker about halfway with ice cubes. The more ice you use, the colder and more diluted your drink will be. For a Brandy Alexander, you want it very cold but not overly diluted, so halfway full is perfect. Pour the cognac or brandy over the ice. Add the dark crème de cacao. Pour in the heavy cream last. Put the lid on your shaker and make sure it’s sealed tightly. Now shake vigorously for about 15 to 20 seconds. You want to shake hard enough that you hear the ice really rattling around and breaking up. This vigorous shaking chills the drink, dilutes it slightly with melting ice, and most importantly, it aerates the cream and creates that wonderful frothy texture that makes the drink so silky and smooth.
Straining and Serving
Dump the ice water out of your chilled glass. Place a Hawthorne strainer over your shaker if you have one, or just use the built-in strainer on your shaker if it has one. Strain the cocktail into your chilled glass. The drink should have a light, creamy appearance with a slightly frothy top. If you don’t have a cocktail shaker, you can use any container with a tight-fitting lid like a mason jar or even a water bottle in a pinch. The shaking is more important than the specific equipment. Hold your whole nutmeg in one hand and a microplane grater in the other. Grate fresh nutmeg directly over the top of the drink. Just a few passes of the grater is enough. You want a light dusting that adds aroma and a beautiful speckled appearance without overwhelming the drink. Fresh nutmeg tastes dramatically better than pre-ground and is worth the small effort.
Understanding the Classic Proportions
The classic Brandy Alexander uses equal parts of all three ingredients, which is one ounce each. This creates a balanced drink that’s creamy but not too rich. The recipe here uses slightly more brandy to make it a bit stronger and less sweet. Feel free to adjust based on your preference. If you want it richer and more dessert-like, use equal parts. If you want it boozier, increase the brandy to two ounces. If you find it too sweet, reduce the crème de cacao to three quarters of an ounce. The beauty of making cocktails at home is that you can customize them to your exact taste.
Variations on the Theme
The Alexander family of cocktails is large and you can substitute the base spirit for interesting variations. A Gin Alexander uses gin instead of brandy and is lighter and more botanical. A Vodka Alexander is smoother and less complex, letting the chocolate flavor shine. A Rum Alexander is sweeter and has tropical notes. The Brandy Alexander Supreme adds a float of brandy on top for extra punch. For a Coffee Alexander, add half an ounce of coffee liqueur. Make it a Mint Alexander by using white crème de menthe instead of crème de cacao. For a Chocolate Mint Alexander, use half crème de cacao and half crème de menthe.
Making It Extra Special
For an even more indulgent version, rim your glass with chocolate. Melt some chocolate and dip the rim of your glass in it, then let it set in the freezer. Add a dollop of freshly whipped cream on top of the finished drink for extra decadence. Garnish with a dusting of cocoa powder along with the nutmeg. Add chocolate shavings or curls on top for a beautiful presentation. Drizzle chocolate syrup inside the glass before pouring for a decorative effect. Serve it with a small chocolate truffle or piece of dark chocolate on the side. These extras turn an already elegant drink into something truly spectacular.
Batch Making for Parties
You can easily make a large batch of Brandy Alexanders for a party. Multiply all the ingredients by the number of servings you need and combine the cognac, crème de cacao, and cream in a pitcher. Keep it refrigerated. When ready to serve, shake individual portions with ice rather than adding ice to the whole batch. This way each drink is properly diluted and chilled. You can also pour the batch mixture over a large bowl of ice and let guests ladle it into glasses. It won’t be quite as frothy but it’s much easier for serving a crowd. Grate fresh nutmeg over each glass as you serve them.
The History and Culture
The Brandy Alexander likely originated in the early 1900s and was supposedly created for a wedding. It became hugely popular in the 1970s as a sophisticated after-dinner drink. The cocktail appears in classic movies and books as the drink of choice for refined characters. John Lennon reportedly loved Brandy Alexanders during his lost weekend period in the 1970s. The drink fell out of favor during the craft cocktail boom when bartenders focused on spirit-forward drinks, but it’s experiencing a renaissance as cream cocktails come back into style. Making a perfect Brandy Alexander at home shows you appreciate classic cocktails and aren’t afraid of a little indulgence.
Non-Alcoholic Version
For a mocktail version, combine one ounce of chocolate syrup, half an ounce of almond extract or vanilla extract, and two ounces of heavy cream with ice. Shake vigorously and strain. It won’t have the complex flavor of the brandy but it captures the creamy chocolate essence. You can also use non-alcoholic spirits that are designed to mimic brandy and chocolate liqueur. Add a tiny pinch of instant coffee to deepen the flavor and provide some of that bitter complexity that the alcohol would normally provide.
Tips for the Perfect Brandy Alexander
Use heavy cream, not milk or half-and-half. You need the fat content for the proper rich texture. Fresh nutmeg is essential. Pre-ground nutmeg is a pale imitation and doesn’t have the same aromatic quality. Shake vigorously. The shaking aerates the cream and creates that silky texture. A weak shake makes a flat drink. Chill your glass. This simple step makes the drink feel more special. Don’t use chocolate syrup instead of crème de cacao. They’re not interchangeable. Strain well. You don’t want ice chips in this creamy drink. Serve immediately. Cream cocktails separate and lose their appeal if they sit too long. Use good ice. Large, clear ice cubes are better than small cloudy ones. Measure accurately. This drink relies on balanced proportions. If you don’t have a coupe glass, a martini glass or even a small rocks glass works fine. The taste matters more than the vessel. Don’t overgarnish. Just the nutmeg is perfect. Too much distraction takes away from the elegance. Make it fresh each time. Don’t try to store leftover mixture because the cream will separate. This is a nightcap drink, not something for early in the evening. The richness makes it perfect for sipping slowly after dinner. Adjust the proportions to your taste. Start with the classic recipe and then customize. Some people find this drink too sweet. If that’s you, increase the brandy proportion. The nutmeg garnish is traditional and adds a warming spice note that complements the cream and chocolate beautifully. Quality ingredients matter here. This simple drink has nowhere for subpar spirits to hide. Shake with plenty of ice but don’t let too much melt into the drink. You want it cold but not watery. Room temperature cream shakes better than cold cream from the fridge. Let it sit out for 10 minutes before making your drink. A Brandy Alexander should be smooth, creamy, chocolatey, and sophisticated all at once. If yours tastes harsh, your brandy is too cheap. If it’s too sweet, reduce the crème de cacao. If it’s too thin, shake longer or use more cream.
