Three Ways: The Alexander Cocktail

December 16, 2024

Martha My Dear's Blitzen | Photo by Victoria Quirk

One of the rare instances where a remix becomes more famous than the original, the Alexander is a shape-shifting cocktail with pre-Prohibition roots. The earliest iteration, the Alexander, debuted circa 1914 and combined gin, crème de cacao, and cream. As the 20th century progressed, bartenders like Harry MacElhone, owner of the legendary Harry’s New York Bar in Paris, ditched the gin for easy-drinking brandy. The resulting Brandy Alexander was rounder and richer, and ultimately became more popular than its predecessor, making cameos everywhere from the James Bond short story “Riscio” to the 1970 pilot of The Mary Tyler Moore Show. The cocktail continues to evolve at modern bars, where versions include everything from Irish whiskey to herbaceous gin and absinthe. Approaches and ingredients vary, but all are cool, creamy, and steadfastly Alexanders.

Irish Coffee Alexander

One of four Irish Coffees on the menu at Manhattan cocktail destination The Dead Rabbit, this elegant iteration was partially inspired by the Brandy Alexander served at a nearby, now-closed bar, BlackTail. “It was bold, slightly sweet, and had a cream float,” says Ian Alexander, The Dead Rabbit’s general manager, of BlackTail’s cocktail. “One day, it just clicked—we blended the two together, and the Irish Coffee Alexander was born.” The drink gets layers of flavor from a short ingredients list. Irish whiskey provides the backbone, there’s flavorful sweetness from the liqueurs, and Pedro Ximénez sherry “brings a nice dried fruit and spice note to the cocktail, acting as a bridge between the coffee and cassis,” Alexander says.

1 oz. Irish whiskey
3/4 oz. coffee liqueur
3/4 oz. crème de cacao
1/2 oz. Pedro Ximénez sherry

Tools: shaker, strainer
Glass: Nick & Nora
Garnish: float of lightly whipped cream, optional: freeze-dried blackcurrant powder

To mix the drink, combine all the ingredients in a shaker with ice. Stir to chill, then strain into a Nick & Nora glass. Float lightly whipped cream on top, then garnish with an optional sprinkle of freeze-dried blackcurrant powder.

Ian Alexander, The Dead Rabbit, New York City

Brandy Alexander

To understand how the Brandy Alexander became a midcentury sensation, consider this Cognac-forward version from Due West, a New York City gastropub. “It’s a terrific after-dinner drink,” says managing partner Jess Goldfarb. “It’s fun, festive, and easy to drink.” Goldfarb modernizes the recipe by putting the brandy front and center and using “less cacao and cream—it keeps the cocktail from being too heavy.” Cognac plays a significant role in this build, so choose yours wisely: Goldfarb likes how the baked fruit and warming spice notes of his preferred bottle (Cognac Park VS Carte Blanche) give the drink an especially wintry profile.

1 1/2 oz. Cognac
3/4 oz. cream
3/4 oz. white crème de cacao

Tools: shaker, strainer
Glass: cocktail
Garnish: freshly grated nutmeg

To make it, combine all the ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass, then garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.

Adapted by Jess Goldfarb, Due West, New York City

Blitzen

Crisp London dry gin forms the backbone of this Alexander riff at Martha My Dear in Nashville, Tennessee. “The sharper botanicals cut through the sweetness of the other ingredients and complement the herbal notes of the Branca Menta and absinthe,” says Alex Howard, the bar manager and co-owner. The chocolate and anise “play well together,” he adds, and the dash of absinthe brings “subtle complexity and brightness to the otherwise deep and rich flavors of a classic Alexander.” He considers it to be a more grown-up take on the sweeter brandy versions “because of its additional complexity, drier profile, and slightly higher proof.”

1 1/2 oz. London dry gin
1 oz. white chocolate liqueur
1/2 oz. Branca Menta
1/2 oz. heavy cream
1 barspoon absinthe

Tools: shaker, strainer, fine-mesh strainer
Glass: coupe
Garnish: miniature candy cane

Combine all the ingredients in an ice-filled shaker and shake vigorously. Double strain into a chilled coupe and garnish with a miniature candy cane.

Alex Howard, Martha My Dear, Nashville