Brandy Alexander Cocktail Recipe - Difford's Guide

Glass:

Photographed in an Urban Bar Plain Retro Coupette 15cl

Ingredients: [edit]

50 ml	Cognac (brandy)
15 ml	De Kuyper Brown Crème de Cacao
10 ml	De Kuyper White Crème de Cacao
22.5 ml	Whipping cream chilled

ml × 1 1 serving Read about cocktail measures and measuring

Prepare:

1. Select and pre-chill a COUPE GLASS.
2. Prepare garnish of lemon zest twist grated nutmeg.

How to make:

3. SHAKE all ingredients with ice.
4. FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.

Garnish:

5. EXPRESS lemon zest twist over the cocktail and discard.
6. Dust with freshly grated nutmeg.

Allergens:

Recipe contains the following allergens:

• Whipping cream - Dairy

Strength & taste guide:

No alcohol Medium Boozy Sweet Medium Dry/sour More cocktails with similar strength and taste profile Cocktail of the day:

31st January 2026 is Brandy Alexander Day

Review:

This after-dinner classic is rich, creamy and subtly chocolaty.

View readers' comments

AKA: Alexander No. 2, The Panama

History:

The original Alexander was gin-based, but in the early 1920s, Harry MacElhone, then a bartender at Ciro's in London, is credited with starting the trend of using brandy in place of gin. What became known as the Brandy Alexander quickly displaced the original gin-based cocktail. MacElhone's creation of the brandy-based Alexander is supported by the first recipe for such a cocktail appearing in his 1923 Harry of Ciro's ABC of mixing cocktails

Alexander Cocktail. ⅓ Crème de Cacao, ⅓ Brandy, ⅓ Fresh Cream. Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.

Harry MacElhone, Harry of Ciro's ABC of mixing cocktails, 1923

In his 1930 The Savoy Cocktail Book, Harry Craddock includes the gin-based Alexander Cocktail No. 1 and the brandy-based Alexander Cocktail No. 2, along with a gin-based and crème de menthe-influenced Alexander's Sister.

ALEXANDER COCKTAIL. (No. 1.) ½ Dry Gin. ¼ Crème de Cacao. ¼ Sweet Cream. Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. ALEXANDER COCKTAIL. (No. 2.) ⅓ Crème de Cacao. ⅓ Brandy. ⅓ Fresh Cream. Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. ALEXANDER's SISTER COCKTAIL.) ⅓ Gin. ⅓ Fresh Cream. ⅓ Crème de Menthe. Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. Ladies are advised to avoid this Cocktail as often as possible.

Harry Craddock, 1930

Nutrition:

One serving of Brandy Alexander contains 230 calories

Alcohol content:

• 1.4 standard drinks
• 19.15% alc./vol. (38.31° proof)
• 20 grams of pure alcohol

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Difford’s Guide remains free-to-use thanks to the support of the brands in green above. Values stated for alcohol and calorie content, and number of drinks an ingredient makes should be considered approximate.