Delicate, creamy, spice
Drink a Brandy Alexander after dinner with biscotti.
The Brandy Alexander is a plush, noggy drink topped with nutmeg, making it a splendid afternooner on a winter weekend. Serve it forth in snifters or cocktail glasses, and cue up any number of films that feature it, including Days of Wine and Roses or Sgt. Bilko. An earlier version of this drink, simply called an Alexander, was made with gin in the 1920s. The latter is downright Christmas-y with its combination of nutmeg and juniper.
Note: Supper clubs in the ’50s and ’60s served the Brandy Alexander as an ice cream drink after dinner. Just swap out the half-and-half for a couple scoops of vanilla ice cream, and blend.
1 ounces (30 ml) brandy (Paul Masson Grande Amber VS)
1 ounce (30 ml) dark crème de cacao
2 ounces (60 ml) half-and-half (or a scoop of vanilla ice cream)
Freshly grated nutmeg, for garnish
Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass or brandy snifter. Garnish with nutmeg.