Friday Happy Hour: Alexander

An Alexander is another of those guilty drinks we love so much here at Rogers Park Retro. It's creamy, light, and indulgent. There are a few fundamentals we need to establish, though. First: this drink isn't mixed in a blender. Second: this drink isn't mixed in a blender. Third: even though a lot of old watering holes do it, this drink isn't mixed in a blender. Having established that, let's have fun! Here are some recipes from Oscar Haimo:

There are two popular versions for the Alexander -- one with gin and the other with brandy. Usually, the gin version is the "Alexander" and the brandy version is a "Brandy Alexander." But, with either of these, the formula is pretty easy (and easy going down): cream, creme de cacao, and gin or brandy. Here, as you can see, he calls for twice as much spirit as the liqueur, and only a dab of cream. The proportions are slightly different here:

Our formula at Rogers Park Retro is the 2:1:1 proportions they have here. To make it slightly less boozy, you can do a 1:1:1 ratio, as they do here:

And, we do need to add that the traditional garnish for this drink (gin or brandy) is a dash of grated nutmeg on the top. Aromatic, refreshing, and beautiful. Here is a little lore about the Alexander from "Famous New Orleans Drinks (and how to mix 'em)":

Well, after reading that, we feel like we've just be regaled by a Kentucky Colonel cum New Orleans bartender. Note that they include an egg white, which is a different twist, but worth experimenting with. But, "simply de-lovely" indeed!

Cheers!