New York, United States

Alexander

Also known as Gin Alexander, Alexander Cocktail

A rich, creamy cocktail that tastes like spiked chocolate milk with a gin backbone.

chocolatecreamginnutmegdessertrichsweetafter-dinnerdairyspiced

ABV

Difficulty

Overview

What this drink is like

The first sip is all sweet chocolate and cream, thick and coating on the tongue. As it settles, the gin's botanicals push through the sweetness, adding a sharp, piney contrast to the dairy. The finish is warm and slightly spicy from the gin, fading out on a lingering chocolate note.

Who will like it

This is for people who like rich, dessert-like drinks but want a clear spirit bite cutting through the sweetness.

When to drink

Drink this after a heavy meal when you want something sweet but still boozy to cap off the night.

Ordering tip

If you want less sweetness, ask the bartender to cut the crème de cacao down by a quarter ounce and top up with gin instead.

Ice: NoneTemp: ColdCost: $2–$4Glass: CoupeBatch-friendlyHome bar friendly

Flavor

Taste profile

This is a thick, sweet, dairy-heavy drink that drinks like a boozy chocolate milk for adults. The cream and crème de cacao do most of the heavy lifting up front, coating your mouth with sweet chocolate flavor. Mid-sip, the gin fights its way through the richness, adding a sharp, piney bite that keeps it from tasting like pure dessert. The fresh nutmeg on top gives it a warm, spiced aroma that ties the chocolate and botanicals together.

Finish: The finish is warm and slightly spicy from the gin, fading out on a lingering chocolate note.

Primary tastes

sweetcreamynutty

Secondary

herbalspicy

Aroma

cocoanutmegjuniper

Bitternesslow bitterness
Only a faint bitter edge from the dark chocolate and gin botanicals comes through the cream.
Sweetnessvery sweet
The crème de cacao and cream make this drink firmly in dessert territory.
Strengthmoderate strength
The gin and liqueur pack a standard punch, but the cream masks the alcohol burn well.
Creaminessvery creamy
Heavy cream makes up a third of the drink, giving it a thick, dairy-heavy body.
Complexitymoderate complexity
It is a simple flavor pairing of chocolate and gin, with nutmeg adding a slight twist on top.

Recipe

Make it at home

Shaken · Coupe · equal parts on Gin. London Dry recommended so the botanicals cut through the cream

Before you start

Put your coupe glass in the freezer for at least 10 minutes before making the drink. Make sure your heavy cream is cold straight from the fridge.

Ingredients

GinBase Spirit30ml
Brown Crème de CacaoLiqueurBrown gives a deeper chocolate flavor than white30ml
Heavy CreamDairyFull-fat heavy cream; do not use half-and-half or it will taste thin30ml
NutmegGarnishFreshly grated over the top1 grate

Garnish: Freshly grated nutmeg

Tools

Cocktail Shaker · Shaking
To shake and chill the cream and spirits together until frothy
At home: A large mason jar with a tight lid
Jigger · Measuring
To measure the equal parts of gin, liqueur, and cream
At home: A shot glass or measuring spoon
Hawthorne Strainer · Straining
To hold back the ice while pouring the drink into the glass
At home: A slotted spoon or fine mesh sieve
Coupe Glass · Serving
To serve the drink chilled and stem-held so it stays cold
At home: A small wine glass or shallow bowl
Microplane or Nutmeg Grater · Garnish
To finely grate fresh nutmeg over the drink's surface
At home: The smallest holes on a box grater
Fine Mesh Strainer · optional · Straining
To double-strain out any tiny ice chips or cream clumps
At home: A small kitchen sieve

Steps

1
Take your shaker and pour in 30ml gin, 30ml brown crème de cacao, and 30ml cold heavy cream. Use your jigger to measure each one so the drink doesn't end up too sweet or too thin.
!Using warm cream will make the drink taste flabby and prevent it from frothing up properly.
2
Fill the shaker all the way to the top with ice cubes. The more ice you use, the faster it chills and the less water melts into the drink, which keeps the cream thick instead of watery.
!Under-filling the shaker with ice makes you shake longer, watering down the cream.
3
Seal the shaker tight and shake hard for about 12 seconds. You really need to slam the ice around to whip air into the cream and get a good froth going. Stop when the outside of the metal shaker feels freezing cold and frosty.
~12s
!Shaking too gently leaves the cream flat and the drink separated instead of velvety.
4
Pop the top off the shaker and fit your Hawthorne strainer into the opening. Pour the drink through the strainer into your frozen coupe glass. If you want a smoother texture, hold a fine mesh strainer over the glass and pour through both.
!Pouring too fast can let small ice shards slip past the strainer into the glass.
5
Take a whole nutmeg and grate it directly over the surface of the drink. You only need a few passes over the Microplane to dust the top. The heat from the drink will carry the aroma up right away.
!Using pre-ground nutmeg tastes dusty and flat compared to fresh.

Serve

Serve it right away in the frozen coupe while the froth is still sitting high on top. The drink should look pale brown with a creamy head and a fine dusting of nutmeg.

Variations

Ingredient substitutions

Each row shows what you can swap in place of an original ingredient, and how the drink changes.

Swap options for Gin

GinBrandy
Match
Common availability
Gin → Brandy: Swaps the piney botanical bite for a richer, fruitier warmth that blends more seamlessly with the chocolate.
GinBourbon Whiskey
Match
Common availability
Gin → Bourbon Whiskey: Adds caramel and vanilla notes, making the drink taste like a chocolate bourbon ball.

Swap options for Brown Crème de Cacao

Brown Crème de CacaoWhite Crème de Cacao
Match
Common availability
Brown Crème de Cacao → White Crème de Cacao: Lightens the chocolate flavor and makes the drink paler in color, but keeps the sweetness level the same.
Brown Crème de CacaoCrème de Menthe
Match
Common availability
Brown Crème de Cacao → Crème de Menthe: Turns it into a Grasshopper, swapping chocolate for a sharp, cool mint flavor.

Similar cocktails

Cousin drinks that share DNA with this one — each profile stands on its own.

Similar cocktail

Brandy Alexander

The Brandy Alexander uses brandy instead of gin, making it richer and fruitier without the piney bite.

Match

The Brandy Alexander is smoother and more unified, while the gin original has a sharper, more disjointed but interesting contrast between the cream and the spirit.

In common: equal parts spirit, liqueur, and cream, shaken dairy cocktail, dessert-style

Ingredients

Both share

Brown Crème de Cacao, Heavy Cream

Only in Alexander

Gin

Only in Brandy Alexander

Brandy

Swapping gin for brandy removes the botanical contrast and adds a smooth, grape-driven warmth that blends right into the chocolate.

Flavor

Shared flavors

rich creamy body, sweet chocolate backbone, nutmeg garnish

How Brandy Alexander differs

less sharp, fruitier, warmer without the juniper bite

View recipe & details →

Similar cocktail

Grasshopper

The Grasshopper uses crème de menthe instead of crème de cacao, trading chocolate for mint.

Match

Both drinks are sweet dairy bombs, but the Grasshopper is cold and minty where the Alexander is warm and chocolatey.

In common: equal parts spirit, liqueur, and cream, shaken dairy cocktail, dessert-style

Ingredients

Both share

Heavy Cream

Only in Alexander

Gin, Brown Crème de Cacao

Only in Grasshopper

Crème de Menthe, Vodka

The Grasshopper drops the gin and chocolate entirely, relying on vodka as a neutral base and mint liqueur for its flavor.

Flavor

Shared flavors

thick creamy texture, high sweetness, dessert-like profile

How Grasshopper differs

minty instead of chocolatey, no botanical bite, cooler finish

View recipe & details →

Similar cocktail

White Russian

The White Russian uses coffee liqueur and vodka, making it earthier and less dessert-sweet than the Alexander.

Match

The White Russian is heavier on coffee and lighter on sweetness, with a thinner body since the cream floats rather than being shaken into a froth.

In common: cream-based, sweet, served cold

Ingredients

Both share

Heavy Cream

Only in Alexander

Gin, Brown Crème de Cacao

Only in White Russian

Vodka, Coffee Liqueur

The White Russian swaps the gin and chocolate liqueur for vodka and coffee liqueur, shifting the flavor from botanical-chocolate to roasted coffee.

Flavor

Shared flavors

creamy dairy mouthfeel, sweet liqueur backbone

How White Russian differs

coffee instead of chocolate, neutral spirit base, built instead of shaken

View recipe & details →

History

Origin

The Alexander first appeared in print in Hugo Ensslin's 1916 book 'Recipes for Mixed Drinks' in New York. The original used gin, though the later Brandy Alexander became far more popular during the mid-20th century, leading many to forget the gin-based original.

Era: 1910s
Confidence

The original Alexander used gin, though the Brandy Alexander overtook it in popularity by the 1930s. Some early recipes called for white cacao, but brown gives a richer flavor.

Practical

Tips & pitfalls

What works at home and what to skip when making this drink.

Tips

Worth knowing before you pour

Shake harder than you think to get the cream frothy.
Use full-fat heavy cream or the drink will taste thin.
Fresh nutmeg is worth the effort; pre-ground tastes dusty.
Chill the glass first so the drink stays cold longer.

Avoid

Common mistakes

Do not use half-and-half; it waters down the texture.
Do not skip the shake or the cream will separate.
Do not use cheap cacao liqueur; it tastes cloying.