Brandy Alexander

The brandy Alexander, which rose to popularity as a Prohibition-era after-dinner drink, consists of brandy, crème de cacao, and cream, shaken with ice and sometimes garnished with nutmeg. It was originally known as the Alexander cocktail, made with gin in place of brandy. Perhaps the most notorious “girl drink,” the brandy Alexander is cloyingly sweet, like a chocolate milkshake. (The nonalcoholic, “mocktail” version of the brandy Alexander is a blend of milk, chocolate syrup, and soda water—in other words, a chocolate egg cream.)