Cherry Alexander
Dry shake ∙ 5 min ∙ 15.3% ABV ∙
The Cherry Alexander shakes vanilla vodka, cherry liqueur and white crème de cacao with egg white — the Alexander, gone cherry. Silky and rich, with vanilla cream up front, a sweet-tart cherry core, and a light cocoa finish that lingers on a dessert-like drink.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Vanilla vodka 30 mlCherry liqueur 15 mlWhite Crème de Cacao 15 mlSingle cream/half-and-half 30 mlEgg white 10 ml
- Strain back into the shaker
- Dry shake (without ice)
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Garnish with a maraschino cherry
Tips
- Shake the vanilla vodka, cherry liqueur, crème de cacao, cream and egg white with ice first, then strain the liquid back into the empty shaker.
- Dry shake that chilled mix for 15-20 seconds without ice; skipping this second pass leaves the texture thin and the foam unstable.
- Fine-strain into the chilled coupe to catch any ice shards or egg white strings, giving a smooth, silky head on the surface.
- Drop the maraschino cherry in just before serving so it sits on the foam rather than sinking into the cream layer below.
History
The Cherry Alexander is a variation on the Alexander, a dessert cocktail dating to the early 20th century that was originally made with gin, crème de cacao, and cream before brandy became the more common base in what is known as the Brandy Alexander. The gin version first appeared in print in Hugo Ensslin's 1915 book Recipes for Mixed Drinks. Its creation is most often credited to Troy Alexander, a bartender at Rector's, a New York City restaurant, who is said to have devised it for a party tied to an advertising campaign, though other accounts link the name to drama critic Alexander Woollcott, to Russian Tsar Alexander II, or to the 1922 London wedding of Princess Mary and Viscount Lascelles. The Cherry Alexander keeps the original's cream-and-crème-de-cacao base but swaps in cherry liqueur and a vanilla-flavored spirit for the classic gin or brandy, giving the dessert-style drink a fruited, cherry-forward twist.
FAQ
What is in a Cherry Alexander?
Vanilla vodka, cherry liqueur, white crème de cacao, cream (or half-and-half), and egg white, double-shaken and served up in a coupe with a maraschino cherry. The cherry liqueur and vanilla vodka set it apart from the classic Alexander's brandy or gin base.
How do you make an Alexander cocktail?
A classic Alexander is built from a base spirit (traditionally gin or brandy), crème de cacao, and cream, shaken with ice and strained up. This build uses vanilla vodka as the base and adds cherry liqueur, shaken twice — with ice first to chill, then again without ice to aerate the egg white.
Is a Cherry Alexander shaken or stirred?
Shaken, and double-shaken at that. It goes with ice first to chill and dilute the cream and liqueurs, then back into the empty shaker for an ice-free second shake that builds the stable foam.
What glass is a Cherry Alexander served in?
A coupe glass, served up and finished with a maraschino cherry. It is fine-strained after the double shake, so no ice or egg-white froth reaches the glass.
What is the difference between a White Russian and a Brandy Alexander?
A White Russian is vodka, coffee liqueur, and cream built over ice in a rocks glass, while a Brandy Alexander is brandy, crème de cacao, and cream shaken and strained up into a coupe. Both are cream-based, but the Brandy Alexander is shaken and served without ice, giving it a lighter, frothier texture than the built-over-ice Russian.
Is a Cherry Alexander a heavy or high-calorie drink?
It runs around 194 kcal per serving, on the richer end for a cocktail due to the cream and egg white. It is vegetarian-friendly as prepared.
