Brandy Alexander Cocktail

Brandy Alexander Cocktail Story

The Brandy Alexander’s origin stories are many. According to etymologist Barry Popik, the original Alexander may have been made with gin and served at the Philadelphia Racquet Club during the 1915 World Series in honor of Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Grover Cleveland Alexander. Or, head bartender Troy Alexander of New York’s Rector’s may have developed the drink celebrating Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroad’s ad campaign built around fictional socialite mascot Phoebe Snow, who rode the railroad in all white to demonstrate the new use of clean-burning coal. The version with brandy, however, does not appear in print until 1937, in William J. Turling’s bar manual, Café Royal Cocktail Book. Regardless of the Brandy Alexander’s origins, the lasting taste made an impression on indulgers such as Ringo Starr and John Lennon, who liked to call the rich drink his milkshake.