The Magic of the Midday Brandy Alexander

Eliminate all anxieties while waiting for food to cook

Among the Thanksgiving traditions of my family, one in particular has stood the test of time: on Thanksgiving Day, while waiting for the food to cook, we drink Brandy Alexanders. Traditionally an after-dinner drink, the Brandy Alexander is a simple blend of vanilla ice cream, crème de cacao, and brandy. It’s heavy, fairly potent, and unabashedly decadent.

I’m not here to tell you to drink Brandy Alexanders after dinner, though. I’m here to tell you to drink them in the afternoon. The magic of this approach is that the heaviness of the drink provides some stomach fortification, both quelling hunger and mitigating the effects of alcohol hitting your empty stomach. It’s a superior option to lunch on a day like Thanksgiving where there is a large, early dinner coming.

As further evidence of this utility, the family recipe includes this note:

Eliminates all anxieties
And hunger pains waiting for food to cook
Some assembly reqd

The primary consideration when making a great Brandy Alexander is the ice cream. You want to get high-quality stuff — Häagen-Dasz or better — because it’s the main thing you’re going to be tasting. Next, you’ll want some good authentic crème de cacao (such as Tempus Fugit) and some solid mixing brandy.

For reasons I don’t entirely understand, the family recipe prohibits the use of vanilla bean ice cream (you know, the stuff with the tiny black bean particles in it). I’ve never experimented with this variable, but you might as well stay on the safe side and go with non-bean vanilla ice cream.

In terms of variables I have experimented with, I prefer to go a bit heavier on the brandy than the original recipe, and I avoid adding any extra milk on top of the ice cream. Also, recently in a pinch I substituted Buffalo Trace bourbon for the brandy and I will say it worked out quite well, so there might be some merit to switching things up with a Bourbon Alexander on occasion as well.

Finally, the family recipe demands the use of a “jigger” as a measuring unit, which is highly open to interpretation. I tend to interpret it as 2 ounces, and that’s worked out just fine.

Brandy Alexander

Here’s the original family recipe in all its glory (credit, Uncle Terry):

1 qt vanilla ice cream 
2 jiggers brandy 
2 jiggers Creme de cacao
Some milk to get milkshake consistency 

Eliminates all anxieties
And hunger pains waiting for food to cook
Some assembly reqd 
Use only plain vanilla ice cream
Not French, bean, creamy etc

And here’s my slightly modified revision of it...

Brandy Alexander

• 1 qt vanilla ice cream

• 6 oz brandy

• 4 oz crème de cacao

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and fluffy. Pour into a rocks glass.
☞ Alan Joyce / The Sunken Galley