Coffee recipes: Coffee Alexander

You’ve probably heard of a Brandy Alexander, a sweet, brandy-based cocktail made from Cognac and chocolaty crème de cacao that became popular during the early 20th century. It’s not the first cocktail to bear the name, either – its ancestor was simply called an Alexander and was based on gin. There are many stories about the origin of the name, including a claim by drama critic Alexander Woollcott that it was named in his honour, while others claim it was was named for the Russian tsar Alexander II.

Wherever the name came from, it was one of the most popular drinks of its day and still regularly pops up on modern cocktail recipes. Here’s our version of the Coffee Alexander, a cross between a milkshake, an Irish coffee and a dessert. It’s ideal for combining pudding with coffee after a summer dinner party, or served at lunch on a hot sunny day.

To serve four, you’ll need:

• 240ml strong fresh coffee, made from your favourite good quality coffee beans
• 4 scoops vanilla or chocolate ice cream (chocolate ice cream will give a richer, sweeter result, more suitable for serving as a pudding)
• 4 tablespoons brandy or Cognac
• 4 teaspoons chocolate syrup, available from our coffee syrups page
• 4 strawberries (optional)

• Allow the coffee to stand until cold, then refrigerate until fully chilled. Put all the ingredients into a blender and blend until fully combined. Pour into champagne or small wine glasses. Cut a strawberry almost in half without severing the stalk, and use to garnish the rim of the glass.

Here at the Wholesale Coffee Company, we stock a wide range of ingredients for brewing, cooking, baking and generally enjoying your coffee, all at great wholesale prices. Find flavoured syrups, green and roasted coffee beans, cups and stirrers, hot chocolate, milk and more at wholesalecoffeecompany.co.uk.

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