Before the history lesson, for the readers who want to try this themselves, I've curated a dedicated ingredient list you can shop in one click. And now the story.
The Alexander, today best known in its Brandy Alexander version, has several competing origin stories. The most romantic places it in London, 1922, at the royal wedding of Princess Mary and Viscount Lascelles, where bartender Harry MacElhone is said to have created it for a bride who did not enjoy strong spirits. An earlier gin-based Alexander appeared in Hugo Ensslin's 1915 "Recipes for Mixed Drinks", attributed to bartender Troy Alexander of New York.
The drink's dessert-like character made it famous again decades later: John Lennon reportedly fell in love with the Brandy Alexander during his legendary "Lost Weekend" in Los Angeles in 1974, calling it a "milkshake" and paying the price for it. The Alexander remains a silky emblem of cocktail refinement.
History is better when you can drink it, and a well-equipped home bar is what makes the difference. A solid barman kit like this one on Amazon gives you everything you need to mix with confidence: shaker, jigger, strainer and more. If you host often, a professional cocktail bar station is the final step, a dedicated stage where every bottle has its place.