Barbara
ClassicA chocolate-cream nightcap — the vodka twist on the Alexander.
Smooth, sweet and dessert-like. Dark crème de cacao leads with rich chocolate, the cream turns it silky and milkshake-soft, and vodka keeps it clean and quietly boozy underneath. A dusting of cocoa on top makes it read exactly like liquid truffle.
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz Vodka
- 1 oz Dark Crème de Cacao
- 1 oz Heavy Cream
- Cocoa powder · optional garnish
Method
- 1
Add every ingredient to a shaker with ice.
- 2
Shake hard until well chilled and frothy.
- 3
Strain into a chilled coupe.
- 4
Dust the surface with cocoa powder.
The Story
The Barbara is a vodka Alexander — the same dark-chocolate-and-cream template as the classic Brandy Alexander, with clean, neutral vodka in place of the brandy. It belongs to the mid-century vogue for creamy after-dinner "dessert" cocktails, and swapping in vodka lets the crème de cacao and cream take the spotlight, making it softer and more purely chocolatey than its brandy parent.
Recipe card
The whole recipe in one shareable image.
