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.