✔ Updated · classic 1 1/2 : 3 ratio, ice cream version, Brown Squirrel + 21+ mocktail
The Pink Squirrel is a creamy, pale pink retro cocktail that tastes like almond and white chocolate, made with just creme de noyaux, white creme de cacao and cream. It contains alcohol and is for adults 21 and over, and there's a mocktail below for everyone else.
At a glance
The one tip that matters: Shake with plenty of ice for a full 15 seconds. That's what turns the cream silky and gives the drink its frothy pink top.
Why You'll Love This Cocktail
- Three ingredients, one shaker and five minutes.
- Dessert in a glass: almond, white chocolate and cream, like a grown-up milkshake.
- That color, a soft vintage pink that looks lovely at holiday and bridal parties.
What Is a Pink Squirrel?
The Pink Squirrel is a creamy after-dinner cocktail credited to Bryant's Cocktail Lounge in Milwaukee, from the era of grasshoppers and other sweet, cream-based drinks. It was a supper club staple and is still a holiday favorite in the Midwest.
Its pink color and almond flavor come from creme de noyaux, a liqueur made from apricot or other stone-fruit pits. White creme de cacao adds a gentle chocolate and vanilla note, and cream pulls it all together. Creme de noyaux is usually around 20% to 30% ABV, so the finished drink is lighter than a martini, but it's still a real cocktail.
Step-by-Step Photos
Here's how it comes together. Exact amounts, times and temperatures are in the recipe card below.
Tips for Success
- Shake it like you mean it. Cream needs a long, hard shake with lots of ice. A lazy shake leaves the drink thin and flat instead of silky, and I always keep my coupes in the freezer so the first sip is icy cold.
- Use white creme de cacao. The clear kind keeps the drink pink. Dark creme de cacao turns it a muddy beige, which is fine for flavor but loses the charm.
- Can't find creme de noyaux? Use amaretto plus a drop of grenadine or red food coloring for the pink. Honestly, it's very close. Amaretto on its own makes a Brown Squirrel.
- Go frozen. Swap the cream for 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream and blend. It's thicker, sweeter and the way many Wisconsin supper clubs serve it.
- Make it for a crowd. Mix the liqueurs and cream in a chilled pitcher up to 2 hours ahead and keep it in the fridge. Shake each serving with ice just before pouring.
- Drink responsibly. Creamy drinks go down fast but still contain alcohol, roughly 10% to 12% ABV in the glass. Serve with water and food.
Pink Squirrel Cocktail
1
cocktail5
minutes305
kcal5
minutesA classic Pink Squirrel: almond-flavored creme de noyaux, white creme de cacao and heavy cream shaken hard with ice and strained into a chilled coupe. Creamy, pale pink and tastes like almond and white chocolate. Contains alcohol; for adults 21 and over.
Ingredients
- Cocktail
3/4 ounce creme de noyaux (almond-flavored red liqueur)
3/4 ounce white (clear) creme de cacao
1 1/2 ounces heavy cream
1 cup ice
- Optional Garnish
1 tablespoon pink sanding sugar, for the rim
1 teaspoon simple syrup or water, for the rim
1 maraschino cherry or freshly grated nutmeg
Directions
- Chill and Rim
- Put a coupe or martini glass in the freezer for 10 minutes. If you like a sugared rim, dip the edge of the chilled glass in a saucer of simple syrup, then in pink sanding sugar.
- Shake
- Measure the creme de noyaux, white creme de cacao and heavy cream into a cocktail shaker.
- Fill the shaker with ice and shake hard for 15 seconds, until the outside is frosty and the cream is light and foamy.
- Strain into the chilled glass and garnish with a cherry or a little grated nutmeg. Serve right away.
- Ice Cream Version
- For the frozen, Milwaukee-style version, blend the two liqueurs with 2 scoops (about 1 cup) of vanilla ice cream until thick and smooth, then pour into a chilled glass.
Notes
- You can substitute the cream with milk. Just note that by doing so you will change the consistency of the drink, but some people prefer a less-thick consistency.
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Brown Squirrel and Other Variations
- Brown Squirrel: use 3/4 oz amaretto in place of the creme de noyaux. Same nutty flavor, caramel color.
- Frozen Pink Squirrel: blend 3/4 oz creme de noyaux and 3/4 oz white creme de cacao with 2 scoops vanilla ice cream.
- Lighter version: use half-and-half or whole milk instead of heavy cream for a less rich drink.
- Holiday garnish: crushed peppermint or a dusting of nutmeg on top, or a pink and white sprinkle rim.
Alcohol-Free Option: Pink Squirrel Mocktail
The classic Pink Squirrel contains alcohol and is only for adults 21 and over, the legal drinking age in the US. This mocktail tastes almost the same and is lovely for kids, drivers and anyone skipping alcohol.
Add 2 oz cold milk or half-and-half, 1 oz white chocolate syrup, 1/4 teaspoon almond extract and 1 teaspoon grenadine to a shaker with ice. Shake hard for 15 seconds and strain into a chilled, sugar-rimmed glass. For a milkshake version, blend the same flavorings with 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream and a splash of milk.
More Creamy Cocktails
If you love dessert drinks, I'd try our drinks with butterscotch schnapps, the Butterscotch White Russian and these drinks with Baileys and Kahlua. Something fruitier? Our pineapple margarita is a sunny change of pace.
🎄 Holiday party? Try more Christmas drinks and festive cocktails, including alcohol-free options.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is in a Pink Squirrel?
A Pink Squirrel has three ingredients: creme de noyaux (a red, almond-flavored liqueur made from apricot or other stone-fruit pits), white creme de cacao and heavy cream. The classic ratio is 3/4 oz of each liqueur to 1 1/2 oz of cream, shaken with ice and strained into a chilled glass.
What is a Brown Squirrel cocktail?
A Brown Squirrel swaps the creme de noyaux for amaretto, so it keeps the almond flavor but turns a light caramel brown instead of pink. Use 3/4 oz amaretto, 3/4 oz creme de cacao (white or dark) and 1 1/2 oz cream, or blend them with vanilla ice cream.
What does a Pink Squirrel taste like?
It tastes sweet, creamy and nutty, like almond marzipan and white chocolate in a milkshake. Creme de noyaux has a bitter almond note from the fruit pits, and the creme de cacao adds a soft cocoa vanilla flavor. It is a dessert drink rather than a strong cocktail.
Where did the Pink Squirrel come from?
The Pink Squirrel is credited to Bryant's Cocktail Lounge in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the mid-1900s. It became a supper club favorite, and in Wisconsin it is still often served blended with vanilla ice cream.
Is there a non-alcoholic Pink Squirrel?
Yes. Shake 2 oz cold milk or half-and-half with 1 oz white chocolate syrup, 1/4 teaspoon almond extract and 1 teaspoon grenadine with ice, then strain into a chilled glass. For a frozen version, blend the same flavors with vanilla ice cream. The recipe is in the mocktail section above.
