This Retro 3-Ingredient Pink Squirrel Cocktail Doubles as a Drink and Dessert

Thanks to treats like Blizzards, Frostys, McFlurrys, and milkshakes, we’re taught early on in life a very joyful message: We need not choose between a dessert and a drink…savor both in one decadent package!

While these ice cream creations are timeless and are a hit with kids at heart of any age, even more options arise that blur the lines between dessert and drink once we’re over 21. Boozy milkshakes and the delightfully-retro Grasshopper Cocktail might be among the most well-known. 

As much as we adore both of those concepts, we’re firm believers that it's about time for a cocktail recipe that’s been flying under the radar since the 1940s to have a renaissance: The Pink Squirrel.

What Is a Pink Squirrel Cocktail?

Bryant’s Cocktail Lounge in Milwaukee, Wisconsin takes credit for shaking up the original Pink Squirrel Cocktail in the 1940s. Touted as Milwaukee’s first cocktail lounge, Bryant’s is still alive and well 60 years later. The cocktail lounge now boasts a staggering menu of options—more than 450—including the Pink Squirrel.

Although guests can ask the bartender to “surprise me” or opt for other classic cocktails like an Old Fashioned, Mai Tai, or Hurricane, the Pink Squirrel Cocktail continues to be among the best sellers at its place of origin. 

A handful of creamy, Midwest supper club-style drinks follow the same template, starting with heavy cream or half-and-half and white crème de cacao, then adding one other ingredient to give the cocktail recipe its distinct personality. For a Brandy Alexander, brandy sets the mood. For a Grasshopper Cocktail, it's crème de menthe’s time to shine. And for a Pink Squirrel Cocktail, crème de noyaux steps into the spotlight, offering nutty flavor and a beautiful Barbiecore hue. 

All of these cream-based cocktails are fairly low-ABV, so they’re a lovely way to ease into or cap off a meal if you’re not in the mood for something higher-octane, such as an Espresso Martini.

Pink Squirrel Cocktail Ingredients

With cream as the most prominent ingredient, plus a splash of two dessert-flavored liqueurs, a Pink Squirrel Cocktail tastes a lot like drinking melted ice cream. 

Here’s what you’ll need to make a Pink Squirrel recipe:

• Heavy cream: This makes the texture silky and lends richness to the drink recipe. Opt for half-and-half or whole milk if you prefer, or for a dairy-free option, try coconut milk, coconut cream, almond milk, or your favorite plant-based substitute.
• Crème de noyaux: Pronounced krem-deh-nwa-yew, this liqueur is made from the pits of stone fruits, such as cherries, peaches, and apricots. As a result, the red-colored spirit tastes like almonds or marzipan. Tempus Fugit Spirits’ Crème de Noyaux is one of the most widely-available and popular brands. Our Test Kitchen finds its unique color and flavor to be irreplaceable, however, if you can’t find crème de noyaux, you can replace it with 1 ounce crème de almond or almond liqueur. To recreate the red color, add 1 drop of red food coloring, ½ teaspoon of juice from a jar of maraschino cherries, or ½ teaspoon of grenadine.
• Crème de cacao: Also known as crème de cocoa, this liqueur packs a chocolate-flavored punch. It’s available in white or dark. We recommend white crème de cacao for Pink Squirrel Cocktails so the drink can really live up to its name as pink.