The Pink Squirrel Is A Creamy, Retro Cocktail With 3 Easy Ingredients

Out of the many old-school drinks with quirky names, the Pink Squirrel ranks pretty highly. And rightly so: It's a delightful moniker for a drink that is essentially a spiked milkshake. The cocktail hails from Milwaukee, Wisconsin and has three core ingredients – white crème de cacao liqueur, heavy cream, and the somewhat elusive crème de noyaux liqueur. Crème de cacao is a chocolate-flavored alcohol often infused with vanilla, and French crème de noyaux is made from apricot kernels and has an almond-like taste, despite containing no actual almonds.

The Pink Squirrel drink dates back to 1941, and the original recipe used ice cream instead of heavy cream. Either one of these options will work, as much of the cocktail's taste revolves around the crème de noyaux. Understandably, liqueur procured from apricot seeds is labor-intensive to make, leading to a lack of supply and high costs in the past. Today, you may not find bottles of the stuff easily, and some modern versions are loaded with artificial flavors and colors, but bottles actually made with fruit kernels can be ordered online from liquor retailers.

Crème de noyaux can also be made from cherry or peach kernels and, historically, many bottles used a mix of these fruits. The liqueur is reddish, hence half of the Pink Squirrel's name — though it's unclear where "squirrel" came from. The cocktail's signature notes are almond and chocolate paired with the creamy dairy, making it the perfect choice if you have a sweet tooth.

Crème de noyaux is the star of the show in the Pink Squirrel, but you can use some successful substitutions if it's out of your reach. There are two qualities you need to replicate: the taste and the color. Contrary to how it sounds, liqueurs named "crème de [something]" don't actually contain cream. Rather, the term refers to any alcohol with a high sugar content. Thus, amaretto is a common crème de noyaux replacement, thanks to its sweetness and almond flavor. Amaretto is also made from stone fruit drupes, making it the closest contender by far.

As for the color of the cocktail, there are a few options. The first is regular old pink food dye, which will do the trick. Cranberry juice is another popular choice, and adds a bittersweet fruity layer to the taste. The ultimate mix would be amaretto and cranberry juice together, achieving the closest thing to the original. Grenadine, made from cranberries, is another colorful option — but keep in mind that when mixed with another high-sugar liquor, it will create an uber-sweet cocktail, which may detract from the overall flavor profile. Any way you make it, Pink Squirrels are often garnished with ground nutmeg floating on the surface for an extra earthy kick, and this may also help to balance any excess sweetness.