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White Russian

Classic/vintage · Creamy (e.g. Dirty banana) · Hall of Fame and must know/try

4.0 325 ratings

Ingredients

2 oz Vodka
1 oz Coffee liqueur
1 oz Whipping cream

How to make

Serve in a old-fashioned glass

Prepare

  1. 1 Select and pre-chill an OLD-FASHIONED GLASS.
  2. 2 Prepare garnish of freshly grated nutmeg.

Method

  1. 3 STIR first 2 ingredients with ice.
  2. 4 STRAIN into ice-filled glass.
  3. 5 Carefully FLOAT cream. (Lightly whip or shake sealed container before pouring cream to aerate.)

Garnish

  1. 6 Dust with freshly grated nutmeg.

Flavour profile

20.2% alc./vol. · 1.9 standard drinks · 286 calories

History

The White Russian is a well-known modern cocktail. It consists of vodka and coffee liqueur served over ice, with a silky layer of cream or milk. Equal measures of vodka, coffee liqueur, and cream over ice make a simple White Russian. However, stirring the vodka and coffee liqueur first and then layering the cream on top provides a better appearance. Alternatively, shaking all three ingredients creates a fully integrated cocktail.

The White Russian is named for its appearance and its vodka base, with vodka being associated with Russia due to brands like Smirnoff and Stolichnaya being prominent at the time. It is clearly related to the Black Russian, which is believed to have originated in 1949. However, the creator and date of this creamier version are unknown. The first known print mention of the White Russian cocktail appeared in an advertisement for 'Coffee Southern', a now-defunct coffee liqueur. This ad ran in the Boston Globe on March 21, 1965, and in California's Oakland Tribune on November 21, 1965. Alongside the White Russian, the advertisement, which encouraged readers to "Try delicious Coffee Sothern", also provided recipes for 'Coffee and Cointreau', 'Southern Grasshopper', and 'Java Sundae' using the liqueur. After gaining popularity during the 1970s disco era, the White Russian saw its popularity decline in the 1980s. Its resurgence and increased popularity came after it was featured as the drink of choice for The Dude in the 1998 cult film The Big Lebowski. In this comedy, the character Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski, played by Jeff Bridges, shows little interest in anything beyond bowling and drinking White Russians, which he refers to as a "Caucasian." Throughout the film, The Dude consumes seven of these creamy cocktails.