White Russian
Vodka and coffee liqueur over ice with a layer of cream. Sweet, soft and dessert-like.
- MethodBuilt
- GlassRocks (old fashioned) glass
- IceCubes
- Strengthabout 21.0% ABV
- BaseVodka, Liqueur-led
- Tastecreamy, sweet
Recipe
| 45 ml 1½ oz | Vodka |
| 22.5 ml ¾ oz | Coffee liqueur |
| 30 ml 1 oz | Cream (single/light or half-and-half) |
Garnish. No garnish; the cream drifting into the dark liqueur is the decoration.
Method
- Fill a rocks glass with ice.
- Pour in the vodka and coffee liqueur and stir briefly.
- Float the cream on top by pouring it slowly over the back of a spoon.
- Serve with a stirrer so the drinker can mix it as much as they like.
About the White Russian
The White Russian is a Black Russian (vodka and coffee liqueur on ice) with cream floated on top. It tastes like sweet, strong iced coffee with milk. Lightly whipped cream holds a neat layer; single cream mixes in more easily.
History
Documented
The Black Russian, vodka and coffee liqueur, is usually traced to Gustave Tops at the Hotel Metropole in Brussels around 1949. The White Russian, with added cream, appears in American print in the 1960s. Its popularity rose sharply after the 1998 film The Big Lebowski, in which the main character drinks little else.
Legend and lore
The Tops story says he made the Black Russian for Perle Mesta, the American envoy to Luxembourg; it is widely repeated but rests on later accounts. The "Russian" in both names refers only to the vodka.
Disputed or unclear: The earliest printed White Russian is disputed between a 1961 American drinks book and newspaper items of 1965.
Variations
- Black Russian. No cream: vodka and coffee liqueur only.
- Espresso Martini. Vodka and coffee liqueur with fresh espresso, shaken and served up.
- Brandy Alexander. Another creamy after-dinner drink: cognac, dark crème de cacao and cream.
Bartender's notes
- Use cold cream and pour slowly over a spoon for a clean layer.
- For a less sweet drink, increase the vodka to 60 ml and keep the liqueur at 22.5 ml.
