White Russian
Coffee, cream, late-night comfort.
Vodka and coffee liqueur over ice, finished with a layer of fresh cream. It is a Black Russian made soft and velvety, perfect after dinner.
- After dinner
- Built
- Glass
- Rocks glass
- Method
- Built
- Strength
- Medium
- Time
- 2 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Ice
- Cubes
Ingredients
Measures for 1 serving
-
Coffee liqueur
20 ml
-
Vodka
50 ml
-
Cream
30 ml
Proportions
How to make
- Fill an old fashioned glass with ice.
- Pour the coffee liqueur.
- Pour the vodka.
- Float the cream on top.
- Stir slowly.
The story
Origins
DocumentedOrigin attested by written sources of the time.
The White Russian is a Black Russian with cream added. The Black Russian is often credited to bartender Gustave Tops, said to have created it in 1949 at the Hotel Metropole in Brussels, but no period documentation confirms this. Who first added the cream is unknown. The earliest written record of the name dates to November 1965, in advertisements for a now-defunct coffee liqueur, Coffee Southern, run in the Oakland Tribune and the Boston Globe. The drink was popular in the 1970s and returned to fashion in 1998 thanks to The Big Lebowski, whose hero, "the Dude", drinks one after another.
Sources (6)
- Difford's Guide — White Russian (opens in a new tab) recipe and history
- Kiddle (Wikipedia mirror) — White Russian (cocktail) (opens in a new tab) recipe and history
- IBA — Black Russian (note: White Russian) (opens in a new tab) recipe
- Wikipedia — List of IBA official cocktails (opens in a new tab) recipe
- Barry Popik — Black Russian (cocktail) (opens in a new tab) history
- Punch — White Russian (opens in a new tab) history
Taste profile
- Creamy
- 4 out of 5
- Sweet
- 3 out of 5
- Strong
- 3 out of 5
