White Russian (cocktail): Difference between revisions
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==White Russians in Popular Culture== |
==White Russians in Popular Culture== |
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The main character drinks White Russians in several scenes of [[The Big Lebowski]], and the drink is consumed in large quantities at yearly [[Lebowski Fest]]s, which celebrate the film.<ref>{{Cite web | title = A Revival for the White Russian | publisher = New York Times | url = http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/03/dining/03lebo.html | date = December 2, 2008 | accessdate = April 3, 2011}}</ref> |
The main character drinks White Russians in several scenes of ''[[The Big Lebowski]]'', and the drink is consumed in large quantities at yearly [[Lebowski Fest]]s, which celebrate the film.<ref>{{Cite web | title = A Revival for the White Russian | publisher = New York Times | url = http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/03/dining/03lebo.html | date = December 2, 2008 | accessdate = April 3, 2011}}</ref> |
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==References== |
==References== |
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Revision as of 19:16, 14 April 2011
| IBA official cocktail | |
|---|---|
 An unstirred White Russian cocktail made with fresh milk | |
| Type | Cocktail |
| Base spirit | |
| Served | On the rocks: poured over ice |
| Standard drinkware |  |
| IBA specified ingredients† | |
| Preparation | Pour coffee liqueur and vodka into an Old Fashioned glass filled with ice. Float fresh cream on top and stir slowly. |
| † White Russian recipe at International Bartenders Association | |
A White Russian is a sweet cocktail made with vodka, coffee liqueurs (e.g., Kahlúa or Tia Maria), and cream served with ice in an Old Fashioned glass. Milk, Half and half, Baileys Irish Cream, or Vanilla soymilk (for vegans or the lactose-intolerant) is often used as a substitute for cream.
Origin of the name
The traditional cocktail known as a Black Russian (first appearing in 1949) becomes a White Russian with the addition of cream. Neither drink is Russian in origin, but both are so named due to vodka being the primary ingredient. It is unclear which drink begat the other.[1][2]
The Oxford English Dictionary refers to the first mention of the word "White Russian" in the sense of a cocktail as appearing in California's Oakland Tribune on 21 November 1965. It was placed in the newspaper as an insert: "White Russian. 1 oz. each Southern, vodka, cream."[3]
Preparation notes
As with all cocktails, various modes of preparation exist, varying according to the recipes and styles of particular bars or mixologists. Most common varieties have adjusted amounts of vodka or coffee liqueur, or mixed brands of coffee liqueur. Shaking the cream in order to thicken it prior to pouring it over the drink is also common. Kahlúa is the brand of coffee liqueur most commonly associated with White Russians, mostly because it has become something of a genericized trademark for coffee liqueur. In Ireland, a popular variety of the drink consists of one part vodka, one part Kahlúa and four parts full cream milk shaken with ice and served in a tumbler glass on the rocks.
Variations
Many variants of the cocktail exist, both highly localized and widely known, such as a White Canadian (made with goat's milk instead of cow's milk), a Blind Russian (made with Bailey's Irish Cream instead of cream; the name Blind comes from the drink being made with all alcoholic ingredients), a White Mexican (made with horchata instead of cream), an Anna Kournikova (made with skim milk instead of cream), and a White Cuban (made with rum instead of vodka).[4][5] Additional variations are the Blushin' Russian (made with raspberry vodka), the Soy Russian (made with soymilk instead of cream), the White American (uses whisky instead of vodka), the White English (uses gin instead of vodka), and the Colorado Bulldog (made with equal parts cream and Cola).
White Russians in Popular Culture
The main character drinks White Russians in several scenes of The Big Lebowski, and the drink is consumed in large quantities at yearly Lebowski Fests, which celebrate the film.[6]
References
- ^ Sicard, Cheri (August 6, 2007). "Featured Cocktails - Black Russian and White Russian". FabulousFoods.com. Retrieved June 8, 2010.
- ^ 10 Famous Cocktails and Where They Were Born
- ^ "White Russian, n. and a.". Oxford English Dictionary. June 2007. Retrieved May 6, 2010.
- ^ "The Snows of Revolution". Boise Weekly. 2006. Retrieved December 31, 2010.
- ^ "White Russian". Conan's Pub. 2006. Retrieved May 6, 2010.
- ^ "A Revival for the White Russian". New York Times. December 2, 2008. Retrieved April 3, 2011.
See also
External links
- White Russians Arise, This Time at a Bowling Alley: New York Times article about the revival of the White Russian
