White Russian (cocktail)
| 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 directly into old fashioned glass filled with ice. Float fresh cream on the top and stir in slowly. |
| † White Russian recipe at International Bartenders Association | |
A White Russian is a sweet cocktail made from vodka, coffee liqueur (e.g., Kahlúa or Tia Maria) and cream served in an old-fashioned glass with ice. Milk or half and half or Baileys Irish Cream are often used as substitutes for cream. Since the release of the cult film The Big Lebowski, White Russians have seen a resurgence among the current youth culture.[1]
Origin of the name
The drink is not traditionally Russian but is so named due to vodka being the primary ingredient (Russian) and cream being the secondary ingredient (white).[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] However, origins are speculative.[citation needed]
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), and a White Cuban (made with rum instead of vodka).[4] A "Colorado Bulldog" adds a splash of regular cola to the top of the traditional White Russian; substituting diet cola makes a "Colorado Greyhound."
References
- ^ Kurutz, Steven (December 2, 2008). "White Russians Arise, This Time at a Bowling Alley". New York Times. Retrieved May 6, 2010.
- ^ 10 Famous Cocktails and Where They Were Born
- ^ "White Russian, n. and a.". Oxford English Dictionary. June 2007. Retrieved May 6, 2010.
- ^ "White Russian". Conan's Pub. 2006. Retrieved May 6, 2010.
See also
- List of cocktails
- Black Russian, which leaves out the dairy ingredient
External links
- White Russians Arise, This Time at a Bowling Alley: New York Times article about the revival of the White Russian
- The White Russian Revolution: an article about White Russians and lactose intolerance