Coffee & cream · Vodka · IBA official
White Russian
Vodka and coffee liqueur under a slow-sinking veil of cream
Vodka and coffee liqueur over ice, finished with a float of cream that slowly swirls down into the drink. Smooth, sweet and dessert-like, with roasted coffee beneath the richness. An after-dinner indulgence for those who'd rather drink their dessert.
- Glass
- Rocks glass
- Ice
- Ice cubes
- Technique
- Built in the glass
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Time
- 2 min
- Strength
- ≈ 22% ABV
Ingredients
- 50 mlVodka1¾ oz
- 20 mlCoffee liqueur¾ oz
- 30 mlHeavy creamfloat1 oz
- GarnishNone
≈ 108 ml served · 1.9 standard drinks
Method
- 1
Fill a rocks glass with ice cubes.
- 2
Pour in the vodka and coffee liqueur and stir briefly.
- 3
Float the cream on top by pouring it slowly over the back of a bar spoon.
- 4
Serve unstirred, so the guest can swirl in the cream.
History
It grew out of the Black Russian, said to have been created in 1949 by Gustave Tops at the Hotel Metropole in Brussels for Perle Mesta, the US ambassador to Luxembourg. The cream-topped White Russian appears in print in the mid-1960s, and The Big Lebowski (1998) turned it into a cult classic.
- First recorded
- 1965
Bartender's notes
- Shake the cream in a small jar for a few seconds to thicken it slightly; it will float more cleanly.
- Use whole milk instead of cream for a lighter drink, or leave the cream out for a Black Russian.
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