White Russian (cocktail)
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| A mixed White Russian cocktail | |
| Type | Cocktail |
|---|---|
| Primary alcohol by volume | |
| Served | On the rocks; poured over ice |
| Standard drinkware |
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| Commonly used ingredients |
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| Preparation | Pour coffee liqueur and vodka into an Old Fashioned glass filled with ice. Float fresh cream on top and stir slowly. |
A White Russian is a cocktail made with vodka, coffee liqueur (e.g., Kahlúa or Tia Maria), and cream served with ice in an Old Fashioned glass. Often milk will be used as an alternative to cream.
The traditional cocktail known as a Black Russian, which first appeared 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 preceded the other.
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 November 21, 1965. It was placed in the newspaper as an insert: "White Russian. 1 oz. each Southern, vodka, cream", with "Southern" referring to Coffee Southern, a short-lived brand of coffee liqueur by Southern Comfort.
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.
Many variants of the cocktail exist, both localised and widely known, such as a White Canadian (made with goat's milk), an Anna Kournikova (named after the tennis player, made with skimmed milk, i.e. a "skinny, low-fat" White Russian), a White Cuban (made with rum instead of vodka), or a Dirty Russian (made with chocolate milk instead of cream).
The White Russian is the signature drink of "the Dude", the protagonist of the cult classic The Big Lebowski. In the movie, the Dude refers to it as a "Caucasian." The cocktail's prominence in the film has been connected to a revival in its popularity. Prior to the movie, the cocktail was considered passé and likened to an alcoholic milkshake.
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