The White Russian is a sweet cocktail for many occasions. It is the favourite drink of 'The Dude' in The Big Lebowski (where it is often jokingly called a "Caucasian"). The "Russian" part of the name comes about because the drink includes vodka—it is not a traditional Russian drink, but rather a pun on the name of the anti-Bolshevik "White Russians" from the Russian Civil War.
Preparations
Recipe #1:
- One-and-a-half parts vodka
- One part coffee liqueur (such as Kahlúa or Tia Maria)
- Milk or cream to taste
Mix the coffee liqueur and vodka (preferably very cold, either straight from the freezer or over ice as below) and top with the milk or cream. This method produces the visual effect of the cream slowly mixing with the alcohol.
Recipe #2:
- Two parts vodka
- One part coffee liqueur
- One part high-quality light cream
Shake the mix in a cocktail shaker with a half-scoop of ice for about 15 seconds, and then pour through a strainer over three or four cubes of ice in an old-fashioned glass. This method produces a slightly less sweet, and slightly taller, drink.
Other preparations:
A Black Russian is a White Russian with no cream: vodka and coffee liqueur, on the rocks. Alternatively, cola can be added to the mix for taste (this is the most common of the two recipes). A Black Russian with cola may be topped with enough Guinness to give it a head; the resulting drink is referred to as an Irish Russian or a Black Irish. A White Cuban is a White Russian with the vodka replaced with rum. An Admiral Romanov is a variation wherein the milk leftover after a serving of Cap'n Crunch breakfast cereal is used in place of the cream.