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Today I’m going to talk about an incredibly simple and certainly one of the best vodka cocktails that you can only come across in a bar. Its taste has been compared to coffee ice cream, and the method of preparation is so trivial that you can easily make it at home.
The White Russian Cocktail is made with just three simple ingredients: vodka, coffee liqueur (original Kahlua) and cream. To make it, you do not need the equipment of bartenders – just an ordinary spoon is enough.
After reading this article, you can easily cook the “correct” version of White Russian or one of its many alternatives.
What is this cocktail
Despite its name, mixing vodka with milk was not invented in Russia or Belarus. True, the White Russian cocktail has Slavic roots.
According to legend, American bartenders gave the name to the drink in honor of the White Guards who fled the Russian Empire. Only the name then was different – Polar Bear, and consisted of a cocktail of vodka, cocoa liquor and gin.
The old name did not quite reflect the essence of the drink, and in the 1950s they decided to improve it by removing gin and adding cream. The new drink was well received in bars, and later, in the 80s, it became a real hit in discos and one of the favorite cocktails of young people. So beloved that later this name was even given to hookah tobacco. It is called Argelini White Russian (argelini white Russian).
Interesting facts from the history of the cocktail
- Until a certain time, White Russian was a rather niche drink that was not particularly known outside of the dance floors. The real popularity came later, when in 1998 the cult film “The Big Lebowski” was released in cinemas. In the movie, the White Russian cocktail has become the favorite drink of the protagonist, nicknamed Dude.
Note. For anyone who hasn’t watched The Big Lebowski, I strongly advise you to do so. The film is about a lazy pacifist whose carefree life is turned upside down by gangsters who mistook him for a millionaire with the same name.
- There is a twin brother of the White Russian – the Black Russian cocktail. It is really black in color because no cream is added to it. It got its name from the bartender of the US Embassy in Luxembourg.
- In the movie “Catwoman”, the main character played by Halle Berry ordered this particular cocktail at the bar. But because of her animalistic tendencies, she asked to remove vodka and coffee liqueur from him.
- The cocktail flashed in many tapes, for example, in the TV series Supernatural, it was prepared by Albert Einstein himself (meaning the actor who played him).
What bowl is it served in?
In most establishments, White Russian will be served in a rocks glass. This glassware is often used for whiskey, brandy, rum and gin. Due to its prevalence, it costs relatively little and it is not a pity to break it.
In some, probably more advanced places, White Russian will be poured into a wide glass of Old Fashioned. It has a thick bottom, ideal for whiskey with ice and cocktails based on it. Sometimes there is a serving in a highball glass.
For the home, any glasses from which it will be convenient to drink are suitable. The only thing I would not recommend options with thin walls. According to the recipe, the ingredients must be mixed, and ice or a spoon can damage the thin glass.
Fortress
Despite trying to smooth out the strength of the vodka with liquor and cream, the White Russian is not a light cocktail. Its average strength is around 25-30 degrees, which makes the drink quite intoxicating by today’s standards.
There are variations of the cocktail with less or more strength, for example, Pale Russian, which is made on the basis of moonshine. I will not get ahead of myself, you will read about it below.
Product composition and proportions
If we are talking about a modern version of a cocktail, then it includes: vodka, Kahlua liqueur and drinking cream with a fat content of at least 11%. It is better to use cream from 15%, they will make the drink more pleasant and enveloping.
You will not find clear rules for the proportions of ingredients. Some use more vodka, others use double cream.
Of the options that I would recommend:
- 1 part vodka;
- 1 part liquor;
- 1 part cream;
- ice.
For those who like a stronger version:
- 2 parts vodka;
- 1 part liqueur and cream;
- ice.
Cocktail variations
Like any popular cocktail, the White Russian is overgrown with many different variations. It makes no sense to list them all, you can endlessly shuffle one component each, calling it a fresh look at the classics.
I will list only the most popular:
- White Cuban – vodka is replaced by rum.
- White Garbage – water is exchanged for whiskey;
- Pale Russian – not so white but strong – an amazing version of a cocktail using moonshine. Be careful, it can be very strong.
- Dirty Russian – in Dirty Russian, instead of cream, pour chocolate milk into a cocktail.
- White Mexican – replace vodka with chocolate tequila and add a little nutmeg.
Energy value per 100g of product
What can be seen in a cocktail of liquor, vodka and cream? I see a real calorie bomb.
Drinking only 100 ml, you will get about 250 kcal, which is approximately 12% of the required daily allowance for the average person.
Required ingredients for 1 serving
I already wrote about vodka, liquor and cream and even talked about the ratio of components. But I completely forgot about the exact dosages. For one portion of the White Russian cocktail in proportions 1:1:1 we take 45 ml of each ingredient.
If you decide to cook a stronger version – double the volume of vodka. For beginners, I advise you not to make a full glass and limit yourself to a total of 100 ml. We take 50 ml of vodka and 25 ml of liquor and cream.
How to make a White Russian cocktail at home
What you can love White Russian for is its ease of cooking at home. Everyone, even a person far from the secrets of bartending art, is able to prepare this cocktail.
We need:
- spoon (the longest you have, but you can also use a teaspoon);
- a glass (you can use a mug or any container from which you will not be ashamed and comfortable to drink);
- the ingredients I wrote about above;
- Several ice cubes.
Preparation:
Pour vodka, liquor and cream into a glass, fill with ice and stir with a spoon (this method is called “build”). Everything, the drink is ready.
Classic recipe
The classic White Russian cocktail recipe is completely similar to homemade, but involves the use of bartending equipment. Since the concept of “classic” is interpreted differently in different sources, we will use rocks, old fashion or highball as dishes.
We will stir everything with a long bar (cocktail) spoon, which is used in the preparation of mixed drinks.
In terms of components, everything is standard:
- 2 parts vodka;
- 1 part cream;
- 1 part liquor;
- ice.
Cooking (using a highball as an example):
Pour ice cubes into a glass, fill them with vodka, liquor and cream. Stir the contents carefully so as not to break the ice and drink until it melts.
There is an alternative cooking option – Frozen. Shake all ingredients in a shaker until wet ice and pour into a chilled glass. So the drink turns out a little softer.
What can replace Kahlua liquor
This is one of the most famous coffee liqueurs in the world, whose production began in the 1950s. It has a dark color and a pronounced coffee taste with light notes of rum. The aroma has a sweet vanilla scent.
The liqueur is made in the USA from Arabica beans, and it comes to us as an imported product at a rather high price. In a good bar, White Russian will be made only from Kahlua liqueur, but there are not enough decent establishments for everyone, so most often you will meet with its substitutes.
Any coffee liqueur can be used in a White Russian cocktail and in 90% of cases you will not notice a change. The most commonly used liqueurs are Firelit and New Deal.
For home, I do not advise you to bother much – choose the liquor to your liking. Here even the fortress is not important, it is lost against the background of vodka. As an experiment, you can use Irish cream, which will enhance the milky taste of the drink. In general, take what you like.
What cream to use
There is only 1 condition for cream – fat content of at least 11%. Since you most likely will not find 11% cream in a regular store, take 15%. If you like milk drinks with a mild taste, choose cream with a fat content of 20%. The bar can be raised to 36%, but this is an “amateur” option.
The only rule is that all ingredients must be of the highest grade. No substitutes for dairy fats or soy milk.
Pale Russian
Let’s hit the Russians on the white, making a real domestic version of the cocktail. Of all the ingredients, we will only replace vodka – instead we will use moonshine (better than double distillation).
Take:
- 30 ml of moonshine (I advise you to use Belarusian);
- 15 ml of liquor;
- 10 ml cream;
Preparation:
Pour the ingredients into a pre-chilled glass in layers. Sequence: vodka, liquor, cream. We do not mix the contents and drink everything in one gulp.
Note: The recipe uses a shot of vodka like Swedish Qualude, about 50 ml (sometimes 60). Some authors advise putting ice in a glass, but none of them thought about how to drink a cocktail in one gulp. To avoid choking on ice and filtering cold alcohol through your teeth, simply chill all the ingredients in advance.
White Mexican
Chocolate lovers will appreciate the unusual version of the White Russian cocktail using chocolate tequila instead of vodka. We will need:
- tequila – 30 ml;
- liquor – 25 ml;
- cream (fatty) – 25 ml;
- nutmeg – 1 gr.;
- ice.
Preparation:
Place all ingredients in a highball glass and stir until the glass is frozen. Sprinkle finely chopped nutmeg on top and the cocktail is ready to serve.
Dirty Russian
The taste of this cocktail is similar to the previous one, but with less pronounced “chocolate” and “creaminess”. But the alcohol component here is felt more confidently.
Ingredients:
- vodka – 1 part;
- liquor – 1 part;
- chocolate milk – 1 part;
- crushed ice – 3 parts.
Preparation:
Pour crushed ice into a chilled glass and pour the components strictly in turn. We start with a layer of liquor, carefully top up with vodka, followed by chocolate milk. Insert the straw and the drink is ready to drink.
Cooking video
For greater clarity, I chose a couple of the most successful videos with the preparation of the White Russian cocktail. They present several options at once: from cheap to expensive.
How to serve and drink
There are no general rules for using White Russian. Some prefer to drink it in one gulp, getting a shock dose of alcohol. Others like to “sip” the drink through a straw. I can advise only one thing – drink a cocktail until the ice melts. The longer you wait, the less concentrated and tasty the drink will be.
Serve White Russian in rocks, highball or old fashioned glasses. Sometimes a tube is placed in a glass, and the cocktail itself is not eaten.
Conclusion
White Russian is a drink that cannot be called universal. It is able to warm on a cold evening, will be a discovery for lovers of creamy tastes, and for those with a sweet tooth, it will replace a coffee dessert. On the other hand, this cocktail will not provide refreshing or fruity flavors, as does, for example, Long Island.
A nice feature of the White Russian cocktail is the variability of the components. Instead of coffee liqueur, you can use irish cream or replace classic vodka with bison, getting a White Belarusian cocktail (I invented it myself).
Now you know how to cook White Russian and you can do it at home. All components are available in any supermarket. The cocktail is prepared in just 3 minutes, making it the perfect drink for unexpected guests. Imagine how surprised they will be when they think you prepared ahead of time.