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White Russian (cocktail)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
White Russian
A mixed white Russian
TypeCocktail
Ingredients
Base spiritVodka, Coffee liqueur
Standard drinkwareOld fashioned glass
ServedOn the rocks: poured over ice
PreparationPour 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.

History

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The traditional cocktail known as a black Russian, which first appeared in 1949, becomes a white Russian with the addition of cream. Neither drink has any known Russian origin; both are so-named as vodka is the primary ingredient. It is unclear which drink preceded the other.[1][2]

According to the Oxford English Dictionary,[3] the first mention of white Russian in the sense of a cocktail was in the Californian newspaper Oakland Tribune on November 21, 1965,[4] as an insert: "White Russian. 1 oz. each Southern, vodka, cream".[5] "Southern" was Coffee Southern, a short-lived brand of coffee liqueur by Southern Comfort.[6]

The white Russian saw a surge in popularity after the 1998 release of the film The Big Lebowski. Throughout the movie, it appears as the beverage of choice for the protagonist, Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski.[7] On a number of occasions he refers to the drink as a "Caucasian".[8]

Preparation

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An unmixed white Russian

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. Sometimes the drink is prepared on the stove with hot coffee for a warm treat on cold days. Conversely, vanilla ice cream has been known to be used, rather than cream, to make it frozen.[9][10]

Variations

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Many variants of the white Russian exist. A white Russian made with skim milk instead of cream is called an Anna Kournikova, after the tennis player,[11] and a variant with no milk or cream at all is a black Russian.[12] A version made with Irish cream is known as a mudslide, a Bolshevik, or a blonde Russian.[citation needed] A dirty Russian has chocolate syrup added,[11] and a variant which adds a splash of cola is called a tall black Russian, or alternately a Paralyzer in Canada and a Colorado bulldog in the United States.[citation needed] A white Cuban is made with rum instead of vodka,[11] while a white Mexican substitutes the vodka for tequila.[13]

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ Sicard, Cheri (August 6, 2007). "Featured Cocktails – Black Russian and White Russian". FabulousFoods.com. Retrieved 2010-06-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  2. ↑ "10 Famous Cocktails and Where They Were Born". bootsnall.com. Retrieved 2017-02-09.
  3. ↑ "June 2007 Update : Oxford English Dictionary". oed.com. Retrieved 2017-02-09.
  4. ↑ "The History of the White Russian". NicoleDigiose.com. August 10, 2012. Retrieved 2017-02-09.
  5. ↑ "White Russian, n. and a.". Oxford English Dictionary. June 2007. Retrieved 2010-05-06.
  6. ↑ "An Enthusiast's Guide to Cocktails: the White Russian". The Alcohol Enthusiast. May 11, 2011. Retrieved 2011-12-02.
  7. ↑ Boardman, Madeline (2013-03-06). "Jeff Dowd, Real 'Big Lebowski' Dude, Talks White Russians, Jeff Bridges And Bowling". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on 2020-12-25. Retrieved 2015-04-24.
  8. ↑ Kurutz, Steven (2 December 2008). "White Russians Arise, This Time at a Bowling Alley". The New York Times. Retrieved 2014-01-09.
  9. ↑ "Nostalgic Frozen Kahlúa White Russian Cocktail & Holiday Entertaining Tips". Cooking in Stilettos. 2018-06-12. Retrieved 2019-02-03.
  10. ↑ "Frozen White Russians!". Anne Taintor. 2015-07-10. Archived from the original on 2020-10-30. Retrieved 2019-02-03.
  11. 1 2 3 Bingo Barnes (November 1, 2006). "The Snows of Revolution". The Boise Weekly. Archived from the original on 2012-04-07. Retrieved 2010-12-31.
  12. ↑ "Vodka Drinks We Love: The Black Russian". Liquor.com. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  13. ↑ "White Mexican".
[edit]
  • Wikimedia Commons logo Media related to White Russian (cocktail) at Wikimedia Commons
  • Wikibooks logo White Russian Cocktail at the Wikibooks Cookbook subproject
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