Before we get into the background on the classic White Russian recipe, here are a few related cocktail recipes you may like:
the Butterscotch White Russian,
the Caramel White Russian,
the Chocolate White Russian,
the Salted Caramel White Russian,
the White Russian Split, and
the Coconut Rum White Russian. As far as the background on this covert-sounding cocktail,
the White Russian cocktail wikipedia pagenotes that "The traditional cocktail known as a Black Russian, which first appeared in 1949, becomes a White Russian with the addition of cream." And that "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." So yeah, you may have thought that the White Russian was the OG Russian drink, but that's apparently not the case. Although
a 2016 VinePair articledoes state that " The [White Russian] was conceived in 1949 when Gustave Tops, a Belgian barman, created the cocktail, along with its sister cocktail, the black Russian – a White Russian without any cream – at the Hotel Metropole in Brussels in honor of Perle Mesta, then U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg." So maybe some people are sure about which one came first.... The White Russian really took off in popularity in 1998 after the movie
The Big Lebowski came out. In the film, the White Russian was the drink of choice for the main character, the Dude, and because he was so emulated, so too was his drink.
WHITE RUSSIAN
1 3/4 oz. (52ml) Vodka
3/4 oz. (22ml) Coffee Liqueur
1 oz. (30ml) Fresh Cream
PREPARATION
1. Add ice to serving glass and pour over vodka and coffee liqueur.
2. Float cream on top and stir gently.
DRINK RESPONSIBLY!