White Russian (cocktail)
Encyclopedia
A White Russian is a sweet cocktail
made with vodka
, coffee liqueurs (e.g., Kahlúa
or Tia Maria
), and cream
served with ice in an Old Fashioned glass
. Other ingredients are often substituted for cream, the most common of which are milk, half and half
, Baileys Irish Cream
, and vanilla soymilk.
, 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 begat 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 21 November 1965. It was placed in the newspaper as an insert: "White Russian. 1 oz. each Southern, vodka, cream."
for coffee liqueur. In Ireland, a popular variety of the drink consists of one part vodka, one part Kahlúa and four parts full cream milk shaken with ice and served in a tumbler glass on the rocks.
instead of cream–the "Blind" comes from the drink being made with all alcoholic ingredients; a White Mexican made with horchata
; an Anna Kournikova
–a skinny, low fat, white russian–made with skimmed milk; a White Cuban, made with rum
instead of vodka; and a White Indian, made with gin
instead of vodka.
. Lebowski is frequently shown drinking a White Russian, which Lebowski refers to as a "Caucasian." Its presence in the film is said to have led to a revival for the White Russian, bringing it to "icon status", according to a 2008 article in The New York Times
.
The White Russian is also the drink of choice of Maurice Moss, an IT guy on the British sitcom The IT Crowd
.
Lawrence Maddox's signature drink is a White Russian in the film How to Lose Friends and Alienate People
. It is the means to his being discovered by the protagonist as having an affair.
Cocktail
A cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink that contains two or more ingredients—at least one of the ingredients must be a spirit.Cocktails were originally a mixture of spirits, sugar, water, and bitters. The word has come to mean almost any mixed drink that contains alcohol...
made with vodka
Vodka
Vodka , is a distilled beverage. It is composed primarily of water and ethanol with traces of impurities and flavorings. Vodka is made by the distillation of fermented substances such as grains, potatoes, or sometimes fruits....
, coffee liqueurs (e.g., Kahlúa
Kahlúa
Kahlúa is a Mexican coffee-flavored rum-based liqueur. It is dense and sweet, with the distinct taste of coffee, from which it is made. Kahlúa also contains sugar, corn syrup and vanilla bean.-History:...
or Tia Maria
Tia Maria
Tia Maria is a coffee liqueur made originally in Jamaica using Jamaican coffee beans. The main flavor ingredients are coffee beans, cane spirit, vanilla, and sugar, blended to an alcoholic content of 31.5% ....
), and cream
Cream
Cream is a dairy product that is composed of the higher-butterfat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, over time, the lighter fat rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream this process is accelerated by using centrifuges called "separators"...
served with ice in an Old Fashioned glass
Old fashioned glass
The Old Fashioned glass, lowball glass, or rocks glass is a short tumbler used for serving an alcoholic beverage, such as whisky, with ice cubes...
. Other ingredients are often substituted for cream, the most common of which are milk, half and half
Half and half
Half and half refers to various beverages or liquid foods made of an equal-parts mixture of two substances, including dairy products, alcoholic beverages, and soft drinks...
, Baileys Irish Cream
Baileys Irish Cream
Baileys Irish Cream is an Irish whiskey and cream based liqueur, made by Gilbeys of Ireland. The trademark is currently owned by Diageo. It has a declared alcohol content of 17% alcohol by volume...
, and vanilla soymilk.
Name origin
The traditional cocktail known as a Black RussianBlack Russian
The Black Russian is a cocktail of vodka and coffee liqueur and sometimes mixed with Cola. When topped with Cola, it is referred to as a Dirty Black Russian, as opposed to Clean when without it...
, 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 begat the other.
The Oxford English Dictionary
Oxford English Dictionary
The Oxford English Dictionary , published by the Oxford University Press, is the self-styled premier dictionary of the English language. Two fully bound print editions of the OED have been published under its current name, in 1928 and 1989. The first edition was published in twelve volumes , and...
refers to the first mention of the word "White Russian" in the sense of a cocktail as appearing in California's Oakland Tribune on 21 November 1965. It was placed in the newspaper as an insert: "White Russian. 1 oz. each Southern, vodka, cream."
Preparation
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. Kahlúa is the brand of coffee liqueur most commonly associated with White Russians, mostly because it has become something of a genericized trademarkGenericized trademark
A genericized trademark is a trademark or brand name that has become the colloquial or generic description for, or synonymous with, a general class of product or service, rather than as an indicator of source or affiliation as intended by the trademark's holder...
for coffee liqueur. In Ireland, a popular variety of the drink consists of one part vodka, one part Kahlúa and four parts full cream milk shaken with ice and served in a tumbler glass on the rocks.
Variations
Many variants of the cocktail exist, both highly localized and widely known, such as a White Canadian made with goat's milk; a Blind Russian made with Baileys Irish CreamBaileys Irish Cream
Baileys Irish Cream is an Irish whiskey and cream based liqueur, made by Gilbeys of Ireland. The trademark is currently owned by Diageo. It has a declared alcohol content of 17% alcohol by volume...
instead of cream–the "Blind" comes from the drink being made with all alcoholic ingredients; a White Mexican made with horchata
Horchata
Horchata or orxata is the name of several kinds of traditional beverage, made of ground almonds, sesame seeds, rice, barley, or tigernuts .-Etymology:...
; an Anna Kournikova
Anna Kournikova
Anna Sergeyevna Kournikova is a Russian retired professional tennis player. Her beauty and celebrity status made her one of the best known tennis stars worldwide, despite the fact that she never won a WTA singles title. At the peak of her fame, fans looking for images of Kournikova made her name...
–a skinny, low fat, white russian–made with skimmed milk; a White Cuban, made with rum
Rum
Rum is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses, or directly from sugarcane juice, by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak barrels...
instead of vodka; and a White Indian, made with gin
Gin
Gin is a spirit which derives its predominant flavour from juniper berries . Although several different styles of gin have existed since its origins, it is broadly differentiated into two basic legal categories...
instead of vodka.
In popular culture
The White Russian is the favorite drink of Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski, the main character of the 1998 film The Big LebowskiThe Big Lebowski
The Big Lebowski is a 1998 comedy film written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. Jeff Bridges stars as Jeff Lebowski, an unemployed Los Angeles slacker and avid bowler, who is referred to as "The Dude". After a case of mistaken identity, The Dude is introduced to a millionaire also named...
. Lebowski is frequently shown drinking a White Russian, which Lebowski refers to as a "Caucasian." Its presence in the film is said to have led to a revival for the White Russian, bringing it to "icon status", according to a 2008 article in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
.
The White Russian is also the drink of choice of Maurice Moss, an IT guy on the British sitcom The IT Crowd
The IT Crowd
The IT Crowd is a British sitcom by Channel 4, written by Graham Linehan, produced by Ash Atalla and starring Chris O'Dowd, Richard Ayoade, Katherine Parkinson and Matt Berry...
.
Lawrence Maddox's signature drink is a White Russian in the film How to Lose Friends and Alienate People
How to Lose Friends & Alienate People (film)
How to Lose Friends & Alienate People is a 2008 British comedy film based upon British writer Toby Young's 2001 memoir of the same name. The film follows a similar storyline, about his five year struggle to make it in the United States after employment at Sharps Magazine...
. It is the means to his being discovered by the protagonist as having an affair.