White Russian cocktail recipe

The White Russian is one of the most popular vodka cocktails in town, thanks to its delicious taste and mouthfeel. Acting as the companion to the Black Russian, the only difference in a White Russian is the addition of cream, which, understandably, gives it a much creamier texture as well as its pale appearance.

The origin of both ‘Russian’ drinks dates back to 1949, when Gustave Tops, a Belgian barman, created the cocktails at the Hotel Metropole in Brussels. Sources say it was in honour of Perle Mesta, who was the US ambassador to Luxembourg at the time. Although conceived by a Belgian national, it took on the Russian name because at this time, the Soviet Union was the largest producer and exporter of vodka in the world. The Moscow Mule shares this trait, paying tribute to Russia in its name, despite being created in New York. Over the following decade, knowledge of the White Russian spread across the northern hemisphere, and its recipe eventually appeared in California’s Oakland Tribune in November 1965.

The White Russian then stalled in popularity – that is, until its appearance in the 1998 movie The Big Lebowski. It was the refreshment of choice for the main character and is consumed often throughout the movie, which has become a cult classic and is credited with reinvigorating the desire for White Russians.

You can do some serious experimenting with the White Russian. Many variations are a play on different countries and their native ingredients, so why not take a round-the-world trip and tick off your favourites?

There’s the White Mexican, which switches the cream for horchata, a traditional spiced, sweetened rice milk; the White Cuban, which swaps vodka for rum; and the White Belgian, which uses chocolate liqueur instead of coffee liqueur. If you’re feeling particularly daring, you could even try the White Canadian, which uses goat’s milk instead of cream.

You can adjust the amount of vodka and coffee liqueur in your cocktail depending on your palate. Use more liqueur if you like it sweet and dessert-like; increasing the vodka will do the opposite. The heavy flavours of coffee and cream will overpower the vodka, so there’s no need to use the best you’ve got – save that for your next Vodka Martini. Here, choose a middle-of-the-range vodka that is smooth and enjoyable.

If you find the addition of thickened cream a little too heavy in your ideal White Russian, pouring cream is an ideal swap. Alternatively, milk works too, creating a much lighter take on this classic cocktail.     

To achieve the Instagram-worthy layered look with the cream hovering on top of the other ingredients in your glass, be sure to slowly drizzle the cream over the back of a spoon, rather than pouring directly into your glass. It’s worth the extra effort.

There is a whole world of coffee-flavoured cocktails out there – you might like to mix up an Espresso Martini, an Affogato cocktail or even a Cold Brew Negroni for something very different.