Food

White Russian Cocktail Recipe

Written by MasterClass

Last updated: Dec 2, 2024 • 1 min read

A White Russian, while decidedly not Russian in origin, does pay homage to the favored spirit of that country: Vodka. White Russians are incredibly easy to make and even easier to sip—the added sweetness and warm coffee flavor from a liqueur (most commonly, Kahlúa) and heavy cream, served over ice in a rocks glass, makes the White Russian one of the milder cocktail recipes out there.

Most accounts peg its official invention of the White Russian somewhere around the 1960s, as a creamier variation on what was known as a Black Russian: A simple blend of vodka and coffee liqueur. A Blind Russian is a White Russian with Irish cream instead of coffee liqueur, while a Mudslide cocktail doubles down on the dairy.

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Classic White Russian Recipe

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makes

1 cocktail

prep time

3 min

total time

3 min

Ingredients

  1. 1

    Combine the vodka and coffee liqueur over ice cubes in an old fashioned glass, and stir to combine.

  2. 2

    Shake the heavy cream vigorously, then pour it over the top. Stir, and serve.

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