Plenty of articles about White Russians kick things off by quoting The Big Lebowski—a 1998 Coen Brothers’ film that, yes, you should probably see. But even if you haven’t caught the movie, you’re probably already aware that the main character’s drink of choice is this mix of coffee liqueur, vodka, and cream. The cult film left lots of folks craving the cocktail; some predict another renaissance now that another coffee liqueur–based drink, the espresso martini, is back in vogue.
According to Rosie Schaap in the Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails, the roots of the White Russian go back to 1930s-era drinks combining vodka—a signature product of Russia that was still a curiosity in the US—and crème de cacao, but the coffee-tinged version didn’t pop up until 1965, when Southern Comfort promoted the cocktail as a way to use its short-lived coffee liqueur. The Black Russian, made with vodka and Kahlúa, was popular at the time, so adding “White” to this drink’s moniker both highlighted its difference from that beverage and perhaps helped it piggyback on the other drink’s fame. Kahlúa quickly became ubiquitous in the cocktail, and the drink’s “milk-shakey charms are resisted by only the hard-hearted,” Schaap writes. I have to agree—while in theory the White Russian is extremely not my thing, I found my first sip after a few decades to be surprisingly delightful. When made right, it’s a lovely after-dinner drink.
So how do you make the best White Russian? I mixed up dozens to find out.
The Best Ratio for a White Russian
Go to the Kahlúa website, and they’ll tell you that the White Russian is an equal parts drink, like a Negroni or a Last Word. Whether you agree depends on what you’re looking for; the version made with one ounce each of vodka, coffee liqueur, and heavy cream tastes like softly boozy vanilla ice cream, with only a hint of vodka’s burn and very delicate coffee flavor. It’s not for someone looking for a real espresso punch, but it might be just what you want to sip with cookies by the fire.
Other folks, like my colleague Robert Simonson, author of 3-Ingredient Cocktails, recommend dialing up the vodka to one and a half ounces, while scaling down both the cream and coffee liqueur to three quarters of an ounce. This is certainly a stiffer-tasting drink, but in my tests I found it obscured the coffee flavor even more.
In my opinion, when you’re using Kahlúa as your coffee liqueur—we’ll get into other options below—a balance is struck at one ounce each of vodka and liqueur and three quarters of an ounce of cream. With this ratio, you still get the bite of vodka, but the cream does not overpower, and the coffee flavor gets a little more of the spotlight.
Why I Recommend That You Shake Your White Russians
No matter how the Dude does it, or how pretty a swirl of dairy is, the technique of combining the clear spirit and coffee liqueur in an ice-filled glass and then topping with the cream is not the path to the best tasting White Russian. Just as you wouldn’t leave, say, a Caesar salad dressing unmixed, emulsification is important here.
If you don’t mix adequately, you may find yourself sipping a mouthful of cream off the top, which will throw off the balance of the rest of the drink. Shaking all three ingredients together thoroughly blends the combination while chilling and properly diluting the drink. You get a bit of froth on top and a cold beverage that doesn’t immediately become separated and watery.
You can serve your White Russian in a rocks glass over additional ice, but it does not require that additional dilution, and the creamy, silky texture is part of what makes this drink worth drinking, so I prefer to serve it up in a stemmed cocktail glass.
Can I Use Half-and-Half in a White Russian? What About Whole Milk?
Half-and-half? Absolutely. That version of the drink is a bit less viscous and buttery-rich, but that lighter presence means you taste the booze a bit more—whether that’s a good or bad thing depends on your personal preferences. A White Russian with half-and-half still gives creamy coffee ice cream vibes, but it’s not quite as luxurious in texture as the cream version. If half-and-half is what you keep around, though, go ahead and use it.
Whole milk is a no. It just doesn’t have the body and richness to carry this drink.
Can I Use Other Coffee Liqueurs in a White Russian?
You can. But I wouldn’t knock the Kahlúa version until you’ve tried the ratio below, especially if you haven’t had a White Russian in awhile.
One of the major differences, though, between writing this story now and writing it back when I launched Serious Eats’ drink section a few lifetimes ago (circa 2010) is the panoply of coffee liqueurs that exist today. There are quite a few excellent options, including many that purport to be vegan. (I’d warn that liqueur recipes can change at any time; you may want to double-check before purchasing if you’re looking to avoid anything animal-derived.)
Here’s one important thing to keep in mind. While several brands of coffee liqueur work well in this recipe’s proportions, some Kahlúa alternatives—especially newer-styled, smaller-producer liqueurs that tend to be a bit less sweet—will require a change in ratio. While the relative dryness of these liqueurs may make them more pleasant to sip unadorned, this mixed drink requires a bit of sugar for balance, and sometimes an extra touch of coffee liqueur.
Tia Maria, another longstanding brand, offers an experience not far off from the Kahlúa one—but is certified vegan, which may come in handy depending who’s sipping. (I don’t think I’d pick it over Kahlúa, though, if there aren’t vegans in your crowd; the flavor seemed just a bit thinner in the final drink.) Use the same ratio as the recipe below.
The White Russian I made—again, following the recipe below—with Borghetti espresso liqueur was top-tier, with deeper, richer coffee flavor than the one made with Kahlúa, and a really nicely balanced roasty (but not at all acrid) finish. Mr Black (another vegan-friendly option) makes a coffee-forward White Russian as well—this version (same ratio) tastes a touch less sweet than the Kahlúa one, but almost chocolaty, with a bit of bitterness that makes each sip nearly crisp. (That’s a feat for a drink made with heavy cream!)
Patrón’s XO Cafe (another go for vegans) gives the cocktail a slightly earthy agave boost that tequila lovers may enjoy. Galliano Espresso liqueur (which also appears to be vegan-friendly) pushes roastier flavors forward; whether you’re looking for that may depend on if you’re a person who seeks out dark-roasted coffee. For both of these, you can stick with the ratio we use for Kahlúa.
St. George Distilling’s NOLA liqueur offers coffee notes enriched with the nutty, caramelly flavor of chicory; the liqueur’s subtle personality comes through best when you adjust your White Russian a bit. I liked bumping the NOLA coffee liqueur up to 1 1/4 ounce, then mixing with 3/4 ounce each vodka and cream, and adding 1/2 teaspoon simple syrup (made with equal parts sugar and water). Some people might want even more sugar. That ratio also works well for Griffo Distillery’s Cold Brew Liqueur.
Forthave’s Brown Coffee Liqueur worked better with even more liqueur in the mix; it’s fantastic at 1 1/2 ounce coffee liqueur, 3/4 ounce each vodka and cream, and 1/2 teaspoon simple syrup.
I tried that version with Firelit Coffee Liqueur, an exceptional brandy-based sipper made in California with a rotating roster of small coffee roasters. But Firelit’s version is so dry that it needed a full teaspoon of simple syrup. (I’ll be honest: I think that stuff deserves your full attention and is better sipped straight.)
While I filled my kitchen with bottles, I couldn’t taste every coffee liqueur on the market; my advice is to taste any new liqueur first and then make a tester version of the drink, starting at the ratio I listed above for St. George and Griffo’s liqueurs if it seems less sweet than Kahlúa.
Can I Sub Out the Dairy for Something Plant Based?
A few years back, the only solution for a properly rich dairy-free White Russian might have been coconut milk, which completely transforms the flavor of the cocktail.
Now, though, your local grocery store is likely to have several refrigerator shelves full of plant-based creamers and heavy cream substitutes. I tried as many as I could get my hands on, looking for plant-based options that offered neutral, creamy flavor and rich texture without any flavors that interfered with the coffee liqueur and vodka.
The winner was blazingly clear. While you might notice—if you really pay attention—that Country Crock’s Plant-Based Cream has a little less of the specifically milky and buttery flavor you get in dairy, the texture of this boxed drink is spot-on, and there are no distracting flavors. It’s creamy and clean tasting; making a luxurious White Russian that’s quite similar to a dairy-based half-and-half version. This was my top pick—by far—for a dairy-free White Russian. You can use the same ratio as for dairy-based cream. (The runner up was Silk’s Dairy-Free Heavy Whipping Cream, which was plenty rich and, well, silky, but had a less neutral flavor.)
Other alternatives I tried—unsweetened creamers and products marketed as half-and-half substitutes—either weren’t quite thick enough or simply had too much flavor of their own. Some separated after shaking, and some had a bean-y or grainy character that took over. Others turned the drink into a thinner concoction, with coconut or almond flavors that dominated. Any sweetened product would require, at minimum, rejiggering of the recipe—and I will warn that many sweetened creamers, especially, are quite sweet.
Note that for a fully vegan White Russian, you’ll need a vegan coffee liqueur. Some brands use sugar that’s processed in a way that’s not considered vegan-friendly; you can usually check the FAQs on their websites to confirm.
Can I Add a Festive Flavoring to White Russians for the Holidays?
A touch of mint is nice in a White Russian—if you already have peppermint extract around for making flavored marshmallows or other sweets, I would recommend adding a drop or two to each drink. This stuff is potent, so you may want to use an actual eyedropper, or shake two drinks together with about 1/16 teaspoon of the stuff. Alternatively, you could play around with orange bitters or warmly spiced Angostura here, too. But an unadorned White Russian is already quite holiday appropriate, and a fun choice for anyone who doesn’t feel like making eggnog this year.
In a cocktail shaker, combine vodka, Kahlúa, and heavy cream.
Fill shaker with ice, seal well, and shake until well chilled, about 15 seconds.
Unseal cocktail shaker and strain cocktail into stemmed cocktail glass. For the silkiest cocktail, hold a Hawthorne strainer over the shaker in your dominant hand to hold back any ice cubes and hold a fine-mesh strainer, such as a tea strainer, over the glass to catch any smaller ice chips. Serve immediately.
Special Equipment
Cocktail shaker, cocktail strainer (preferably a Hawthorne strainer), fine-mesh strainer, stemmed cocktail glass
Notes
Some newer-styled coffee liqueurs are so much less sweet that they’ll require the addition of simple syrup; see introduction for guidance.
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