The White Russian - history, recipe, & taste off!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 มิ.ย. 2024
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Today we're making the White Russian! Actually we'll make it five times! This is a simple, three ingredient drink - vodka, coffee liqueur, and cream. The coffee liqueur leads the way in flavor, so you want to have the right one. We'll test this cocktail with five very different options ranging from sweat to bitter, and light to robust. Hope you all enjoy! Cheers!
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TIME STAMPS
Intro: 0:00
Viski: 0:58
The History: 2:48
The Coffee Liqueurs: 5:03
The Recipe: 6:43
Sips: 8:22
Final Thoughts: 10:47
THE WHITE RUSSIAN RECIPE 6:43
1 oz. (30 ml) Finlandia Vodka
1 oz. (30 ml) Coffee Liqueur
1 oz. (30 ml) heavy cream
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The White Russian = my very first (legal) cocktail ….. and no, the choice had nothing to w/the movie, as that wouldn’t exist for another decade & a half, lol!
Where's your special lady friend?
That's just your opinion, man.
❤❤
Make your own coffee liqueur with grain alcohol, instant italian espresso powder, sugar, and vanilla. It's really good with a little cinnamon too. 2 oz coffee liqueur in a tumbler, then ice, then stir the cream (or even better eggnog) with an ounce vodka in the bottom half of your shaker and pour over the ice. If you really want to go crazy go buy flavored syrup for Italian sodas like mocha or tiramisu or something. White chocolate white russians are really good!
Because Mr. Black is Vodka based (instead of rum based like Kahlua), I usually sub a Demerara rum for the vodka in the cocktail, which makes a bit sweeter. That rum really tied the drink together 😉
That's a good idea. My wife likes to mix Rum Chata with Mr Black to get to about the same place.
I like using white rum with Kahlua to make a White Cuban.
Perhaps thats why my attempt with a black russian failed.
I mixed actuall russian vodka with mr black.
I aint a fan of vodka based cocktails so to use some kind of dark rum might be something to try instead.
I was going to add in my own "it really brings the room together" comment, but this one is actually helpful.
Subbing in the rum makes all the sense in the world.
Personally I like a blend of rums for mine. My go to is Pussers, Mount Gay Black and Worthy Park 105.
As much as I love The Big Lebowski quotes, it was “that’ll do pig” that just brought a smile to my face.
I often correct friends when they say "that'll do donkey."
Babe, damnit...
Not Shrek.
The first cocktail I ever ordered when I turned 21 was a White Russian because I thought that's what the cool people who hung out in bars drank. Then I tried a shaken vodka martini because of James Bond.
It's amazing that didn't turn me off of the cocktail world right then and there 😅
Martinis is what got me into cocktails. Never got into martinis, though...
My first drink was also a white russian and for the same reason!
Hy Anders fan from Belgium here. The name of the hotel were the Black Russian was created is the Hotel Métropole in Brussels. It was one of the most prestigious hotels in the country in a way our version of the Ritz or the Savoy (for my fellow cocktail enthousiasts ;) ) Very Sadly the hotel has been shut down for now.
Another great video from Anders. “He’s a good man, and thorough”
A bar I used to frequent, before it shut down, would make White Russians with melted homestyle ice cream instead of heavy cream. They were delicious, but could not even attempt to have more than one.
Now that sounds like dessert!
Anders, you're out of your element! The most memorable White Russian I’ve ever had was in LA at a Jeff Bridges and the Abiders concert. To drink one in the presence of His Dudeness was mind blowing, man!
At least I’m housebroken.
The riff I prefer to the White Russian is the Insomniac. It does involve making a shot of Espresso.
Insomniac
2/3 oz Vodka
2/3 oz Frangelico
2/3 oz Coffee Liquor (I use Mr Black)
2/3 oz Hot Espresso
2/3 oz Half and Half
Shakel with ice and strain into chilled glass
This comment section is gonna be full of Lebowski quotes, and I'm here for it!
Me too
Yeah well, you know, that’s just like your opinion, man.
Don’t be fatuous, Jeffrey.
You're out of your element oddkris!
Well YEAH
I live in a small African nation for my husband's work. My boss's wife loves an espresso martini so I have started making my own coffee liquor. I have made a couple batches and I find it easy and like it. More importantly, my boss's wife likes them too!
Love it - you get bonus points. Cheers
Those Viski glasses really tie the room together!
Because Kahlua is rum-based, and because I share that meh feeling about vodka, I long ago switched out the vodka for rum, generally Bacardi black (Ann Burrell's dictum that brown food is good food applies equally well to drink IMHO).
I did likewise with the Black Russian, only I found it too sweet. I finally settled on half a jigger of Kahlua, a jigger of black rum, and a couple dashes of bitters, over ice. I call it Liquid Schwartz.
anders is a good example of someone who has a real presence on camera. charisma is an elusive thing, but one could use these videos to explain it to someone who didn’t understand it. i don’t drink at all, but i still enjoy these videos.
“So you have no frame of reference here, Donny.“ - I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve used this in actual conversations when someone wanders in and wants to know what we’re talking about. Thanks for the videos! I love the channel.
I love yelling, "You're out of your element, Donny!"
Anders, this is a fantastic channel! I don’t even drink anymore, but love watching what you do. I have all of the notifications turned on!
I believe Tia Maria was originally Jamaican and is now made in Italy.
If you're a fan of any of these liqueurs, I highly recommend making your own coffee liqueur.
Just combine equal parts cold brew concentrate and either vodka or light rum. You can simmer sugar into the coffee to sweeten. The liquor makes it shelf stable and it mellows out over time.
Like Kahlua, the portions below are quite sweet.
1 cup vodka
1 cup rum
1 pint cold brew
½ cup white sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
Enjoying the comparison/experiment videos! Thanks for doing them.
And, the exit music really caught my attention in this one.
Love all your videos! My husband and I watch them every week now we have a fully stocked bar and are the couple always put in charge of the cocktails at social gatherings
These videos are a great way of seeing how using different types of the same liquor change the cocktail so much appreciated.
I’ve always done my White Russians by putting all the ingredients into a shaker and then pouring over ice. It’s the quick and dirty way. Would like to give this a go
This was the first cocktail I ever made, right after I saw The Big Lebowski for the first time
So many people going heavy on this one, but I think it's better to push it the other way. Use full fat milk instead of cream, you won't feel sick by the end of the first one.
There’s a beautiful milk available in the uk called gold top (also gold smoothie which is the same thing homogenised) using Jersey cow milk. I think from memory it’s about 6 or 7% fat (instead of 4% for full fat milk or 25%+ for cream). This milk is the perfect White Russian foil.
For me it's Mr. Black. The coffee really shines in that one and it allowes a wider range of cocktails since it's so easy to add syrup to taste when needed. Also, someone told me that Big Lebowski is 25 years old. A quick search confirmed this to be factually accurate and now I'm sad. Oh time thou art a cruel mistress.
Nice video Anders, I agree on the equal parts. I prefer this with Kahlua and vanilla vodka (Stoli Vanilla). Perfect combination for a dessert style.
I always replace vodka, with gin (even in an espresso martini) way better and full of flavour. Tia Maia is from Italy, and not Spain...it means Aunt Maria..... The coffee liquor from Switzerland sounds interesting. Nice video
Yep... Tia Maria definitely Italian. I was surprised to hear Spain and had to double check.
Great simple comparison video. I really like you didnt try to "sugar coat" the descriptions and left the fine tuning as an "exercise for the student". I too recently tried a white Russian with a local (western USA) produced coffee liqueur and it too lacked the sweetness needed t tie the drink together. We "solved" this by adding a splash of "whipped vodka" (dont even recall why i had that on hand) and the touch of sweet and vanilla really worked.
I guess one of these days i really should watch the Big Lebowski
the blind russian continues to be one of my go to's for something strong after dinner, with mr black as the coffee liquor. hits like a truck and the sweetness of the baileys is a great addition to the flavors of the cocktail for me!
My go to white russian twist as someone who doesn't prefer vodka is 1.5 oz Bourbon Cream (I usually use Buffalo Trace), 1.5 oz Louisa's Liqueur (a coffee carmel pecan liqueur called Louisa's Liqueur from Nelson's Greenbriar in Tennessee), and 1/2 oz coconut cream. All in a shaker with ice, then strain over a large ice cube with a julep strainer. It's absolutely dessert in a glass, but bourbon, caramel, pecan, coconut, and coffee in a sweet frothy drink, it is absolutely heavenly every once in a while.
Nice to see another person mention Louisas Liqueur!! Delicious stuff. I am currently workshopping a winter cocktail using Louisa’s with Rye Whiskey and oat milk for a good froth. Originally Benedictine was in it, but I couldn’t get it where I wanted it to be so I’m trying to figure out what other ingredient to use.
Hi Anders, here in Finland people love White Russian cocktails. But we make it in highball glass and with milk, not cream. And it’s usually 1 part vodka, 1 part coffee liquer.
Ps. Good choice for vodka 🍸
Sisu!
Hi Anders, thank you for going the extra mile showing us variations on the White Russian, great presentation and I agree with you-one is enough!🤣🤣❤️❤️😁😁 Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Have a nice weekend and CHEERS!🥃
My ol’man used to love a White Russian when I was a kid in the 80’s. Quite possibly the first cocktail I ever tasted as I stole a sip here and there. One of my favorites. That Dad abides
"Careful, man, there's a beverage here." I agree, Kahula is my favorite, but the Mr Black is very good. Patron XO Cafe used to make a Killer White Russian too.
In Quebec, there's have a local maple syrup coffee liquor and it is so good in a White Russian!
I may have to try one of the drier lesser sweet ones in your line up. My personal favorite coffee liquer is Crater Lake hazelnut expresso. It is supremely delicous, especially in eggnog. Which is my favorite drink this time of year.
Great video. I agree about the White Russian generally. I haven't done taste testing like this, but I have decided to stick with Kahlua over Mr. Black for espresso martinis for the same reasons that came out in this taste testing. (In addition, since Kahlua is rum-based, I sometimes use Bacardi white label instead of vodka in espresso martinis, because Bacardi is so light in taste that it approaches vodka but has enough of its own flavor to soften the espresso martini)
Anders, give the Cafe Rojo a try with Liber and Co raspberry syrup. It really plays well with the fruity elements of a strong coffee liquor.
Kahlua always and I use Half&Half as it’s a bit lighter, and I can drink several, instead of one with cream. Also I like a splash of Amaretto Disaronno in it occasionally.
I call it a Toasted Almond.
And I coincidentally made a few for the Mrs last night. The timing 👌
We like Grind Espresso shot which is rum based, so much better than Kahlua. All of our friends have converted over too since we introduced Grind. Just a splash in coffee is so tasty. We appreciate your support of Finlandia vodka as husband is from Finland.
Came to say this, so good and don’t need any simple syrup added to make a White Russian.
There’s a vodka microdistillery in Fairbanks, Alaska, called Hoarfrost, and they make the best vodka-based coffee liqueur I’ve ever had. The Black or White Russians I’ve had with their coffee liqueur is phenomenal. Best I’ve ever had.
Will keep an eye out for it. Cheers
This affects all of us, Anders - there are basic freedoms!
I'm stayin. I'm finishing my coffee (flavoured cocktail).... Enjoying my coffee (flavoured cocktail).
The Supreme Court has roundly rejected prior restraint!
I make different holiday white Russians with a coffee liquor that people love. We made gingerbread and pumpkin spice. Very yummy, homemade syrups of course.
My favorite version of this was swapping the kahlua with cabo-wabo coffee tequila but I haven’t been able to find that locally in a few years.
You’re a good man…and thorough.
The Colorado bulldog sounds amazing.
Very similar to a cold coffee drink I love. I think it's a local thing, maybe more broadly known. Espresso, Mexican coke, vanilla syrup, on ice, and I toss in some cream. It's known as a Pembertino around here.
I always order my White Russian this way: Stoli Vanil White Russian with a Frangelico floater. A bartender years ago made it that way for me and it’s my absolute fav.
I often change out the vodka for light rum to make a White Cuban. You're right about Nola being too bitter. I typically use Kahlua or Mr. Black depending on my mood.
Nice twist, and surely kicks up the sweetness just a tad.
Ooooooooooooo!!!
I could swap out for Kauai coconut rum (or just the Koloa light,) and make a haole Hawaiian!
😊 I tried it with eggnog once and that was a fail. But I do enjoy with a spiced rum in place of the vodka. Pairs nicely with a slice of pumpkin pie. Cheers.
Thanks Viski and thanks Anders!
I'm glad you covered the white Russian. I once ordered one at a fancier restaurant and it came frothy. I wasn't sure if that was because the cream was shaken. To this day I haven't been able to figure it out. Would love to hear your opinion.
Well, my wife and I tried this line-up (well, the Kahlua, Tia and Mr Coffee variants…) and with a 1/4oz of a Demerara syrup, the Mr Coffee variant was the hands down winner. It had the coffee and cream balance without to overly sweet of the original and Tia version. The nice side is that you can vary the sweetness easier with the syrup. Great education. Many thanks.
1st, happy holidays. 2nd, now for some holiday cheer: content demand: redo this video in the Dude’s getup while a nihilist chases you with garden shears. Can anyone else works some reference details in this crazy idea?
When I first tried Mr Blacks, all coffee cocktails got better. Superb in an Espresso Martini (for example)
I made a White Russian with Mr Black and some blue agave syrup - it went perfectly with leftover pumpkin pie! Thank you for explaining about Black Russians - now I get the Archer gag about the “Black Mexican”
Thank you for all your videos! Very informative and entertaining.
I made a spin on this drink for our bar called "The Dude."
Havana Club White Rum, Cocoa Nib infused Averna, Pistachio Orgeat, topped with fall spice cream foam. Dust of nutmeg and 1 piece of star anise for garnish. Very popular especially when the weather cooled down here in Napa, CA.
Keep up the great work!
Might experiment with this. We usually make Espresso Martinis after dinner parties but I can see this go down with some sugar and maybe less cream. Just have to find our own twist on it I guess. I do have Tia Maria in my cabinet.
I love the sound of clinking ice in a drink!
Oh dang, I didn’t know it was called a “Blind Russian,” as it’s the parts for a “Mudslide” but without being blended. It’s one of my go to drinks, because it’s sweet, easy to drink, and plays well with being changed around. I make mine now with some amaretto, sometimes cutting the vodka down to add more amaretto. I also shake it, regardless of the fact that it would be a stirred cocktail, because the froth and dilution lightens it up and makes it a beautiful drink, taking away some of the initial sharpness and leaving a smooth and refreshing… yet dangerous drink.
Great stuff, as always. By the way, what are those 2nd and 4th glasses? I gots to have me some :D
I recently made a variation using SNICKERS flavored creamer. I dubbed it the Snickering Russian. Great for those with a sweet tooth.
I would love to see your riff on the White Russian. It is such a customizable cocktail that even I come up with my own riff months ago. Maybe I'd find some inspiration on yours.
Best ever.. Have had every stage of memoryloss together with this one.. 😅🤯
The Colorado bulldog is actually the very first drink that got me into mixing cocktails. The ratios are very important, most places I've been to I've actually screwed it up. I would love to see the content on your channel and spruce it up a little bit if you could 🤣 big ask I know! But I believe in you!
So I don’t make them much these days, given how sweet they can be. But with the proliferation of more coffee-aligned liquors, like Mr.Black, I’m finding them appealing again. That St.George’s sounds compelling too, as a big fan of Nola style coffee. For funzies, I’ll swap out the cream for Buffalo Trace’s Bourbon Cream, or Pennsylvania Dutch Salted Caramel Cream (a seasonal fave). Though to cut the sugar down, I’m going to try dry shaking (with the strainer spring added to the Boston shaker) equal parts cream and one of those cream liquors, just for a touch more body. Might be fun…?
I had my first WR in prob. 20 years last week. I like to add just a bit of Bailey's to mine.
My go-to is with Kahlua Especial (the 35% stuff) and whole milk in place of the cream. Considerably stronger but you don't feel loaded down after drinking one.
I occasionally have them without the ice and a cream cap on top like the Dominicana
Mother used to make her own coffee liqueur. 750ml bottle of belvedere in a quart mason jar with cafe bustelo to fill, about a cup
Very good with a homemade coffee liqueur. That way you can make the coffee element as strong/bitter/forward as you would like it
There’s something about your channel where every time I watch a video it gets me inspired to try mixing around behind the bar and make something new (unless it already exists somewhere lol). This round of experimentation lead to this:
.5 oz Mr Black Coffee Liqueur
1 oz Amaro Nonino
1 oz Cointreau
Stir over ice and strain into a coupe (I have these small liqueur glasses the drink fit perfectly into)
Garnish with a spritz of absinthe from an atomizer.
I personally like the drink as of this moment but feel there’s something else that could be happening to improve it (this is the third iteration, reducing amounts of the Mr black, adding/removing simple syrups, etc). Criticism is welcome if anyone’s reading this. Much love ❤️
I used to enjoy Tia Maria, but it has changed in flavor over the years.Pernod produced it for awhile and didn't mess with it too much but since '09, ILLVA Saronno? They changed the vanilla, the coffee and the amount of rum.
Good stuff, Dude.
I have the normal Tia Maria Coffee liqueur. The tast of Coffee is really small. For Mode Coffee flavor I take Coffee liqueuer from Giffard (from netherland)
Love it with a shot of cold espresso in as well 😄
Now that would be tasty
i like to put in a shot of espresso too! I wasn't sure if it would still be a White Russian though.
Here in South Africa we have a coffee liqueur with cream in it named "Amarula Ethiopian coffee" which I use equal parts of vodka and Amarula which is sweet strong and not so dairy heavy.
I like White Russian but when I replaced Vodka with Cognac with a little bit of simple syrup garnish it with brandied cherry loved it even more which I called it Romeo”s Yonder
I did 1.5 oz Vodka, 1.5 oz. Mr Black, 1.5 oz. (eyeballed) half and half, and 0.5 oz of a rich demerara syrup and it was REALLY good! See a lot of people doing Rum and I'll have to try that next time!
Love your videos. What if you made it all in the shaker? Does it matter?
I'm not a huge the White Russian fan, either. But I love Ethiopian coffee (that's what I roast at home). That's making me want to try the Creme de Moka version. Cheers! Fun Fact: I've never seen The Big Lebowski. Maybe I should start there.
Great comparison for the coffee liquors. Have you considered doing something that highlights different types of bitters?
We typically use the higher proof Kahlua Especial, which I feel has a better coffee flavor and a little more heat to fight back the sweet. Whole milk, shaken to aerate, is plenty of milk fat for me, unless it’s actually going to be a dessert, then half and half is okay.
Thanks
Great video! I like a lighter and less sweet White Russian made with Mr. Black’s and unsweetened vanilla almond milk. Almost guilt free 😊
Finlandia Vodka is great for making cocktails. I usually alternate between Finlandia or Tito's as my Vodka of choice for making cocktails.
TO THE BAR!➡️🥃
I found a recipe for a Colorado Bulldog somewhere and that was my drink of choice at home for a long time, until The Dude showed me I could leave out the Coke and have a White Russian which, as it turns out, is a much better drink. But I've watched several TH-cam videos about the White Russian and they've never mentioned my old favorite, so you've earned a thumbs up and a subscription. Thanks.
I like substituting cream/milk with unsweetened coconut milk.
It's so weird, almost every time I really start researching a cocktail, it seems like Anders immediately drops a new video on the subject. This has happened like 3 times. Anders are you reading my mind?!
Seriously though, I just hours ago bought my 1st bottle of Mr. Black in hopes of making a better White Russian. At the suggestion of someone's Total Wine and More review, I also bought a bottle of Toasted Coconut liqueur. Sounds interesting, but haven't tried it yet! But glad to know that I'm probably going to enjoy the Mr. Black over the Kahlua. Thanks Anders!
A few weeks back I picked up my first Mr. Black to try in a White Russian. (Haven't gotten around to trying it yet.)
And I have been curious how a toasted coconut liqueur would differ in flavor from a regular coconut liqueur (and if there'd be potential there for swapping out toasted for regular in a recipe).
For me the Kahlua Especial hits the balance mark of bitter and sweetness, it's not trying to do too much ☕
my go to "white russian" is Mr. black, hazelnut liquor chocolate milk. Desert to the max. Its more like a mudslide this way, but awesome!
Legit Everytime Every time your videos are perfect , I'm currently making coffee liquor for black white Russians, and espresso martini for a poker night this weekend
Just wondering how study the Viski glassware is. They look great but appear pretty delicate
Nice that you tried it with 5 different liqueurs. You're thorough (pronounced "thur-uh").
I made a holiday-ish twist on this that alot of people have liked id love to do some submissions if you ever do the fan recipes again
Cheers
If you want to share the recipe I'm sure my guests would enjoy something new
I habe never seen the Lebowski film, but I’m a big White Russian fan! 😀😀☕️🍸
I make it with 2oz of vodka, 1oz of Kahlua and 1.5oz of cream👍🏽
The exclamation mark after “link below!” is very cute: must be Az
You brave soul. Cheers!
i wish i could find more of the st george stuff locally
What's your opinion on Flor de Cana coffee liqueur?
Two Brothers makes a coffee liqueur and I tried using it in a white russian once, and ended up with a similar result where it's not nearly as sweet and it doesn't really feel like the same drink as one with kahlua.