Mixlio
White Russian
A Black Russian with cream floated on top and stirred in slowly. Softer, paler and closer to dessert than the drink it comes from.
- Base
- Vodka
- Glass
- Old fashioned glass
- Method
- Build
- Strength
- 21% ABV
Ingredients
- 50 mlVodka
20 mlCoffee Liqueur1 swap
Cold brew plus simple syrupmediumDrier, more coffee bitterness
Add 5 ml syrup to match the sweetness
30 mlFresh Cream2 swaps
Whole milk or half-and-halfhighLighter, less rich
Oat creammediumDairy-free, slightly nutty
How to make
Building over ice keeps the cream on top until you stir it, so it folds in without splitting.
- Fill an old fashioned glass with ice cubes.
- Pour the vodka and coffee liqueur over the ice.
- Float the fresh cream on top and stir it in slowly.
Serve
Taste & nutrition
Estimated from ingredient amounts and assumed ABVs — not a lab measurement.
Good to know
- Pour the cream over the back of a bar spoon so it sits on top before you stir.
- Stir two or three turns only — over-stirring flattens it into a beige drink.
- Cold cream on cold liquid: warm cream can split against the alcohol.
History
The White Russian is the Black Russian with cream, and it inherits that drink's 1949 Brussels origin rather than having one of its own. It stayed a quiet after-dinner order for decades until The Big Lebowski put it in front of everyone in 1998, and it has been a bar staple since. The cream is floated and stirred in slowly on purpose — poured straight in, it drops through and the drink turns muddy.
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