Black and white view of cocktails
The Black Russian is perhaps one of the most classic cocktails taught to a bartending aspirant. This and it’s creamy variant White Russian are regular features even in the most basic menu. These cocktails — a mixture of Vodka and Kahlua, without or with cream or milk — are not so named because they originated in, or are particularly popular in Russia. Rather, at the time of their invention — before the heyday of Finlandia and Absolut, et al — most Americans associated vodka with being a Russian export. The Cold War also undoubtedly had something to do with the drink’s nomer.
The Black Russian contains three parts vodka and two parts coffee liqueur, or even five parts vodka to two parts coffee liqueur. Traditionally the drink is made by pouring the vodka over ice cubes or cracked ice in an old-fashioned glass, followed by the coffee liqueur.
A variation is the Dirty Black Russian, Tall Black Russian or Australian Black Russian (also known as a Colorado Bulldog), which is prepared in the same manner as the Black Russian, but served in a taller glass and topped up with cola. The Black Magic, a sour twist on the Black Russian, can be made by adding a dash of lemon juice and a lemon twist garnish.
The traditional cocktail becomes a White Russian with the addition of cream. Despite the addition of cream, this drink too is served with ice in an Old Fashioned glass. Many variants of the cocktail exist, like White Canadian (made with goat’s milk), a Blind Russian (made with Baileys Irish Cream instead of cream — the “Blind” comes from the drink being made with any alcoholic ingredient) and even the innovatively titled Anna Kournikova (made with skim milk with the name implying a “skinny, low-fat White Russian”).
The writer is F&B manager, Ale and Hearty
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