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!
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 😉
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.
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 😅
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.
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!
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!
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.
“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.
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
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
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).
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.
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
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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 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 RU-vid videos about the White Russian and they've never mentioned my old favorite, so you've earned a thumbs up and a subscription. Thanks.
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).
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”
I just mixed and tried my first Caucasian, technically a Blind Russian because I used Bailey's for cream, and the coffee liqueur I settled on was Tia Maria. You're right in that it doesn't taste too much like coffee, though I prefer coffee to be a complementary flavor rather than the main thing, which tends to make me sneeze, so this is good for me. But you know, that's just, like, uh, my opinion, man. I'm also picking up a strong hazelnut flavor from it. It's like a perfectly mixed latte/mocha/whatever that you get at Dunkin' Donuts or something, but it gets you drunk. I ended up making three before my ice melted, all while watching The Big Lebowski of course.
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.
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)
During covid White Russians became one of my go to comfort drinks but there’s only so much cream you can drink. So by the end my preferred version was a double up of all the spirits and replacing the cream with full cream milk. I’d then shake it with a couple of big block cubes (to avoid over diluting too much) turn it into a big frothing milkshake served in a milkshake glass over the rocks. Because it’s a pretty boozy version shaking it helps take the edge off the spirts and makes us super drinkable. Not a classic White Russian but big boozy milkshakes make everything more bearable.
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
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.
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.
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.
I hadn't heard of the blind russian with irish cream, my friend's and I thought we were clever when we used Bailey's instead of cream and called the drink the Kosmonaut.
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 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.
I dunno if it counts as a White Russian but for years I've taken your Mr Black build from this video but microwave my glass for 30 seconds after pouring the spirits and then instead of ice cubes and cream, i would stir it all together with a vanilla bean ice cream popsicle until everything mixed and melted together into a criminally tasty dessert cocktail. Thanks for another fun video!
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
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.
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.
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!
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!
I don't like sugar in my coffee at all, so the White Russian cocktail never had much appeal to me, but the two liquors that you said were too dry piqued my interest- thanks!
Mr. Black is more straightforward and less sweet than Kahlua. It works here. The St. George Nola does not. It is too bitter. I've tried, and I've tried with friends. Don't get a bottle to try it in this drink unless you have other drinks where you know you'll want that bitter flavor.
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.
Referring to the NOLA coffee liquor you said that the chicory makes it bitter. Actually the NOLA coffee style is very dark, basically burned and the chicory is a sweetener that cuts the bitterness somewhat, originated during the civil war when ground coffee was reused and sugar was scarce. Love your stuff, cheers!👍
My Grandfather and his best friend (Herbert Hart & Morris Cargill) created Tia Maria in Jamaica in the 1940's. The drink was originally called "Aunt Mary's brew" after Morris's Auntie as it was her recipe, using Blue Mountain coffee, that she used to serve up to the boys when they were young. My grandfather (Hart) was always upset that they made the decision to sell the brand and didn't like to talk about it too much. The story about the run away Spanish girl fleeing Jamaica with the recipe was apparently used for marketing to make the drink more "dark & mysterious".
I'm sure I'm not the first, but I took this cocktail south of the border. We named it the Gringo - 2 oz reposado tequila (mezcal might be more interesting), 1 oz Kahlua, .5 oz Ancho ReyesChili Ancho Liqueur, three dashes Fee Brothers Aztec Chocolate Bitters. Cream, or milk over the top to suit your taste. Served on a big cube in a rocks glass. Bien!!
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!
I am surprised to not see Borghetti… perhaps it’s not available where you are. Made by the same family as Fernet, Carpano Antica etc… great coffee flavor, basically cold brewed espresso fortified.
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)
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 wonder if using a less fatty milk, like 2% or even whole milk, would be enough sweetness for the Mr Black. I find that milk is sweeter than heavy cream. I think with the removal of fat, the lactose makes up a larger percentage of the volume. Skim milk to me tastes like sugar water.
"You see what happens, Larry? You see what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps?" - The censored for TV version that I heard many years ago that made me laugh for about 10 minutes straight.
"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.
Mr. Black abides. Beats Kahlua and Tia Maria. The other two I'm not familiar with. IMO Mr. Black is quite sweet enough. Btw, I prefer half-and-half to cream.
