The Black Russian is a
cocktail
A cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink. Most commonly, cocktails are either a combination of spirits, or one or more spirits mixed with other ingredients such as tonic water, fruit juice, flavored syrup, or cream. Cocktails vary widely across ...
of
vodka and
coffee liqueur. It contains 50 ml vodka and 20 ml coffee liqueur, per
IBA specified ingredients.
The drink is made by pouring the vodka and coffee liqueur over
ice cube
An ice cube is a small piece of ice, which is typically rectangular as viewed from above and trapezoidal as viewed from the side. Ice cubes are products of mechanical refrigeration and are usually produced to cool beverages. They may be produc ...
s or cracked ice in an
old-fashioned glass and stirring.
The Black Russian is often garnished with a lemon slice and a Luxardo maraschino cherry on a stick.
History
The Black Russian cocktail first appeared in 1949 and is ascribed to Gustave Tops, a
Belgian barman
A bartender (also known as a barkeep, barman, barmaid, or a mixologist) is a person who formulates and serves alcoholic or soft drink beverages behind the bar, usually in a licensed establishment as well as in restaurants and nightclubs, but ...
, who created it at the
Hotel Metropole in
Brussels in honor of
Perle Mesta, then
United States Ambassador to Luxembourg.
The cocktail owes its name to the use of vodka, a typical Russian spirit, and the blackness of the coffee liqueur.
Variations
* Dirty Black Russian, Tall Black Russian, Australian Black Russian or Colorado Bulldog: served in a
highball glass and topped up with
cola.
* Black Magic: served with a dash of
lemon juice and a
lemon twist to garnish.
* Irish Russian or Smooth Black Russian: served with a head of
Guinness
Guinness () is an Irish dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St. James's Gate, Dublin, Ireland, in 1759. It is one of the most successful alcohol brands worldwide, brewed in almost 50 countries, and available in ove ...
.
* Brown Russian: served in a
highball glass and topped with
ginger ale.
* Belarusian or
white Russian: served with
milk or
cream.
* Mudslide: served with Irish cream, either fresh cream or ice cream, with or without chocolate sauce rim.
* Mind Eraser: topped up with sparkling water.
* Paralyzer: Made with
cola and
milk in addition to vodka and coffee liqueur.
See also
*
List of cocktails
A cocktail is a mixed drink typically made with a distilled liquor (such as arrack, brandy, cachaça, gin, rum, tequila, vodka, or whiskey) as its base ingredient that is then mixed with other ingredients or garnishments. Sweetened liqueurs, w ...
*
References
{{Coffee
Cocktails with vodka
Cocktails with coffee liqueur
Coffee culture
Coffee drinks
Alcoholic coffee drinks
Two-ingredient cocktails