Colorado Bulldog

It can. Cola is acidic, and if the cream is near its date or the drink sits around for ten minutes you'll see it break into flecks. Build over plenty of ice, add the cola last, and drink it cold and it holds together fine.

Vodka and coffee liqueur first, stirred into the ice, then the cream, then the cola poured slowly down the inside of the glass. Reverse the last two and you get a volcano, a sticky counter and about half the drink you started with.

Fat is what protects it. Heavy cream is the most stable and sits as a thick layer; half-and-half splits less often than people expect; whole milk is the one that flecks, because there isn't enough fat to hold the proteins together against the acid. Keep whichever you use fridge-cold until it goes in.

Sixty milliliters, which is a third of a can and closer to a splash. Enough to lift the drink and keep it fizzing, not enough to turn the glass brown and thin. Fill it to the rim like a rum and coke and the cream stops being a texture and becomes a film floating on soda.

A classic Colorado Bulldog calls for 30 ml (1 oz) Vodka, 30 ml (1 oz) Coffee liqueur, 30 ml (1 oz) Heavy cream, 60 ml (2 oz) Cola. That single-serve spec scales cleanly — the recipe above converts it to oz and multiplies it for 2–4 drinks.

A standard Colorado Bulldog is roughly 12% ABV once mixed (before ice melt softens it further). That makes it about as strong as a glass of wine.

A Colorado Bulldog is built directly in the glass over ice — no shaker required. Add the ingredients in order and give it a brief, gentle stir.